At the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner, President Joe Biden playfully teased his predecessor and quipped about his own age, all while a notable gathering of pro-Palestinian demonstrators outside emphasized the challenges his administration faces amidst Gaza war criticisms.
Addressing a crowd of nearly 3,000 attendees, including journalists, celebrities, and politicians, Biden humorously remarked, “Age is the only thing we have in common. My vice president actually endorses me.”
Drawing a comparison between his reelection campaign’s momentum and Trump’s subdued presence due to ongoing legal battles, Biden highlighted the differing approaches since his recent State of the Union address.
Colin Jost, the evening’s other headline performer from “Saturday Night Live,” couldn’t resist poking fun at Trump’s legal entanglements, opening his act with a tongue-in-cheek observation about presidential appearances.
While Biden’s participation in such events is a tradition, the significance of what might be his final White House Correspondents’ Dinner was not lost, given his dwindling approval ratings and persistent doubts about his mental acuity. Against this backdrop, the dinner coincided with a backdrop of pro-Palestinian protests sweeping college campuses nationwide.
These protests were evident outside the Washington Hilton, where demonstrators voiced discontent with the president’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, urging attendees to condemn violence against journalists in Gaza.
While Biden touched on pressing issues such as press freedom and the perceived threat of another Trump presidency, notably absent from his speech was any mention of the Gaza conflict.
