just so you know. we are grateful for her 30 years in public service. we wish pam the very best. in a well deserved retirement. will you please announce the next date for the next agenda meeting? >> the next meeting is thursday, may 23, 2024. >> until then, we stand adjourned. well done. good job. >> the house will be in order. >> this year, c-span celebrates 45 years of covering congress

like no other. since 1979, we have been your primary source for capitol hill, providing balanced unfiltered coverage of government, taking you to the where the policy is debated and decided with support of america's cable companies. c-span, 45 years and counting, powered by cable. >> we take you live now to the 2024 white house correspondents dinner at the washington hilton hotel. saturday night live's colin jost will headline the event, and president biden will also be speaking here. on the schedule this evening, guests will be continuing entering the washington hilton hotel ballroom as they take their seats. coming up shortly, the introduction of the head table guests, and the presentation of the colors. the speaking portion of the program is expected to begin around 9:30 p.m. eastern, with president biden's remarks closer to 10:20 p.m. if you have to step away from your television during our coverage come up follow along on

our app, c-span now. you can use it to watch live or on-demand anytime. [indiscernible conversations]

[indiscernible conversations] >> taking in the sights and sounds live out the washington hilton ballroom for this year's white house correspondents dinner. waiting for the head table introductions to begin, and a little bit of history of the dinner. the first white house correspondents dinner was held in 1921. in 1924, president calvin coolidge was the first chief executive to attend the event. women correspondents, although they were considered full members of the association, were not permitted at the dinner until 1962, when president john kennedy refused to participate

unless women were allowed to attend. again, this evening, if you have to step away from your television during our coverage, follow along on your mobile device with the app, c-span now, a free front row seat to tonight's festivities that you can use to watch live or later on demand. [indiscernible conversations] >> ladies and gentlemen, welcome

to the white house correspondents dinner. andy hargis. white house correspondent jackie heinrich of fox news. justin sink, white house correspondent for bloomberg. politico white house correspondent and playbook co-author eugene daniels. kenneth strickland from nbc news.

abc news white house correspondent karen travers. white house press secretary karine jean-pierre. producer sarah cook of cbs news. courtney subranian from the bbc. and the president of the white house correspondents association , nbc news senior white house correspondent kelly o'donnell. [cheers and applause] and tonight's headliner from saturday night live, colin jost.

ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. ladies and gentlemen, we ask you now to take your seats.

now, please welcome vice president kamala harris and the second gentleman douglas emhoff.

♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states, joseph r bided, and first later dr. joe-- joseph r. biden and first lady dr. jill biden. ["hail to the chief" plays] >> ladies and gentlemen, please

rise for the nation's colors presented by the joint armed forces color guard and please remain standing for our national anthem performed by the u.s. marine band. ♪ ♪

>> present colors.

["star-spangled banner" plays]

[cheers and applause] ♪

♪ >>, the president of the white house correspondents association, kelly o'donnell. [cheers and applause] kelly: good evening, good evening. we are really here.

thank you to the president's own marine corps band led by duane king. good evening and welcome to a great washington tradition. what began as a simple dinner for about 50 reporters back in 1921 has grown and grown to this. i need a little help from the president's own. [bugle call] kelly: thank you, sir. more than 100 years of heritage. we only get dressed up like this once a year, and now you are part of the story. welcome to the 2024 white house correspondents dinner. [cheers and applause] mr. president, vice president

harris, dr. biden, and mr. emhoff, thank you for the gift of your time. this is a complex moment for our nation, and a campaign year with many consequence leaving many worried about the future. understandably so. we know that is our backdrop tonight. we also know there's value in praising exceptional work and promising journalists. this event is a primary fundraiser for our association and the scholarships we will highlight. so, if you believe in our purpose, we welcome your donations and appreciate your generosity. master sergeant, i think we might need a little boost for that, don't you, sir? [bugle call[ ] that is the call to donate.

and let there be laughter. i hope for lots of sidesplitting, like the internet on fire laughter. remember, the ballroom is filled with newsmakers, politicians of both parties, cabinet secretaries, senior officials, media executives, entertainers, and journalists, and more. so, the laughter you will hear tonight comes from all those different corners. so, get ready to roast. the humor is intended to zing and skewer across the political spectrum, and aimed at the national media, too. but before we get really going, let me offer some thanks to my employers. mike cavanagh and nbc news, for three decades of adventure. and for your support building this special night. and importantly, for giving me the time needed to do this job, to serve as president of the whca, which can be a full-time job. to my nbc news unit, thank you for your patience, encouragement, and the juggling of duties. i am lucky to be in this with

you. rebecca, you throw yourselves into the project. thank you elise and mike. [cheers and applause] we are doing a live tv program here, and we have top-notch industry pros from los angeles who are here working pro bono. bob boehner and his production team, ben fleischman, philip, jeremy, candace, adam. it has been fabulous working with you. and to my family. it begins and ends with you. david, everything on more. gaby, so proud of you. and i am lucky my brother kevin and sister-in-law laurie are here to be able to see this in person, and we certainly feel our parents here as well. to our wh ca numbers, my goal is to reflect you and your contributions.

so, during the dinner, you will see hundreds of images from our members at work on their feet. there are some wow moments and other moments where it is not so glamorous. we hope to take you behind-the-scenes. but for now, enjoy a great meal and a buffet of schmoozing. please thank your servers. much more to come at the 2024 white house correspondents dinner. [applause] ♪

♪

♪ [indiscernible conversations]

♪

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[indiscernible conversations] >> good evening from washington. you have been watching c-span's live coverage of the white house correspondents dinner here in washington. it is an annual tradition, as you heard from kelly o'donnell.

it is with the exception of former president donald trump that every president has attended at least one of these annual dinners, beginning with calvin coolidge in 1924. some 2700 guests walked the red carpet to attend the dinner tonight, including andrew mccarthy, steve ducey of fox news, followed by the senate majority later, other journalists, hollywood stars, and politicians attending. [indiscernible conversations] and that is comedian colin jost with scarlett johansson. colin jost is the entertainment tonight.

and the speaking portion of the program is expected to begin around 9:30 p.m. eastern time, with president joe biden's remarks being delivered after 10:00 p.m., followed by saturday night live's: just. -- colin jost. if you have to step away from our coverage tonight, you can follow along on our app, c-span now. it is a free front row seat to the white house correspondents dinner. you can use it to watch live or on-demand leader at your convenience. until then, joining us to talk about tonight's dinner is there a media editor for the washington post and the publicist and editor of hollywood on the potomac. thank you for being with us. let's begin with what is tonight's dinner? why does it happen every year? >> the white house correspondents association, most of us in america know it for its

dinner, but it is an organization which has a year-round purpose. it is the association of reporters who cover the white house. and it operates somewhat like a trade association. they are there at the white house in the white house briefing room every day, and they helped to negotiate certain things with the white house about access, about protocols, who sits where, the travel schedule, the routines for getting pool reporters closest to the president. it is a pretty busy organization, as kelly o'donnell was just saying. however, once a year, they do have this dinner, which they bill as a fundraiser for their scholarship programs. they give scholarships to journalists in college. obviously, though, it is a

moment to schmooze. it has become a big thing where the corporate owners of the media organizations bring in politicians who they want to get more access to. they bring in corporate advertisers. they bring in celebrities to impress the politicians and the advertisers. it has become a tremendous happening in washington. it is washington's super bowl. >> janet donovan, talk about it being a tremendous happening. you have been out and about today and this week at some of the parties. who are some of the a-listers? >> this morning, i went to a breakfast at the ambassadors -- irish ambassador's residence. we met an actress starring in -- keri russell. it is so fabulous.

it is on netflix. the second season is coming out. she was very gracious. what they did is they showed the trailer for the upcoming season, and they had a discussion hosted by deadline hollywood. she was fabulous. then the night before, the motion picture association had fran drescher there. fran drescher, whom everybody loves. she did an amazing job with negotiating with sag-aftra as president. she was there. i have not run into scarlett johansson yet. i would like to because my son had her in one of his movies when she was a teenager, and i was on set in l.a. but i have not crossed paths with her today. >> amy, why do these hollywood stars want to come to washington on this night and be part of

this dinner? >> it is kind of exciting to be in the room with the president. it is also all the top network correspondents. it is a lot of the top politicians in the country. i think it is a novelty for them. i did find over the years that there are occasionally hollywood stars who would get the invitation. invitation and would come one year, relies to their shock that this dinner was not at the white house but at the basement ballroom of the hilton and there was sometimes a little bit of dismay about that. and he wouldn't see those folks come back a second year. during the obama years though this became such a celebrity stock. it was like this thing between the oscars and the met carla -- begala -- met gayla -- gala.

