Trump Mocks Biden, Rocks White House Dinner
President Donald Trump used his speech at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner to praise law enforcement, mock members of the media, criticize Democratic leaders and joke about political rivals, drawing a mixed reaction from the audience.
The president’s appearance came months after the original correspondents’ dinner was interrupted by a security incident that forced the evacuation of Trump, senior administration officials and hundreds of guests. He opened his remarks by thanking the law enforcement officers who responded to the incident before shifting to a series of jokes aimed at reporters and political opponents.
Trump singled out several prominent journalists, including CNN anchors Kaitlan Collins and Jake Tapper, along with Wall Street Journal reporter Josh Dawsey. He repeated his long-running criticism that Collins “never smiles,” joking that she should be happier despite working for what he again called “fake news.”
Earlier in the evening, Trump greeted members of a Wall Street Journal reporting team that received an award for coverage involving an alleged birthday letter connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The administration has filed a defamation lawsuit against the newspaper over that reporting.
The president also targeted a number of Democratic figures, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, former Vice President Kamala Harris, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Former President Joe Biden was another frequent subject of Trump’s jokes, including one referencing a recent event held on the White House South Lawn.
One of the biggest laughs of the night came when Trump joked about Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., quipping that Kennedy had personally supplied the evening’s beef and then adding another joke involving roadkill.
Not every joke landed with the audience. After one remark received little response, Trump paused to ask whether anyone understood it before joking that it was the only line in the speech he actually liked, adding that it still failed to generate much laughter.
Trump wrapped up his remarks by putting on a “Trump 2028” hat and joking about another presidential campaign, a moment many in the audience interpreted as sarcastic.
Before the president spoke, White House Correspondents’ Association President Weijia Jiang emphasized the importance of an independent press, arguing there is a fundamental difference between criticizing journalists and attempting to undermine the media.
Trump closed by saying that despite his often-contentious relationship with reporters, he believes strongly in a free press, adding with a smile that perhaps not everyone in the room would agree with that assessment.
