Biden warns against 'poison' of misinformation in Ukraine war

The president and the jokes returned while the gloves and masks fell, with the return of the ACCA dinner in the White House in Washington, after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

President Joe Biden has mocked his waning popularity in the polls, criticized his predecessor Donald Trump for not attending the annual dinner during his tenure, and accepted the jokes of the evening's host, comedian Trevor Noah.

The dinner also touched on serious topics such as the conflict in Ukraine, the challenges facing democracy, and media freedom at home and abroad.

"I am very excited to be here tonight with the only American group less popular than mine," Biden said in his opening speech, AFP reported.

Biden acknowledged that the past years have been difficult.

"We had a terrible scourge, followed by two years of (Covid)," he said sarcastically.

He then took a more serious turn, praising the journalists covering the war in Ukraine, and warning of "a poison running through our democracy...as misinformation grows exponentially."

"You, the free press, are of greater importance than they were in the last century," he added.

Also, during the dinner, I paid tribute to the sacrifices of journalists in war zones.

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news