Joe Biden honors return of White House Correspondents Dinner

US President Joe Biden laughs at a joke by comedian Trevor Noah, during the White House Correspondents' Dinner, in Washington, April 30, 2022. AP - Patrick Semansky

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

For the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the White House correspondents' dinner took place on Saturday April 30 in Washington in the presence of the President of the United States.

As tradition dictates, Joe Biden adopted a humorous tone, while pointing the finger at Russia.

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With our correspondent in Washington,

Guillaume Naudin

It is the return of an American politico-media-worldly tradition.

And when a tradition could not be celebrated for three years, there are often people to honor it: more than 2,500 people duly vaccinated and tested were present at the White House for the event.

And the tradition of this dinner is self-mockery.

Joe Biden does not forget it while having fun being among journalists, the " 

only group less popular than him

 " he says, before continuing on a spade for

Donald Trump who never participated when he was president

 :

This is the first time in six years that the president has attended this dinner.

It's understandable: we had a horrible plague, followed by two years of Covid-19.

This dinner is above all an opportunity to celebrate freedom of the press and freedom of expression.

By giving the floor to South African comedian Trevor Noah, Joe Biden underlines it: “ 

I will pass the floor to Trevor now, and hang up my belt.

Trevor, the real good news is that you can make fun of the President of the United States, but

unlike in Moscow

, you won't go to jail.

 »

Trevor Noah has prepared jokes for everyone, but if he says he's going to go harder, with the president, he remains very measured in the end: " 

I'll be honest, if you hadn't come, I would have totally understood.

These people have been so hard on you, which I don't understand.

Since you have been in office, things have really taken off.

Gasoline, rents, food…

everything goes up

.

 »

► 

To read also: 

War in Ukraine: "It is impossible to be a journalist in an independent media in Russia"

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  • Joe Biden