for the most part it's exciting to be in the room with the president. >> and i step in and just say the hollywood part came in when a lobbyist on capitol hill came with michael kelly who was a journalist at the baltimore sun. that was the first time she was involved with the iran contra thing so it was a scandal in washington who seems to like scandals every now and then, that is how people got involved in bringing people outside of the journalistic world. >> it was a media political dinner for decades. in the late 1980's, michael kelly decided he would bring an off the beaten track guest and

then later it was donna rice, gary hart's scandal partner. >> paula jones. >> that was a few years later. began to see the drift away from strictly political guests where they were inviting the buzzed about a of the year type folks. which began in the early 90's with the clinton administration, you begin to see a drift into hollywood folks. in 1993, barbra streisand was the guest that all eyes were on. of course she had a legitimate political connection, she had been a very vigorous campaign and donor for the democrats that previous season. within a couple of years it went from inviting celebrities who had that kind of political connection to just inviting any celebrity at all.

the west wing was the hot show in the late 90's. those actors all came. even in the early 2000's when you had a republican administration, a little less love for the white house from hollywood, that new crop of reality tv stars would be the guests. a lot of people complained that this was sort of missing the point, but it had taken on a life of its own at that point. host: white with these hollywood stars be disappointed with the basement of the washington hilton? what's it like to be in the room? >> no matter how many times you go, it's always exciting. you are literally shoulder to shoulder with famous politicians and a lot of hollywood people now come. i have run into in past years

gloria and stefon -- estefan. and jack valenti always said that the hollywood people want to know the politicians and vice versa. and that's pretty true. everybody from hollywood thinks it's a big deal to be with politicians that we of course see every day and politicians think it's a big deal to go out to l.a. and be with celebrities so it's a sort of a mutual admiration society at this point. host: right now as kelly o'donnell says, she encourages lots of schmoozing and sophie's. -- selfies. works it is a level room. at this point dinner is being

served. the tables are really jammed in there. that's a lot of people even in a really big room. it's people taking the opportunities to get up, work the room, go from table to table. it's a lot of glasses clinking and silverware against plates and then this constant roar of voices. where it gets really tricky, in a while they will start to have the speeches that lead up to the main event where they announced the scholarship winners, the various tributes to people who have done good work this year and it can be very hard to get this room under control and quiet and listening, because people don't want to stop doing what you see them doing now. it's a big schmooze. and it's hard to bring order to

this room. i think that's why you sometimes saw some hollywood stars a little disappointed. everyone looks wonderful, but it's not the most glamorous thing you have ever been to once you are on the ground floor. it's a big crowded hotel ballroom. big noisy crowded room. >> there is always something that happens at one of these. i remember one year, i think it was with george w. bush that ozzy osbourne was there. he went up to the president and said he should grow his hair long like his, then walked back and site in a chair. the place went crazy. he was a guest of greta van susteren as far as i remember. also his wife was there. there is always some kind of screwy thing that happens at these and that's kind of what you remember.

>> i think it was 2007. cheryl crow the singer and lori david, the ex-wife of larry david who was an environmental activist in her own right, took the opportunity of being in this room to kind of ambush karl rove and ask him why he wasn't doing more about the environment and it got a little heated. he didn't appreciate being talked to that way, they didn't appreciate him brushing them off. >> i think larry david was there, too. i remember running into him. >> it was around that time. a lot of celebrities use it as an opportunity to connect with politicians. it's also a roomful of journalists running around trying to get selfies of themselves with various stars.

it is sort of a zoo-like environment. i remember seeing lindsay lohan at a table and people were just standing around gawking at her from a foot or two away. it was clearly not a very happy experience for her. >> it's difficult to even get inside this ballroom. the protesters outside of the washington hilton blocking traffic. a large palestinian flag was unfurled inside of the hotel outside the window. this is code pink with that tweet, a notorious group in washington who interrupts hearings and other proceedings here in washington. they are peace activists. have you heard from your colleagues about what it was like to even get into tonight's

event? >> it was kind of gridlocked down there. the attempt by the protest group to actually try and shut down the dinner. clearly that hasn't happened. the hilton complex is pretty big. there are a couple different ways to get in. it would be structurally kind of difficult to do that. i'm not sure exactly how large the protest movement got to be tonight, but it is definitely an attempt to an even more constricted than usual effort to get inside the building this time. post we talked about the hollywood stars that are here -- host: we talked about the hollywood stars that are here, but the president himself is going to deliver remarks. why? what is in it for the president? >> that's always the question isn't it? most presidents, really trump is

the exception, most presidents have seen an upside to this. it is a chance to do humor. it's a lighter side event. it's a chance to make some jabs at the media who aren't necessarily the most popular figures in america right now. and for the most part the presidents really bring their a game to this. they get their best joke writers on staff. sometimes they bring in ringers from outside. it has become such a happening. it's not just a washington thing. it's on c-span. it's on other cable networks. it gets a lot of pickup. it's a real opportunity. and it's a big exciting room where they will definitely get a reaction one way or the other. you have seen a lot of the presidents -- they are pretty good at this. i think for biden, it's going to

be obviously another chance to get up, to show hopefully that he is still light on his feet, that he can still trade some good quips. that he is still capable of doing this kind of thing. there has been so much talk that he hasn't been out there enough. people expressing concern about his age. something like this is a chance to command a room and get some good lines across that will be part of the conversation the next day. host: earlier as we were talking, we saw antony blinken fresh off of the trip from beijing. he was just there for a three-day day visit. these secretaries of state live in a perpetual jet lag and here he is at tonight's dinner.

i think there was one network tonight that had three or four cabinet secretaries at their table. what's it like for them? >> going back to what amy was talking about what did they get out of it, because i was there when he was mr. trump. i ran into him at a party -- the pre-parties are fabulous. you just sort of wandered in and out. they used to have the terrace outside where you could go back and forth between tons of parties at abc and c-span and cbs. the year that trump was there and it was president obama making a joke about him. my table was pretty close to his. it was just the face went down immediately. they say that's why he ran for president, to get back.

>> that was definitely an epic night. you had both seth meyers, the saturday night live comedian and president obama just really unloading on donald trump who at that point had been perpetually in all of these birther conspiracy theories demanding to see obama's birth certificate. as someone in the room, it seemed like trump was pretty roundly humiliated by a lot of the jokes aimed in his direction. >> it was kind of funny, but i was quite surprised that he was so seriously offended by it. because obama was joking. you know how when president obama speaks and he sort of laughs in between everything he says.

i think most people were more shocked that mr. trump was really really offended. host:'s let's talk about the use of humor. you heard kelly o'donnell talk about there's going to be some zingers tonight. what is the point of roasting each other? >> fun? and really -- the media doesn't get to roast back in this situation. the president has the podium, so does the comedian. it's a tense relationship no matter what administration. we often feel like it's not being treated properly by the

white house and the white house often feels the same way. so it's a little bit performative but i think also a chance to legitimately let off some steam. everything in this venue, it is a performance. it is done with an audience in mind. you tell some jokes and if you tell some good ones, there is a likability factor there. and the presidents who are best at this have a way of laughing at themselves as well, which can be very disarming. i think you will probably hear biden tell some jokes about his age. lots of room for self-deprecation in these settings. >> speaking of humor, i thought one of the best times was one will ferrell roasted gw bush.

it was hysterical. they actually looked like each other. they looked like twins. do you remember that, amy? >> there have been some really memorable routines. host: you can find them all on our website and go into our archives and find some of the memorable speeches both from the presidents and the comedians. i'm curious about the networks and the publications that are in the room tonight. how they go about deciding which politicians they are going to invite to sit at their table and which hollywood stars. >> it's a real rat race. some media organizations sort of try to take the higher ground. now and then they will say, we are not going to do hollywood people. we will just have politicians.

dinner serves a lot of different purposes. once it was about gaining access to politicians and when the dinner became so popular, then it became about who can you impress. impressing your advertisers, impressing other media organizations. but it's a process that starts months early trying to pin down certain high profile guests whether they are hollywood or washington. you also have some celebrity wranglers who have stars who want to come to this and calling up reporters and editors and saying do you have a seat for my guy. i can tell you they were media

managers who put more time into this process than you would ever expect. host: do you have thoughts on that? >> they use celebrities to testify all the time on the hill. i think they establish that relationship here. i think the outlets choose whoever's popular in the news or in the most current movie. molly ringwald is a big gets this year because she is incapo te vs the swans. the man who wrote the book is a longtime washingtonian who has been here since the 1970's. she starred as joanna carson in his movie, i think it's on hulu. they also go for whoever is in current movies like the diplomat and capote story.

>> it used to be that they would try to seek out celebrities who had some kind of political connection, perhaps they were in a movie or tv show -- >> george clooney. >> george clooney, someone who is an activist or who was in a movie or tv show that had some kind of topical theme. at a certain point especially during the obama years when it was a hot ticket and the dinner got so huge, they were just bringing in anyone. he would have the entire cast of game of thrones, the entire cast of saturday night live and it really became a situation where if you were a journalist who thought i'm going to have my little celebrity encounter, you really couldn't. there are too many celebrities. celebrities didn't need a washington person to greet them and chat them up because all of their friends had come with them from hollywood. host: people magazine was

reporting molly ringwald the star of pretty in pink which is owned by disney and it was perhaps the parent company who said molly ringwald will be at our table tonight. >> that was the case for several of these stars. their parent companies, warner, discovery, inviting stars that are part of their company to show up. >> there's a lot of synergies going on that way. and the celebrities in a weird way it becomes like conversation pieces. it is something for the rest of the people in the room to talk about. look who's here and can we get a photo with them. host: what do you think it says about or does it hurt journalistic integrity?

