The annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner is a prestigious event designed to honor the vital role of journalism and the reporters who cover the White House. It serves as a platform where politicians, lawmakers, and journalists from all sides gather to momentarily set aside their differences in celebration of the media. However, this year’s gathering took on a distinctly different atmosphere amid the political climate.
Typically, the evening is filled with clever comedy, thanks to previous hosts like Stephen Colbert and Conan O’Brien, making it a night where gasps often replace laughter. This year, Hasan Minhaj, a senior correspondent from The Evening Show, took on the hosting duties, and his performance did not fall short of expectations.
Traditionally, the President attends the event, embracing the humor directed at him and even delivering his own comedic remarks, much to the delight of the audience. This year, however, the absence of Donald Trump—marking the first time a sitting President has skipped the affair since Reagan—left an unexpected void. Reagan’s absence was due to recovery from an assassination attempt, but Trump’s no-show was interpreted as a reluctance to withstand the jokes.
Despite the absence of Trump and many members of his administration, Minhaj showcased an impressive array of sharply-timed jests, turning the occasion into a powerful affirmation of the First Amendment. His memorable quips included:
- “You guys are Trump’s public enemy number one. It’s journalists, then ISIS, then normal length ties.”
- “I would say it is an honor to be here, but that would be an alternative fact—it is not. No one wanted to do this, so of course it lands in the hands of an immigrant.”
- “We have to address the elephant that’s not in the room. The leader of the country is not here. And that’s because he lives in Moscow.”
- “[Trump] tweets at 3 a.m. sober. Who tweets at 3 a.m. sober? Donald Trump does, because it’s 10 a.m. in Russia. Those are business hours.”
- “Betsy DeVos couldn’t be here—she’s busy curating her collection of children’s tears.”
Minhaj also humorously remarked, “Jeff Sessions couldn’t be here tonight. He was busy doing a pre-Civil War reenactment. On his RSVP he just wrote: ‘No!’ Just, ‘Nooooo!’ Which happens to be his second favorite n-word.”
He concluded with a powerful statement about the importance of free speech, stating, “The President didn’t show up because Donald Trump doesn’t care about free speech. The man who tweets everything that enters his head refuses to acknowledge the amendment that allows him to do it… I’m proud that all of us are here tonight to defend that right, even if the man in the White House never would.”
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In summary, this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner showcased the resilience of the press and the importance of free speech through Minhaj’s sharp humor, despite the notable absence of the President.
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