The White House Correspondents’ Dinner (WHCD) made its big return to Washington, D.C., over the weekend after a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The annual event, also known as “the nerd prom,” honors excellence in journalism for reporters covering the White House and raises money for student journalism scholarships.
The glamorous black-tie celebration, which took place at the Washington Hilton on Saturday, is also a prime event for celebs, having earned the reputation as D.C.’s biggest celebrity night of the year.
With President Joe Biden’s attendance, this year’s event also marked the first WHCD dinner to welcome a sitting president since 2016. Even though the President of the United States is expected to attend, former President Donald Trump did not attend from 2017 to 2019, according to USA Today.
Now that both the dinner and POTUS are back for the star-studded affair, here are five top moments from the 27th annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
01
The Return of Star Power to the Red Carpet
The stars once again showed up and showed out for what’s known as D.C.’s biggest celebrity night, even with lingering concerns about COVID-19. Celebrities including Gayle King, Chris Tucker, Don Lemon, Martha Stewart, Kyla Pratt, Fat Joe, Drew Barrymore and comedian Ziwe Fumudoh graced the red carpet. Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson also made their red-carpet debut. An estimated 2,600 people attended the annual event, which was held in person for the first time since 2019.
02
Comedian Trevor Noah Hosts Washington D.C.’s Biggest Night
The Daily Show host held no punches as host of Saturday’s dinner. He poked fun at the President, Democrats, Republicans, the press, Congress and COVID-19.
Noah took the stage by declaring it a “great honor” to speak at the “nation’s most distinguished super spreader event.” The comedian then took aim at President Biden with this joke: “I think everyone will agree that it’s actually nice to once again have a president who’s not afraid to come to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and hear jokes about himself. I’ll be honest, if you didn’t come, I totally would have understood because these people have been so hard on you, which I don’t get. I really don’t. And I think ever since you’ve come into office, things are really looking up. You know, gas is up, rent is up, food is up, everything.”
He shined as the dinner’s comedic star and kept the audience laughing, President Biden included. “You realize how amazing it is: In America, you have the right to seek the truth and speak the truth, even if it makes people in power uncomfortable,” Noah concluded his speech. “I stood here tonight, and I made fun of the president of the United States, and I’m going to be fine.”
“I am going to be fine, right?” Noah said as he turned to a laughing President Biden for confirmation.
03
President Joe Biden Takes Digs At Predecessor, Stresses Importance of Free Press During Speech
Biden poked fun at his predecessor, the press, the GOP and even the event’s continued existence during the dinner. “I’m really excited to be here tonight with the only group of Americans who have a lower approval rating than I do,” Biden said in his opening remarks.
“We had a horrible plague, then two years of Covid,” he explained. “Imagine if my predecessor had attended this dinner this year; that would have been a real coup if that had happened.”
It was Biden’s first appearance at the widely attended Washington event since taking office due to the pandemic. As the first President to speak to the dinner’s attendees in six years, he emphasized his support for democracy and the free press.
It stands in stark contrast to his predecessor’s tumultuous relationship with the media and refusal to attend the event during his four years in office. “The free press is not the enemy of the people, far from it,” Biden said. “The truth matters. American democracy is not a reality show. It’s not a reality show. It’s reality itself.”
04
Reporter April Ryan Receives Standing Ovation For 25 Years Of Service
April Ryan received a standing ovation during Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner to recognize her journalistic excellence. Ryan is the longest-serving Black woman White House correspondent with 25 years of service. On Sunday, she got emotional as she shared on CNN what it was like to receive such recognition during the dinner.
“The association in that beautiful program they had last night, how they lifted up the names of Ethel Payne and Alice Dunnigan, two of the first Black reporters to cover the White House and be credentialed, and the racism and the gender hate they received that in some cases mirrored what I saw a few years ago. It was eerily familiar. And for that room 2600 people to stand… that was a poignant moment, and I’ll never forget it,” Ryan said.
05
Trailblazing Black Women Journalists Ethel Payne and Alice Dunnigan Honored
The first “Dunnigan-Payne Prize” was presented to the families of the late White House reporters Alice Dunnigan and Ethel Payne by CBS News Anchor Gayle King. Payne and Dunnigan were the first two Black women journalists to be White House press corps members. These two trailblazing Black women journalists broke barriers in the face of racism and sexism to make history and pave the way for so many others.
The White House Correspondents’ Association board will now award the Dunnigan-Payne Prize for Lifetime Career Achievement on an occasional basis to recognize meritorious service throughout an individual’s career as a White House correspondent.