>> i've seen some scenes that are not particularly attractive of journalists gawking at people or chasing down people. there's plenty of criticism even before that by people who thought that it was unseemly for journalists to be wining and dining politicians. it is a touchy area. on one hand journalists are picking up the check. they are not being wined and dined by politicians. but there has always been this criticism. we have had viewers who have tuned into c-span and thought, what is this all about? they have been led to believe that journalists were on a different side and you have this one moment where it looks like everyone is pals. it's not really the case. it's one night, a unique night where people are being civil to

each other. but the optics have not always been particularly favorable. host: janet donovan, why is it called the nerd from -- problem -- prom? >> patrick gavin worked at politico. he did a movie called the nerd prom and he had all of us come in and commentate on that. >> i think this even predates patrick. you started to hear people say this 20 years or so ago. basically it was a mocking term that came up to make fun of the excitement that washington journalists had about this. let's get dressed up kind of thing. when at the end of the day they

are a bunch of washington journalists, the nerds in the phrase nerd prom. there is a sense of this into the oscars, these are not the grammys, these are not the beautiful people. these are just a bunch of working journalists and policy people who are getting dressed up one time of the year. and prom, giving away the fact that it's a very special occasion, not our real lives and maybe everyone is a little too excited about it. i don't know that i would agree with that ask -- that assessment. that is where the slovenly mocking term comes from. >> can we go back a second to the optics. washington is a very small town. and i think it's really difficult -- you'd have to stay home and never go out because

you are mixing people all the time. every place you go, you are running into politicians and celebrities, i don't see how you can separate the two. it's just small town. >> i don't run into celebrities that often. >> you have to go to cafe milano. >> i've been going to the wrong places lately. >> exactly. host: the homeland security secretary alejandro mayorkas is there tonight after dismissal of impeachment in the u.s. senate, the house impeached him. is it awkward for these folks, some of these folks to be in the

room next to some politicians where they just may have had -- they were in the hot seat on capitol hill just a few days earlier? >> to your point, washington is a small town. we are seeing them mixing and mingling here on camera, but it's happening elsewhere. they have to deal with each other professionally on capitol hill. i do suppose a table host might make some calculations about who you seat next to each other. at the same time, there is 2700 people in this room. there are going to be some people you have had bad dealings with, people you don't like. it's a big room. host: how has this dinner evolved over time? just go back over the years of what it used to be before hollywood started showing up.

janet donovan, do you want to start first? >> i don't think i went to the dinners before hollywood showed up. the first one was vaughn hall. ronald reagan had -- wasn't frank sinatra there? >> frank sinatra was an entertainer certainly at one point. they always had name entertainers. it wasn't always comedians. they sometimes had singers. host: how would you answer that question, how it's evolved over the years? >> it was always a media political dinner. we like to think that it is bigger and wilder and crazier than it ever was. i was reading about, i think

lady roosevelt hated it. it was too much schmoozing, people talking over you. pretty much as it's always been. it really did take a turn in the 80's. at first when it began to have the gimmicky guests. they were not lawmakers. the women at the center of the scandal. the marla maples eventually. trumps second wife was a guest in the early 1990's. and then the dinner began to pick up some steam. it began to get some sizzle and that was really the case in the clinton years. in part because you had this young president who was very pop culture savvy. and who was himself a magnet for

pop-culture figures, for celebrities. and washington was beginning to come into its own. it was becoming less doughty. there was more money. -- less dowdy. there was more money. that's when you began to see more celebrities come to it at which point we came -- it became an opportunity for media corporations and other corporations to kind of establish a brand, do a lot of collaborations, throw a lot of parties. i don't know what it was like 30 years ago, but -- it really metastasized. i can say that i think. over the past 20 years. it wasn't just a dinner with some reception. it was a entire party weekend where he would have events starting as early as wednesday

or thursday and running until sunday afternoon. just a wide range of things. you could easily go to a dozen parties if you are well connected and getting the good invitations. they were just so many different things happening because you have so many different organizations that want to host a party because then they have an opportunity to have a hot ticket to entice all the big names in town and from hollywood to come. this was kind of self-perpetuating buzz machine. and so much lavish money. seeing the big banks and corporations partner up with the media companies to have their name on some party invitation. and then again, the celebrity

glut. we hit pause on this during the trump years. donald trump didn't want to have anything to do with this dinner. he did not attend. the dinner went on without him the celebrities did not come. the party scene was greatly reduced, and then the pandemic hit, and that cancel the dinner in 2000 and 2001. people were excited to get back out there in 2022, but it is -- you know, here we are i guess in the third year of a normal dinner again. host: and this is president biden's third year. molly ringwald was on the screen

talking to john kirby, the national security council strategic advisor. give us a taste of what it is like to go from party to party this week leading up to tonight? what is this been like for you? >> i was exhausted. i am totally exhausted. i actually started on monday. i read a book on georgetown. in georgetown everything happens this weekend. you have a party down in the harbor in georgetown, so it started out on monday. i took a break on tuesday. wednesday, i do not even remember what i did all of these days. thursday, gloria dennis and kathy merrill hosted a really big party at the anderson house,

but it used to be just the magnitude -- it used to be a very small party at gloria's house where she recognized all of the up-and-coming journalists and gave them awards, so they are usually like five. she gave it to dana bash and caitlin collins, and i guess this year even their party expanded. and on friday there was the motion picture association. that was a lot of fun, and fran drescher came, and everybody loves her and cement the guthrie was there. this morning went -- was the breakfast with the diplomats. it just does not stop. and when like tonight there are other parties going on right after.

substack is hosting a party, and the funniest one i got was from swiss and basser. we have bees. bring your own injections. host: gayle king is on your screen right now. what are the traditions of tonight's dinner? journalism will be celebrated, correct? >> journalism will be celebrated if people can quiet down enough to hear it. >> they won't quiet. host: they will announce the scholarship recipients. they will also give out awards to top washington journalists. there will be speakers along with that. i have not seen a program yet.

there is often attribute. usually pretty good desserts. >> cement the guthrie, is it -- samantha guthrie, is it not? host: kelly o'donnell who is the president of the white house correspondents association tweeted out that the association announced $133,000 in scholarship send another $56,000 with our partners, and you heard her till i call for more donations. what is this money for? >> it is for scholarships, or the next generation of journalists hopefully. college students who are currently studying journalism and helping to get a leg up in the profession. journalism, you can be cynical

about this dinner, but journalism really does care about up-and-coming journalists and bringing more people into the field, helping them make their way. it has been difficult times for media. a lot of the small town newspapers, regional newspapers that used to be the great training grounds of the great put up for the next generation of journalists, those have been shrinking and closing, so i think you have had a genuine sentiment among journalists in washington and elsewhere, what about the next generation? where are they going to come from, who will take over from us? and how did we give them opportunities? there are a lot of conversations about this. so, you know, scholarships are one small weight to get people

the chance, a leg up into the profession, and also the scholarship recipients come to this dinner. it is a big, exciting thing for them. it is a chance for them to meet people in get a taste of the washington environment. host: what about the current generation? you have layoffs at l.a. times, networks across the country as well. what is the impact of that tonight as well on tonight's dinner? >> in some ways, i think it is awkward for media corporations to be investing in a dinner like this and the surrounding parties, because how does that look? these are bleak times for media. you know, washington used to be -- the white house correspondents association used to be heavily populated by

out-of-town journalists or journalists who worked for out of town newspapers. a lot of them based at the national press club, and a good part of the media corps in d.c. were bureau chiefs for newspapers across the country, and that has really shrunk in a big way. a lot of big newspapers do not have washington correspondence anymore, or if they had a bureau of five people in washington maybe now they only have one, and that has really changed the ecosystem of washington journalism, but it is also change the equation for how washington gets covered. you have fewer journalists keeping an eye on particular congressional delegations, or how a policy that is carved out in d.c. effects kansas or oregon

in a very specific ways, and, yeah, a lot of national news organizations are, you know, there have been layoffs, but they are doing pretty well all considering especially compared to what is happening to regional newspapers and local newspapers. there are very serious questions about whether the american public, the reading public is getting the information they should have? what does this mean for democracy when you have fewer reporters keeping an eye on what is happening in washington? we are just becoming less accustomed to this kind of news, or they may still be interested and no longer know where to seek it out. and that does have profound implications for democracy when people have less information and less knowledge about what is happening here. host: and then, of course, you

have journalists around the world that have been killed in the complex of the ukraine-russia, israel-gaza conflict, and you have journalists jailed in russia like evan gershkovich of the wall street journal. will they be recognized tonight? >> i have not seen a program, but every media gala i have been a part of this is very much that has been hung over the proceedings. evan gershkovich, who has now been in russia for over a year awaiting a trial on bogus charges of espionage according to his editor, and you see journalists killed in gaza, lebanon, it has been an incredibly rough time for journalists around the world. this is very much on the minds

of the journalists who are here in this room. host: you talked about journalists from out of town, those that covered their local governments and their local state politicians. we also see politicians from out of town and -- at tonight's dinner. governor sununu is there. if you are a governor from another state or local politician, do you want to take for tonight's dinner? do you want to get to know the washington press corps? >> yeah, especially to the extent that some of them may have national aspirations. some of the people who come to these dinners, we will be talking about them in 2028 or 2032 as presidential hopefuls. it is another way to kind of put yourself on the map in

washington. host: jenna donovan, what is it like to go to the dinner tonight? do you have an actual ticket that you have to show to get into the dinner? >> oh yes, it is a lot of security. you have to not only have a ticket. you have to bring your id. they have to match up with the ticket, and that is also true even if you were just going to the pre-parties, which never used to be true, but you have to have a ticket to go to the pre-parties, and of course you go through security again when you get to the dinner, and that is a really long way. host: what kind of security are you going through? >> when you walk through it. like at the airport. it is about like at the airport. >> they want to see the ticket.

