The White House Correspondents' Dinner, a prestigious gala in Washington, returned to the American capital on Saturday April 30 after the pandemic and the Trump years, when the president's self-mockery and support for the press were not not really fashionable.

About 2,600 people in formal wear, journalists and their guests, attended at the Washington Hilton.

“I am very happy to be here tonight with the only group of Americans whose popularity rating is lower than mine,” Democratic President Joe Biden first launched his speech with humor.

Biden opens his speech at the White House Correspondents' Dinner by saying, "I'm very happy to be with you tonight, the only group of Americans with lower popularity than mine."

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— Sonia Dridi (@Sonia_Dridi) May 1, 2022

And to mock his Republican predecessor Donald Trump, who never showed up for the party, he observed that the last few years had been difficult: "We had a horrible plague followed by two years of Covid".

A tribute to the free press

Joe Biden then adopted a more serious tone, paying tribute to journalists covering the war in Ukraine and warning about "the poison that is spreading in our democracy (...) with disinformation which is increasing sharply".

"You, the free press, are more important than you have ever been in the last century," he said.

And to pass the floor to the master of ceremonies, comedian Trevor Noah, he launched: "Trevor, the very good news is that now you will be able to spoof the President of the United States".

"And unlike in Moscow, you won't go to jail," he added.

The comedian began by saying he was honored to be the emcee of "the nation's most distinguished super-infectious event."

A reference to the fact that the gala was done without a mask, even if vaccination was required there.

Joe Biden, 79, was not wearing one, but he did not attend the meal, as a precaution.

Its vice-president Kamala Harris had tested positive for the coronavirus last week.

The journalists "have been so hard on you, which I don't understand", launched Trevor Noah to the attention of the head of state.

"Since you've been in power, things are going up - you know, gas is up, rent is up, food is up. Everything."

Joe Biden laughed, putting on a good face and trying to distinguish himself as much as possible from Donald Trump, the only president since 1980 to have skipped the traditional evening which dates back to 1924, organized by the association of journalists accredited to the White House (WHCA).

Washington's political and media elite remembers the Obama years, especially in 2011, when he targeted Donald Trump for his taste for conspiracy theories.

Once in power, the Republican president had shunned each of these gala evenings, he who regularly attacked journalists, "the enemies of the people".

During the last edition, in 2019, neither president nor comedian was present.

With AFP

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