United States – US President Joe Biden delivered an election-year roast on Saturday night at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. At the same time, protesters outside the White House voiced their existent opposition to his support for Israel’s beleaguered war against Hamas.
President Biden Mocks Trump’s Age
Biden mocked his political rival, Republican Donald Trump, for appearing immature and challenging the press as they stretched the truth more than the usual Washington spin on his advanced age at the black-tie banquet, as reported by Reuters.
“Yes, age is an issue. I’m a grown man, running against a 6-year-old,” Biden joked.
Protesters Voice Opposition to Biden’s Support for Israel
Biden, 81, later added to former President Trump, 77: “Age is the only thing we have in common. My vice president actually endorses me.”
However, Trump criticized the event, saying it was “really bad” in his message on his Truth Social platform. “Crooked Joe” was an absolute disaster! Doesn’t get much worse than this!” was his reaction.
Protesters with banners around that event at the Washington Hilton shouted, “Journalists’ death in Gaza.” A crowd of protesters badgered journalists into abstaining from the annual event and heckled administration officials as they embarked on the venue.
Biden entered the hotel from a rear entrance to avoid big rallies. There, he was welcomed by a few protesters who were requesting a ceasefire.
The yearly gathering at Capital Hilton, generally called the “nerd prom of Washington DC,” hosts around 200 journalists, politicians, and celebrities in a large banquet room. The president usually gives a speech with a concluding remark that is friendly and directed to the reporters and other guests seated in the audience.
Biden Urges Media to Focus
Trump gave some advice to the media.
“I’m sincerely not asking you to take sides. I’m asking you to rise up to the seriousness of the moment. Move past the horse race numbers and the gotcha moments and the distractions, the sideshows that have come to dominate and sensationalize our politics, and focus on what’s actually at stake,” Biden said.
For this year, the event was hosted by the “Saturday Night Live” actor Colin Jost.
Conflict Echoed at Correspondents’ Dinner
Grassroots organization CODEPINK walked to the site from the adjoining park. “The United States media perpetuates anti-Palestinian narratives and ignores Israeli war crimes,” the group noted on its website.
There has been a growing trend of demonstrations against the war in Gaza since early this year, which the President had to face at his USD 250-per-ticket March fundraiser at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, which was crashed by protestors.
This campaign has come a long way from its early days and has presently moved beyond the college campuses of the US, which hints at a growing revolt within the Democratic base that Biden would need to beat Trump, who recently became the Republican frontrunner.
Kelly O’Donnell, the President of the White House correspondents’ Association, declined to comment about security measures for the dinner.
“The safety and security of our protectees is the US Secret Service’s top priority,” said US Secret Service spokesperson Alexi Worley, who declined to comment further.
Since the Israeli war against Hamas in Gaza (which is six months old now) started in response to the Tuesday, October 7 attack by the militant group early this week, the death toll has exceeded 34,000, the Palestinian authorities say, and the humanitarian crisis for the enclave’s more than 2 million inhabitants was worsened.
In total, the Hamas terrorists’ attack caused over 1,200 casualties and took 253 Israelis hostage, according to the official tallies, as reported by Reuters.
The White House Correspondents’ Association was set up in 1914 and since then has organized a dinner except in one-year 1921 whose proceeds are given to scholarships for media students.