you cannot just walk in. i only know of one person in history he was minister crash this dinner. maybe there were others, but i only know one person who did it. >> there are lots of layers. i think people probably get in and crush the pre-parties. >> that can be done, i have heard. >> but you cannot crush the dinner. host: who was the one person, amy? >> julia allison. do you remember her? she was in new york personality. beautiful woman, and she came down and she dress the part. she looked like $1 million. i got the story a couple years later. she decided to come clean and tell the story. she looked amazing, she was

doing the mingle because it is possible to get into the predinner receptions. you just have to know somebody invited. so she was there working that room, and there was a lot of hallway mingling and she was doing that, but then you get funneled into the dining room, and that is where you will have to show it to get if you want to get in. well, as she said it, she did not intend to crash, but she was there as colin powell and his entourage were being swept through, and she might've said, hello, general powell, but she was literally like right by his elbow and she was being ushered in and she kind of like went in with him and just went for it. she did not have a seat, so she kind of had to do a lot of people helping, but as you can

see from the video here that is possible. they spend this entire dinner never sitting down. she just kept working the room. i am really impressed. host: does anyone needed this dinner? >> yes, you have to. it is a long night. sometimes you have to wait. when you have a room that big, oh my goodness waitstaff is incredible. it is like an army. you have to make sure that you were there when your dinner comes, because otherwise someone might be away and bring your dessert course if you have not moved fast enough. it is a really regimented system and the meals coming out in waves. you would be a fool not to eat because it is a long road ahead. >> i also want to -- i also was

talking about relationships within the world. i think it is important to point out that now it is very important for ambassadors to be there, and ambassadors are hosting lots of parties during the week. that is not always been the case , but you have to qatar embassy hosted an event with the washington messaging -- magazine. the swiss ambassador is having one, so people consider this a really good networking opportunity, and that really does include foreign ambassadors. host: what role will the comedian play tonight? >> the comedian is the entertainer. you know, they say it is a tough job, following the president. what is the order?

the comedian comes on after the president, am i correct? so the quintessential hard act to follow. it can be a tough room. there have been a lot of comedians who have not done that rate. i will say this saturday night live guys typically do well, because this is their thing. they do weekend update, that they do topical humor. they are very much in the motive sitting behind the desk and telling jokes, and this is a similar format. seth meyers in 2011 was outstanding. i think the expectations will be high for: joseph -- colin jost, but this is something that is billed for. jay leno came back a few years ago to do it, and i thought she would come out swinging because there hebdo -- because there had

been no that converts mercy -- controversy. >> this was several years ago now, but i thought she was good. craig ferguson, but the accent and the acoustics can get the best of you sometime in this room. host: can it make or break a career for a comedian? >> i do not know that it is broken any careers, but has some menage -- hasan minaj did this in the first year, and it really did kind of make his career. he crested. that is when the dinner cut lost a lot of its buzz because it was

the trump year. the president was not going to be there, the celebrities did not like trump, and there was a sense they would not get in a list comedian, and they did end up with lesser names, but it was an opportunity for them, and his career took off after that. host: our viewers can go back in the c-span archives and see previous dinners and comedians give their remarks. i just want to show one previous dinner, stephanie strong was a comedian when you're. i want to show a little of what you said in her remarks in 2015. >> the white house correspondents dinner was a chance one of you to unwind, and left as soon as you know someone slightly more powerful than he was laughing. it is weird to be appear. i promise, since item am only a comedian, i will not try to tell

you politicians have to do politics or whatever, that is not my job. that would be like you guys telling me what to do with my body. i mean, can you even imagine? [laughter] tonight's event is being broadcast on c-span, to so -- so to those viewers watching at home on c-span, hello, but to most viewers at home watching on c-span, meow. if you do not know how to find c-span, you just hit the guide button on your remote and hit page up into your thumb crimes up. i just want to do a camera check. ok, camera one. and that is it, that is all of the cameras.

it is ready to be here at the washington hilton. it is something a congressman -- a prostitute might say to a congressman. the washington hilton, guys. man, if these walls could talk, they would probably say clean me. it is crazy to think our president is right here in the ballroom of the washington hilton, and it is even crazier to think that our vice president is in the ball pit of the washington chuck e. cheese. seriously, the washington hilton is great, and i bet when the president walked in and saw the bellhop he thought, finally, some decent security. [laughter] i am just kidding. let's give it up for the secret service. [applause]

i don't want to be too hard on those guys, because they were the only law enforcement agency in the country that will get in trouble if a black man get shot. are you saying "boo" or are you saying "true"? host: cecily strong at that europe's dinner. we were watching live coverage of the washington correspondents dinner tonight on c-span, and we have enjoyed this evening but amy of the washington post and janet donovan, who was a publicist and author of the column. ladies, they are bringing up serious issues as we heard there as part of cecily strong's

comedy night. >> she got at the dynamic. there was always that bit of edginess and hesitation in the room as to whether to laugh and then the slow burn comes. that is one of the things about this dinner is the awkwardness, the potential for all goodness. the potential for jokes to go too far or fall a little flat in the room that is that big and that electric, how it all plays out. host: they always joke about c-span, it seems. >> i thought it was bold of you all to use that particular expert. a lot of the media organizations, particularly the tv networks come in for a few whacks.

host: and we are just about 10 minutes away before remarks will begin tonight. we want to just at this point stop and watch the room a little bit before we begin with tonight's remarks. [indiscernible chatter]

[indiscernible chatter]

[indiscernible chatter] [indiscernible chatter] host: vice president kamala harris at the head table of tonight's white house correspondents dinner.

she along with the president, the second gentleman come diversity all in attendance tonight. the president's remarks expect it to take place on the after 10:00 p.m. the dinner will conclude in just a few minutes, and the presentations will begin around 9:30 p.m. eastern time. amy isn't editor for the washington post, and janet donovan with us this evening talking about tonight's dinner and one final thought for both of you, what are people expecting in the room tonight? >> it is hard to say as we have discussed. the comedians are all different. i really enjoyed will ferrell, the lady that was on not so much

. the big thing will be trump versus biden. there will be digs about are they going to debate, are they going to do this. i think trump versus biden will be an option. host: amy? >> yeah, i think obviously trump being on trial this week is going to be the source of a lot of humor, i would expect both from colin jost and joe biden. the big intrigue of tonight is how biden will do? does he still have it? is he going to get the laughs? is he going to have command of the room? people are watching things very closely these days, so i think the expectations are high. you know, people want to see how

he does. host: we will leave it at that, amy, janet, thank you for joining us. >> thank you. >> thank you. host: and we will bring you back live inside the washington hilton for tonight's washington correspondents dinner. live coverage here on c-span. ♪ [indiscernible chatter] >> ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. the show was about to begin -- is about to begin.

>> it's the white house correspondents dinner, and some politicians are about to be roasted. >> journalists gather to toast at the white house correspondents dinner. >> it is saturday night and colin jost is not in new york. >> get ready to laugh, everyone. >> picture room full of the most prestigious names in washington. >> all in our places, bright shiny faces, people find your seat. >> we are in the situation ballroom. >> please shut up. >> don't meet me get the 60 minute watch -- stopwatch. dark out this dinner is about to get started. >> you are not getting paid by the word. >> you were being told to take your seat. >> be quiet.

