Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2025

Joe Biden To Get Roasted At White House Journalists' Dinner

Joe Biden To Get Roasted At White House Journalists' Dinner

The ritual is a landmark on the US capital's social calendar and once again takes place in the same Hilton Hotel where Ronald Reagan was shot and nearly killed by John Hinckley Jr in 1981.
Washington's political and media elites observe their annual truce -- of a few hours -- Saturday at the White House Correspondents Association dinner, where President Joe Biden will find himself the butt of jokes and hit back with his own.

The ritual is a landmark on the US capital's social calendar and once again takes place in the same Hilton Hotel where Ronald Reagan was shot and nearly killed by John Hinckley Jr in 1981, as he left from delivering a speech to trade unions.

The dinner institution had started to wither -- first boycotted by Donald Trump, then shut down for Covid-19 altogether.

Even last year, strict Covid testing, frequent use of masks and many guests keeping away resulted in a relatively low-key affair.

Saturday's event, said White House Correspondents Association President Tamara Keith, is "completely sold out."

Keith, a correspondent for NPR radio, said hundreds of people had been turned away after tickets ran out.

"It's post-Covid. People last year were pretty nervous about going into a ballroom with 2,600 people in it, and this year, they are climbing over each other to get there," she told The Hill.

Among those extra guests is Vice President Kamala Harris, joining 80-year-old Biden on stage in the same week that they declared their 2024 reelection bid.

Having both the president and vice president in attendance will restore a tradition last observed in 2016, the final dinner before Trump entered the White House.

Hollywood figures, Washington politicians of all stripes and representatives of every media organization imaginable will cram inside Saturday.

As in previous years, a prominent comedian will perform, this time "Daily Show" correspondent Roy Wood Jr.

Serious joking matter

The occasion is meant to celebrate the constitution's First Amendment guaranteeing free speech -- and a free press. However, the jokes tend to get the headlines.

Wood, speaking to CBS News, said the two aspects are mutually reinforcing.

"I have an opportunity as a citizen to look elected officials in the face and go, 'Here's where you're all messing up,'" he said, adding, "it needs to be funny."

If previous editions are a guide, many jokes will be directed at Biden, but also at the journalists who cover him. Polls show less than half the country approves of the Democrat, while the media get little love from much of the country, presenting many easy targets.

Wood is also likely to direct barbs at members of Congress and, undoubtedly, given the new election cycle, Trump and other Republicans eying White House runs.

Biden will get his own slot and an opportunity to show he can take the heat.

He may have been practicing on Friday, delivering his trademark brand of self-deprecation about his age -- though more dad joke than edgy late-night TV fare.

Referring to a speech by president Dwight Eisenhower 65 years ago, Biden quipped at a ceremony honoring the Air Force football team, "I wasn't there."

After pausing for the laughter, he added: "No matter what the press says."
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
×