>> silence, everybody. >> is there a volume button in here? >> quiet. >> zip it. >> the white house correspondents dinner -- >> the white house correspondents dinner -- >> the white house correspondents dinner -- >> begins in -- [countdown] >> live from washington, d.c. it is the white house correspondents dinner with special appearances by eugene daniels, lester holt, seth mcfarlane, karen drivers, kristen welker, the president of the united states, and tonight's headliner: josej -- colin jost. here is your white house association -- white house

correspondents association president. >> now we have got your attention. [cheers and applause] that was a lot of fun, and you see how lucky i am to have so many friends with big personalities are willing to be silly to update things often i. thank you to all of them who said yes when i called all the networks. thank you for turning up for that. mr. president, vice president harris, dr. biden, and mr. emhoff we welcome you as we celebrate freedoms that are both enduring and repeatedly tested. your presence here speaks clearly and loudly about the essential connection between a free press, freedom of speech, and the democracy we value. [cheers and applause] tonight we will honor excellence, we will look to the future support for our students

colors, but we know allies are wide open here -- we come together for this grand evening into tumultuous times with crises and conflicts all around us. there is no mistaking that. we also know that life as many dimensions including time to celebrate and tonto left. it so many of you every step to me to see colin jost as our entertainer. [applause] let me be honest with you, when your dream choice to headline this crowd says yes, that is a good day. thank you for being here. i know that colin thinks about history and cares about history, and i do not mean dusty books in the library. i learned a lot about washington from hearing laughter on saturday night when i was growing up in ohio, and that showed me humor could take on

serious subjects and leave us feeling a little lighter. so i asked colin and our friends at saturday night live to open up at the time capsule, nearly 50 years of political humor to take us on a fun and funny ride. ♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states. >> no problem. that would you be here, here, here, and here. not going to do it. >> i will do this, i will do this. i will do them both together. >> a leader has to make some very tough decisions. that is why i am going with the chimichanga. >> i will ask each candidate to sum up in a single word the best argument for his candidacy. governor polis? >> stategery.

>> vice president gore? >> lockbox. >> what happened? >> you made barack obama angry. and when you make barack obama angry he turns into the rock obama. >> hey, everybody. it is me, your vp joe biden, and i am inviting you all to join me monday. do you think you can jump higher than me? now you can find out in the game i called do you think you can jump higher than me? be sure to join me for my kung fu exhibition. biden time. >> wall street journal, are you ok? >> i have never even heard of you? >> your mother has --

>> i have an idea for an app. it is called no app. >> a black woman made a country album. has come out in favor of a bill that would potentially ban tiktok in the u.s.. for mcconnell, tiktok is just with two grim reaper says when passing of lunch. >> some incredible things, some would call them miracles with regard to things and with regard to bread. >> my speech, there are others like it but eroded myself. -- but i wrote it myself. >> [indiscernible]

>> hello, doordash. >> congressman george santos seen here in a promo for a porn shop reality promote was regarded on charges including wire fraud and identity theft. >> this entire country has been bullying me just because i made a speech. what else is new? >> i am not just a senator. i am a wife, a mother, and the craziest bitch in the target parking lot? >> house speaker johnson says he is blurring images so that none of them will be charged with the crime, so unfortunately we will never know who they are. >> i am standing weirder than

ever. >> let's do this. >> and remember, we may be from different eras, but at the end of the day we are both joe freakin' biden. >> we are live, and our dateline is washington. thank you, lorne michaels, colin, and the s&l team. 50 years of s&l. we can applaud for a moment. that was my whole life flashing before my eyes watching all of that. we begin with the business of the awards denied, and we honor excellence not only to recognize superb writing and photography, but to inspire more great work from so many of you when true

facts, real accountability, and well reported insights are so vital. i turn to when you spend i first met when i was a college intern, and he was a local news anchor in chicago. that means i have admired him for a long time. these welcome the anchor and managing editor of nbc nightly news, lester holt. ♪ lester: thank you, and i am so proud to be your colleague. what an amazing night this is. thank you for everything you when the team is done. each year a panel of independent judges reviews dozens of entries for the five major journalism awards. it is my honor to announce this year's winners. the aldo beckman award for overall excellence in white house coverage, goes to barak ra

veed of axios. the judges said the reporting displayed deep, almost intimate levels of sourcing in the united states and abroad and produce stories closely aligned to the events that subsequently transpired. his stories put the reader into the room as decisions were being made in the tumultuous aftermath of the tamil u.s. aftermath of the october 7 hamas rate on israel. the wca is pleased to give the aldo beckman award to barak r aveed. [applause] [laughter] [applause]

the wca gives out two awards for reporting under deadline pressure, one for print and another for broadcast. each includes a price of $2500. this year's print winner is peter baker of the new york times. [applause] the judges said baker's coverage of president joe biden's visit to israel just days after the october 7 attacks filed on deadline from tel aviv provided a comprehensive accounting of the whirlwind trip with expert analysis of the president's messaging and priorities during a fraud moment. he carefully selected observations of public events compared with well source reporting of behind-the-scenes

detail, smartly summarize the emotional crosscurrents, diplomatic chaos and other challenges surrounding the journey. history not only helped advance understanding of the latest developments of a fast-moving situation to real time. it considered a sense of the assessment of underlying naming sentence to read that allowed it to stand as a definitive written recount of the date despite being filed on deadline. please welcome the winner of the deadline award for print, peter baker. [applause] [laughter]

>> now the broadcast award for excellence under deadline pressure. this year's winner is tamera keith, npr. [applause] it goes to last year's wca president for the work on the president's visit to israel. her gripping audit report took listeners behind the scenes, preparing her audience for the president's statement of america later that night. sound rich and textured and written on air force one while in route back to the united states, her story lays out president biden's thinking and brings listeners and on the trip along with her and onto air force one to be of the president himself announce breaking news. keith's quick work also speaks

volumes of her professionalism and upper dedication not only to her employer, npr, but also her colleagues at the white house correspondents association and to washington journalism. the wca is pleased to honor tamera keith. [applause] [cheers and applause] >> now the award for excellence in presidential news coverage by traditional journalists. at this award recognizes a video or a photojournalist for

uniquely covering the presidency from a journalistic standpoint either at the field. this could be breaking news, a scheduling event, or future coverage and includes a price of 25 hundred dollars. this year's award goes to doug mills at the new york times. this photo of president biden boarding air force one in warsaw for the journey back to washington d.c. after meetings and speeches about the war in ukraine. the judges praise the photo for showcasing three key elements, action, composition, and feeling. they each also viewed the picture differently, agreeing whether the picture is foreboding or optimistic, the interpretation is left to the viewer. of the impressive batch of visual injuries they said this photograph best-kept of the newsmaking year. please join me in congratulating new york times photographer doug mills. [applause]

[laughter] the price for state government accountability is presented by the university of florida college of listening indications . this is the fifth year we are present at this price at the dinner, and it comes with a check for $25,000. this year's were the ghost of a collaboration between the texas tribune, republic, and frontline reporting of the tragic mishandling of the active shooter situation at robb elementary school in uvalde, texas.

[applause] it is comprised of a series of newspaper articles into frontline documentary, the meticulously research report explains why robb elementary school students and teachers were made to barricaded in a classroom for 77 minutes with the government while more than 100 police and military officers scrambled to find radios, flashbangs and even the key to unlock the classroom. investigators surmise the classroom might've even been opened during the entire siege. for more than a year, an investigative reporter led a team of reporters to examine video footage from two dozen body cams and hundreds of hours of interviews with 150 law enforcement officers to untangle the actions and inactions that led to the deaths of 21 people, including 19 children.

[names recited] one of the judges said it was a standout investigation into the missteps of law enforcement during one of the most terrific school shootings in recent u.s. history. it the accompanying frontline documentary was especially strong using officer bodycam footage and reporting debriefings with officers to take it was inside the investigation of what went wrong and why those interested -- entrusted to protect teachers and students. [applause]

[applause] and now that katharine graham award for courage and accountability. it is of course named in honor of the legendary washington post publisher in this year it goes to the newspaper she helmed. the judges said the washington

post shows courage, creativity and originality to inform ensure readers how the ar-15 weapon and afflicts horrific damage to the human body. the post was transparent about its reporting methodology and courageous in publishing graphic images of victims of mass shootings including children and the captive on survivors and families. it handled this sensitive subject well with prominent warnings to readers that the images may be disturbing and conversations with the families at a publication about the paper's methodologies and intentions. the post executive editor also published a lengthy acclamation outlining the newspaper of las vegas choices. she acted with sensitivity toward the victims and survivors and elevated the national conversation about gun safety, gun ownership rights, and the tragic effects of the ar-15.

the decision to publish this story exemplifies the journalism, courage, and skill that catherine graham exhibited regularly under her leadership. please welcome the winners of the catherine graham award from the washington post, nick kirkpatrick, sylvia, todd frankel, and peter walston. [applause]

[applause] let's hear it one more time for all of this year's winners. [applause] >> and now for meet the press we take you inside the white house correspondents dinner for the night by the numbers. steve cornett key is that the big board to break it all down. >> been crunching some numbers, and why don't we start with the map. not an electoral map, but a map of the banquet hall. there are 26 zero tables, each one of them sit 10 people. that works out to 2600 people. if it feels a little cramped, it

is for good reason. the entire venue less than 33,000 square feet. good luck maneuvering your way around and leave a little room for your service. 25 years, and a quarter of a century, that is the average experience for each banquet team member. let's get to the most pressing question i know it's on your mind. what is on the menu? holy potatoes, as in 675 pounds of them. this might begin a nod to a certain president of irish roots. another number to keep in mind, at that number is 16 as in there are 16 sitting presidents will attend this dinner through the years starting with the calvin coolidge back in 1923, but enough about the president. i want to talk about you, because by being at this dinner you were doing something very important. you are contributing to scholarship for the next generation of journalists, 30 of them waiting in the wings

tonight, and that brings me to the single most important number i can share with you. that number is $3.5 million in scholarships from the wh ca given out since the 1990's, so congratulations to the recipients. >> as a white house correspondent for abc news reporting can be heard on 1650 radio stations and is seen across 100 abc news news at affiliate television stations end of the 24/7 channel abc seven life. here is karen travers. [applause] >> good evening. success in the news business sometimes come from being in the right place at the right time on my catching that lucky break at a big story that can get you noticed, but then there are special colleagues who build

their success day by day and then year after year with skill, dedication, and persistence. tonight we award the price for lifetime career achievement to two deeply respected and admired veterans of our press score -- press corps. if you have watched any of the major events coming out of the white house for the past few decades when presidential interviews to oval office meetings to summits all around the world, you have seen rodney and add -- ed's work. rodney will mark 50 years will then news next month, 50 years. [applause] edward lewis, white house video photographer spent nearly 40 years behind the camera, first

at c-span, then at fox news. he retired last year. rodney and ed are masters of their craft with technical skill and the feel for what makes great television news, but they also built parts the relationships across different administrations that gave them the edge, giving them the inside scoop that put them in the right place to capture the moment and cover the story. this price is named for the first two african-american women of the white house press corps. [laughter] [applause] their toughness covering president truman broke barriers. their sheer determination compelled resident eisenhower to take their questions. rodney and ed bill their reputation through hard work. their big personalities made them very well known and very

well-liked. we ask them to reflect on their long and incredible careers at the white house. >> i was stunned. i just could not believe it, and this is a great honor. i really am honored, flattered. how many people can come in here every day in be disclosed to the president of the united states, the leader of the free world. born and raised in washington d.c., i spent many years writing by this building, and that dream came true. it being around presidents gave me a sense of pride, honor and hard work i put in. >> covering the white house particularly abroad, we are representing the press corps of

the united states. >> i had the honor of covering the white house during the situation. this job requires teamwork. >> i have been here longer than ed, so a lot has changed. just incredible. when obama became president, as i was sitting up on the rac k, i lost it. this country had elected a man who is black. >> when i first got that call, the two african-american women who this award is named after, i thought about this is what they

endured during this time. >> i like to think that i came here every day and did what was expected of me. >> i really admire the change in making sure that people of color, every nations, other groups have great access to this breasted environment. the presence of the united states, you make it in here, you have arrived. [applause] >> i am delighted to present the award for lifetime achievement to edward lewis. congratulations, it. rodney could not be here tonight

but excepting on his behalf is his son, dave. [cheers and applause] [cheers and applause]

>> that is earned. that is earned. >> once again, congratulations to ed and rodney and thank you very much. >> for decades of correspondence dinners presidents have peacefully and yet comically jabbed their political rivals and attractors. in 2011 barack obama roosted a private citizen. >> donald trump is here tonight. we know about your credentials and breadth of experience. for example, seriously, just recently, in an episode of "celebrity apprentice" at the steakhouse, the men's cooking team did not impress the judges from omaha steaks. and there was a lot of blame to go around but you, mr. trump,

recognized that the real problem was the lack of leadership so alternately you did not blame littlejohn or meat loaf, you fired gary busey. and these are the kinds of decisions that would keep me up at night. [laughter] [applause] >> what was donald trump thinking when he recovered from this? tonight, your answer, live. >> i will tell you it is really a tremendous opportunity to be at the most failed dinner anyone has ever seen. great to see you, losers. why is it so quiet? we are going to debate, right? there are a lot of great people here. scarlett is here from black widow. you have a lot of people that could potentially be a vice president.

you have laura trump who is a lot better than rhonda mcdonald. who would like a happy meal? i will tell you this, you are so uptight. right? this dinner is sadder than taylor's new album. i will tell you the chinese apps are being banned. we have to post our data on snap chat now, that is what they are saying. let's face it, folks, i'm on fire like the guy outside the courthouse. not soon enough. not soon enough. but i will tell you i am killing this dinner harder then chris kills the puppies. moving on, please. even bernie has something to say. mr. trump, you have no idea what

the experiences are of everyday americans. i am concerned with battling the ruthless dictators like vladimir putin. can we all agree on that? even mitch would agree with me right now. mitch? [laughter] >> well, let me begin by stating what a privilege it is -- [laughter] >> to be at this dinner celebrating ordinary americans and african-americans. [laughter] >> everybody, you have been a lot of fun and i have to close it out by saying that when i was on the campaign trail into thousand eight, i led a chant with the crowd. we have a long show, are you fired up? are you fired up? i'm ready to go. thank you so much. good night!

thank you! >> talk about making an impression. you have just seen a man of more than 200 voices who can capture the essence of anyone so please give it up for matt friend. thank you, matt! [applause] >> putting this evening together is just one part, one important part of being president of our association. i'm happy to welcome a good friend who will succeed me later this summer and we promise a peaceful transition. please welcome from politico, eugene daniels! [applause] [cheers and applause] >> good evening, good evening. in the house for the best part of the evening, the scholarship students. don't worry, mr. president, i'm sure people are looking forward

to hearing from you as well. the history spans 110 years but we are also very focused on the future if -- of young journalists who aspired to report on government and politics. in 1991, our association began this commitment to give back and more importantly lift up promising students. not only financial help but mentors make a year-long commitment work with these students offering advice and encouragement. and we all know what a difference that can make. none of us would be here without opportunity and support and most importantly again, people ready and willing to lift us up. we have extended the reach of our giving and this dinner is a primary fundraiser for our association and scholarship so thank you for your support and your checks. thank you very much. tonight we congratulate 30 students from 16 colleges and

universities around the country. friday they received a tour of the white house, they received briefings from anita dunn and dodd amazing advice from journalists who literally have been in their shoes. i can tell you from experience they are bright, brilliant and ready to take all of our jobs. let's meet them. ♪ >> i believe in the first amendment. >> i believe in the first amendment. >> i am from boise, idaho. >> from jacksonville, florida. >> san francisco, california. >> mission viejo, california. >> philadelphia, pennsylvania. >> i am from boise, idaho. >> greenwich, connecticut. >> i am from upper

marlboro, maryland. >> orlando, florida. >> i'm from bogota, colombia. >> i'm originally from iran. >> from chicago, illinois. >> des moines, iowa. >> scottsdale, arizona. >> we are the future of journalism. >> i believe -- >> i believe -- >> i believe in a free, strong press. >> we are the voice of the people. ♪ [applause] >> now, part of this very special experience is that our scholars were able to meet the

president, get a picture and most importantly they are here with us in the ballroom. stand up and wave to your future employers! [cheers and applause] >> and when you see them tonight, give them your time, advice and cards because trust me, they will be following up. thank you. have a good night. [applause] ♪ >> i am a white house correspondent. i have learned how to tune out these show boats. >> i am willing to listen. >> i'm a radio correspondent. of course i can get on the air from anywhere. >> i am a white house correspondent.

>> i am a white house radio correspondent. of course i'm used to a windowless closet in the basement. >> i am a white house correspondent. of course i listen to what is going on around here. >> of course i know you are listening. knock it off. >> of course going on the record does not require an actual name. >> i'm may white house produce are, of course i have a glass from air force one. or maybe a little bit more. >> we are white house correspondents. of course we spend half our time in scranton. >> i am a white house photojournalist. >> i am a white house reporter, i'm sure -- of course i'm

desperate for an interview with any biden. >> i am a white house correspondent so of course i asked multiple questions on multiple topics with multiple follow-ups. >> i am a white house press secretary. of course i say -- i don't want to get ahead of the president. there are some great punchlines. >> we are white house press reporters. [applause] >> i also and my white house correspondent and of course, of course i appreciate the good humor of colleagues that wanted to take you behind the scenes. this is one night where we celebrate, we laugh hopefully at

ourselves. we take a breath and upbeat before we get back to work. we have a world on edge and a nation weary but resilient. a campaign that is not the echo of four years ago however familiar the names and the issues. all of this is a heck of a story. our white house correspondents association includes more than 800 journalists from all branches of the news business. we are 250 news organizations and our members represent 39 countries. covering news that emanates from the white house and around the world. our work at its best features information and accountability. we ask questions. we would welcome more opportunities to pose questions in a calm and measured way. we strive for knowledge and not noise. these days with the boundless

resources from taxpayers and donors, any white house or campaign can create its own content. we believe that independent professional journalists on hand to document the events of a presidency are stewards of something precious. moran enduring than any news cycle or trending topic. we preserve the historical record. part of the legacy of the first amendment. our association acts as a primary voice in front of a sprawling press corps with separate employers. we advocate and organize for press access around all events and we handle things like workspace facilities and membership activities. i am grateful to our board for all of your hard work and a special thank you to our executive director for your expertise and dedication. thank you, steve. my gratitude is multiplied

because this week marks a career anniversary for me. 30 years with nbc news. i am very lucky. mr. president, i think they might have been applauding age. i'm optimistic we can do more to demonstrate that a free press serves democracy even when truth can be tough to discern and trust is hard to earn and maintain. even with some of -- even when some of our fellow citizens tune as out. we have work to do to understand the difference between reporting and posting. those close to me know that i have been counting the days to this dinner for months. but i knew there are others in our news community that have also been counting for different reasons. at the wall street journal, they are counting. 396 days since he was in russia.

and his parents and his family are with us tonight and we are with you, always! [applause] we remember! 4276 days, nearly 12 years since he was kidnapped in syria. his mother deborah is with us and we are with you. and mr. president, again, we humbly ask that you do everything you can to bring them home. our profession can be perilous. since october, about 100 journalists have been killed and most of those deaths in gaza according to the committee to

protect journalists. around the world 320 reporters since december including an american with dual russian citizenship who works for the u.s. funded radio free europe radio liberty. she has been jailed in russia since october. here at home, there are different challenges, online press, hostility against reporters on the job and anxiety about a paycheck. layoffs have hit our business very hard this year. for news consumers that believe a free press is a central, demonstrate that believe with a subscription. show that professionally gathered news as our product you value. and we owe you our best efforts and highest standards. so i have a ritual that began years ago when i first started on the beach. no matter what is going on, i make a point to think about this

every time i walk through the gates. i remember that i am the granddaughter of irish immigrants who came here with little and believed in a big, bright future. i recognize that any day could shift from quiet to consequential upended by unexpected events. history could pivot that very day. so i ask myself, will i be ready? will i be worthy? will you? past presidents in the audience tonight, please stand up. former board members, please stand. our chief white house correspondence, please stand. our current correspondents, reporters, producers, visual and broadcaster and list on the beat, please stand. colleagues that have previously covered the white house, i'm so proud of all of you.

[cheers and applause] and join me, join me in a tradition where we show our respect for the office we cover. on this night, a toast to the first amendment and to the president, mr. president! and now, i get to say words that irish grandparents and my own parents never thought be possible. i'm honored to welcome the 46th president of the united states, joe biden! [applause] [cheers and applause] >> thank you, thank you, thank you! do you think your irish

grandparents art -- my great, great grandparents got here in 1846. want to thank you for the warm welcome. please, not so loud! donald was listening. i kind of like that, i may use that again. sleepy don. kelly o'donnell, thank you for having me. but kelly o, let's be honest, you are way too young to be president. it has been a year since i delivered this beach and my wife jill with me tonight was worried how i would do. i told her, don't worry. it is just like riding a bike. she said, that's what i'm worried about. [laughter] of course, the 2024 election is

in full swing and yes, age is an issue. i am a grown man. running against a six-year-old. well, i feel great, i really feel great. i am campaigning all over the country. pennsylvania, georgia, north carolina. we have done well in the original 13 colonies. and speaking of history, did you hear what donald just said about the civil war battle? oh, gettysburg, wow! [laughter] >> donald trump speech was so embarrassing the statue of robert e. lee surrendered again. but look, age is the only thing we have in common. my vice president actually endorses me.

[cheers and applause] i had a great -- since the state of the union. donald has had a few tough days lately. you might call it, stormy weather. what the -- donald trump is so desperate he started reading the bible's he is selling. he got to the first commandment, you shall have no other god before me -- that is when he put it down and said, this book is not for me. look, here is a reminder. folks think what is going on in congress is political theater. it is not true. if congress was theater they would have thrown out -- a long time ago.

to all of my friends in the press, and fox news -- somebody complained that i don't take enough of your questions. no comment. of course, the new york times issued a statement lasting me for "actively avoiding independent journalist." if that is what it takes to have the new are times call me active and effective, i'm all for it. it is ok. [applause] i have hired higher standards. [indiscernible] i know you are looking around and saying this guy has been doing this for 50 years. he has had his moment. give someone else a chance.

to say that i say, ignore the critics. ignore the critics. 8 comedians have played me over the years on saturday night live. who says i am not a real job creator? look, loren has had even more comedians and actors joke about me like the funny guy in weekend update, michael shea. he is hilarious. scarlett johansson, you did such an incredible job in your state of the union bravado that you should be doing weekend update. clearly, you are the funny one. on a serious note, on the issue of marrying up, colin and i have

something in common. i spent time with his family in the oval office. his mom is an incredible woman. a family of firefighters and the chief medical new york city. as a doctor, she rushed to ground zero risking her own life , treating and saving fellow first responders. rushing into danger for others is my definition of patriotism and heroism. [applause] and that is what all of you do when you report truth overlies. and that is why i want to close tonight with my genuine thanks to the free press. there are some that call you the enemy of the people. that is wrong and dangerous. you literally risk your lives doing your job. [applause]

you do. covering everything including natural disasters, the pandemic wars and so much more. some of your colleagues have given their lives and many have suffered grievous injuries. other reporters have lost their freedom. journalism is clearly not a crime. not here, not they are, not anywhere in the world. [applause] we are doing everything we can to bring home journalists, fellow journalists and all-americans like paul whelan. wrongfully detained all over the world. we are not going to give up until we get them all home. all of them. [applause] on the third anniversary of january 6 i went to valley forge

and i said the most urgent question of our time is whether democracy is still the sacred cause of america. that is the question the american people must answer this year. and you, there free press, play a critical role in making sure the american people have the information they need to make an informed decision. but the former president has made no secret of his attack on our democracy. he has said he wants to be a dictator since day one. he tells reporters he wants revenge and retribution. when on god's earth have you ever heard of president say that before any promises a bloodbath when he loses again. we have to take this seriously. eight years ago we could have just written it off as just trump talk but no longer, not after january 6. i am sincerely not asking you to take sides but i'm asking you to

rise up to the seriousness of the moment. work past the numbers, the gotcha moments and the distractions in the sideshows. which have come to dominate and sensationalize our politics. focus on what is at stake. in your hearts, you know what is at stake. this takes could not be any higher. every single one of us has a serious role to play in making sure that american democracy and doors. i have my role but in all -- with all due respect, so do you. in the age of credible information that people can trust is more important than ever and that means you -- and that makes you more important than ever. so tonight, i would like to make a toast. to a free press, two informed citizenry, to an america where freedom and democracy and doors -- god bless america!

[applause] now, i'm going to turn over to kelly and then you will hear from a real comedian. i think i know what i am in for. colin jost has taken aim at me before. like saying after winning the south carolina primary that biden barely edged out his closest rival, time. colin, when i win, i'm going to have a lot of time and i'm going to be watching, pal! kelly, back to you. [applause] >> thank you very much. thank you. [applause] >> thank you, mr. president.

thank you's so very much for being here and for your work and support of journalists. and now we turn to our headline entertainer, colin jost. colin brings the excitement of his own charisma and talent but his guests are strictly a list. i've been watching this evening as many of you have been trying to get a selfie and hoping to get close to a special woman who is a big, big star in colin's life, his mother, dr. carrie kelley. and i know scarlet agrees that his mother is a star in her own right. she spent nearly four decades at the new york fire department. she was the first female chief medical officer and her service included 9/11 where she led triage efforts. so dr. kelly, we thank you for your good work and as his

mother, you know -- yes, dr. kelly, and mr. jost, as you know, he shares a lot in common with many of us here tonight. we are all fans of scarlett johansson. [cheers and applause] so for a moment i'm going to take you back to when colin himself was a reporter for the esteemed publication at regis high school. the towel. -- the owl. a youngcolin jost scoop, 10 ways on how not to start an english paper. and in this reporting on faculty summer plans. then and now, he is at the core of talented writers which is why we wanted him here tonight. he is the longest-serving anchor of weekend update on saturday

night live. are you ready? are you ready? it is my thrilled to welcome colin jost! [cheers and applause] >> thank you, everyone. hello. that was hard-hitting journalism we saw. i did not know you were going to show that from high school. you cannot do it for president biden because the technology was not invented when he was in high school. [laughter] good evening, everyone. i am colin jost and i will be delivering the republican response. [applause] i don't have a lot of time. i need to get back to new york

because i am juror number five on a big trial. trump's lawyer took one look at me and said, he has to be on our side. [laughter] thank you for that very kind introduction. mr. president, dr. biden, vice president harris, doug. [laughter] doug, as you can tell from all the comments about my wife, i am also used two being the second gentleman. [laughter] [cheers and applause] i am honored to be here hosting what is according to swing state polls the final white house correspondents dinner. [laughter]

i hope that tonight will be a night to remember for most of us. [laughter] i was excited to be up here on stage with president biden mostly to see if i could figure out where obama was pulling the strings from. [laughter] i have to admit, it is not easy following president biden. it is not always easy following what he is saying. [laughter] before i begin tonight, can we just acknowledge how refreshing it is to see a president of the united states at an event that does not begin with the bailiff

saying, "all rise." and i would like to point out it is after 10:00 p.m. sleepy joe is still awake while donald trump has spent the past week falling asleep in court every morning. fox news said he was just being anti-woke. [laughter] we are all here tonight at nerd prom. matt gaetz is at regular prom. [laughter] i thought i saw matt gaetz here tonight but it was actually my own reflection in a spoon.

[laughter] like many of you here tonight, i pretend to do news on tv. [laughter] my weekend co-anchor was going to join me here tonight but in solidarity with president biden, i decided to lose all of my black support. [laughter] they told me to say that and i am just realizing i was set up. [laughter] i have done "weekend update" for a while now but i started out doing the actual news. my first job out of college was as a reporter for the staten

island advance newspaper. [applause] they do not have a table here tonight. but they asked me to pass along this message to the other journalists in the room. you think you are better than me? [laughter] i want to point out, we had a daily circulation of 100,000. the washington post would kill for that. [laughter] as a former aspiring journalist, i want to genuinely congratulate all of the award winners here tonight. congratulations. [applause] the correspondence association provides scholarships to promising young journalism students who may one day be sent off to cover dangerous geopolitical hotspots like

columbia university. [laughter] tonight this event is being televised live on c-span. [applause] and if you are at home watching c-span on a saturday night, i hope they find your body soon. [laughter] before your cats get to it. there are so many incredible news organizations here tonight. also, a few credible ones. the washington post is here. [applause] they were the ones taking your coats at the door. please be sure to tip. [laughter]

fox news is here tonight. it is the end of an era. rupert murdoch steps down at fox news. which is strange, i did not think there was a step down from fox news. [laughter] trump media is here. not at a table. just screaming loudly in the corner to no one. wordle is here tonight. sorry. i meant the new york times. i forgot they do stuff in addition to puzzles. it is not a great sign when the only thing keeping a print media company alive are games people play on their phones. too chilling for you guys?

the room just froze faster than mitch mcconnell. [laughter] apologies to the times but as an staten island or, i still get all of my news from the new york post. thank you. the only paper where the front page always has the same two hundred point font whether it is world war iii will start tomorrow or central park owl de ad in collision. the new york post is like having the new york times summarized for you by a crackhead. the times will say, a border deal continues to evade congress and the post is like, these mexicans are taking my stuff. [laughter]

there are so many incredible individuals here tonight. lara trump is here tonight. ok. i got one whoo. she recently released her cover of the song "i won't that down." -- i won't back down." after hearing it, tom petty died again. i cannot believe i'm saying into a member of trump's family, but maybe stick to politics. [laughter] senator bernie sanders is here because he is not the type to pass up a free hot meal. [laughter] in general, there are so many hard-working influential senators and congresspeople here tonight and i just want to say on behalf of everyone i know,

stop emailing us. [laughter] stop it. we get it. democracy is on the line. and your plan to save it is to flood our inboxes like you are crate & barrel. it is also wonderful to be back in washington. i love being in washington. last time i was in washington, d.c. i left my cocaine at the white house. luckily the president was able to put it to good use for his state of the union. [laughter] i'm kidding. of course, the president does not call it cocaine. he calls it high-speed rails. [laughter] by the way, can you blame the guy for turning to cocaine?

you must be exhausted orchestrating four separate trials against rivals, reading the super bowl and gearing up to steal a second election. wow. [laughter] i love that trump's two attacks on president biden is that he is a senile old man and a criminal mastermind. [laughter] i think you gotta pick one. personally, i don't know any criminal mastermind who buy ice cream. also it is not like trump is young and sharp. i am not saying both candidates are old but you know jimmy carter is out there thinking, i could maybe win this thing.

[cheers and applause] he is only 99. [laughter] there is an election. there is an election six extremely long months from now so let me see if i can summarize where this race stands at this moment. the republican candidate for president owes half $1 billion in fines for bank fraud and is currently spending his days fighting himself awake during a porn star hush money trial and the race is tied? [laughter] the race is tied. nothing makes sense anymore. the candidate who was a famous new york city playboy took abortion rights away and the guy

who is trying to give you your abortion rights back is an 80-year-old catholic. how does that make sense? [cheers and applause] by the way, president biden, isn't it crazy that he is only our second catholic president? in just a few short months, we will have our third in rfk junior. i am kidding. like his vaccine card says, he does not have a shot. everything feels strange now. by a lot of measures, president biden is having a very successful first term but people do not seem to realize it. like with the economy. the vibes are bad but the numbers stay strong. the economy is kind of like you on the steps of air force one.

it feels like it is stumbling but there is somehow upward progress. [laughter] i do think that you could do more on the economy. i really do. for example, have you considered eliminating the national debt by shorting trump's stock? people keep asking if our lives are better than they were four years ago. of course they are. four years ago we did not have online sports gambling. what more do you need? that is probably what is keeping the economy afloat. online gambling and taylor swift. without those, we'd be in a recession right now. the problem is people are always

going to compare your first term to obama's. i think there are a lot of positive similarities. you both made big strides in healthcare. obama got us out of a recession. you got us out of a pandemic. obama got bin laden. you got oj. [laughter] now that oj is dead, who is the new front rather -- front runner for trump's vp? is it diddy? if trump did select diddy as his running mate, i bet this race would still be tied. i think even some democrats say that they are underwhelmed but i think that they are just not living in reality. manage your expectations, people.

it is like tonight. we all wish we were at the waldorf right now. but we are at the washington hilton. and we have to make the best of it. just be happy you are not at the airport hilton. journalists, these are challenging times and we need the people in this room to guide us. your jobs are not easy and it does not help that we are leaving -- living at the end of traditional media. the gatekeepers are god. did you know that 90% of people get their news exclusively from social media? that must be true because i saw it in a random guys tiktok. he was recording a video while driving a toyota corolla but he seemed to know his stuff. isn't it crazy that tiktok could

be outlawed in the u.s. by the end of this year? that is a real shame because we will need tiktok to document who is storming the capital next january 6. [laughter] things are not bad for everyone. this may be the worst time in history to be a journalist. it is the best time in history to be a courtroom sketch artist. my god. the most famous man on earth is on trial and there is no cameras allowed. just the artist, their pastels and their desire to make trump look as bad as possible. every sketch looks like the grinch had sex with the lorax. [laughter]

in closing, [laughter] i would like to take a moment to recognize all of the print journalists in this room. your words speak truth to power. your words bring light to the darkness. most importantly, your words train the ai program that will soon replace you. [laughter] finally, i wanted to thank my family and i wanted to thank my friends for being here tonight to support me. i want to thank my wife for enduring lots of jokes and for agreeing to individually meet everyone in this room right after the ceremony. that is really special, honey. thank you. don't be shy. come right up.

she hates privacy. [laughter] with my family in mind, i wanted to share one last thing with you before i go and i wanted to share one thing with you mr. president before i go. i lost my grandfather this year as you alluded to, a firefighter, william kelly. he is the reason why my son's middle name is william. he helped raise me growing up and i would not be here today without him. my grandpa was a firefighter on staten island for 40 years. to make extra money for his family he was a substitute teacher and he painted houses. i should point out it is not like the store's he irishman painting houses. he was not a mafia hitman.

he actually painted houses. the fbi is here. i don't want to start a whole thing. my grandfather was another rare irishman who did not drink because he lost his father and his brother to alcoholism. i swear, mr. president, this is not an age comparison. you remind me of him. some of your best qualities remind me of him. i will say he was 95 and he was still great at stairs. [laughter] i think it is because he did not try to run up them. [laughter] but the reason that i bring up my grandfather and i don't know if you know but staten island's

firefighters are not normally your demographic. staten island voted about 70 percent for trump and the other 30% was for giuliani. staten island also sided with the british during the revolutionary war. so we are not always on the right side of history. you remember. [laughter] my grandfather, a staten island firefighter, voted for you, mr. president. [applause] he voted for you in the last election that he ever voted in. i am sure someone else will vote twice in this election using his name, but that is just how the

democratic machine works. [laughter] he voted for you and the reason that he voted for you is because you are a decent man. [laughter] [applause] my grandpa voted for decency and decency is why we are all here tonight. decency is how we are all able to be here tonight. [applause] decency is how we are able to make jokes about each other and one of us does not go to prison after. we go to the newsmax after party. [laughter] when you look at the levels of freedom throughout history and even around the world today,

this is the exception. this freedom is incredibly rare and the journalists in this room help protect that freedom and we cannot ever take that for granted. mr. president, i thank you for your decency on behalf of my grandfather and i thank all of you, almost all of you, for your decency as well. i am very honored and grateful that you invited me here tonight. thank you and good night. [applause] >> thank you colin, and all of our speakers tonight. especially you, mr. president. thank you to the washington

hilton. really, thank you to the washington hilton. i am forever grateful to our members. thank you to our friends at nbc news. thank you to our board. good luck. i hope you had fun. i had the time of my life. good night. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute,

which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]