United States President Joe Biden was the butt of many acerbic jokes at a White House Correspondents Association dinner as he took the opportunity to hit back with some of his own.
Washington’s political and media elite gathered in the US capital on Saturday night for an annual event whose mood ranged from traditional comedic jokes to somber calls for the release of journalists imprisoned abroad.
Heading for after-dinner entertainment, Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr. gleefully mocked Biden, 80, for running for a second term, which could mean Biden will still be president in 86 years old.
Wood pointed to recent angry protests in France over raising the retirement age.
He joked: “They’re rebelling because they don’t want to work until they’re 64. Meanwhile, in America, we have an octogenarian asking us to work for another four years.
When it was his turn to take the microphone, Biden attacked House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Republicans recently passed a bill that would have raised the debt ceiling in exchange for a series of budget cuts, including including some of Biden’s key legislative steps.
“Last time Republicans voted for something unlucky, it took 15 tries,” Biden said, referring to the number of House votes McCarthy needed to become president in January.
Biden even made a few self-deprecating jokes, mostly about criticizing his age when he was seeking re-election.
He also targeted CNN host Don Lemon, who was fired after making age-old sexist comments on air.
“Call me old,” Biden said. “I call them veterans. You say I’m old. I said I was wise. You said I was over the hill. Don Lemon would say he was a man in the prime of the game. age.”
Journalism is not a crime.
Biden also spoke of a number of American journalists detained in other countries.
In his speech, Biden said, “We’re here to send a message to the country and, frankly, to the world: a free press is a pillar, maybe a pillar, of a free society, not the enemy.”
Upon arriving at the gala dinner, President and First Lady Jill Biden met privately with the parents of Wall Street Journal reporter Ivan Gershkovitch, who has been jailed in Russia since March.
He was accused of espionage despite strong denials from his employers and the US government. Some guests wore buttons with the words “Free Evan” printed on them.
Among the 2,600 people who attended the ceremony was Austin Tice’s mother, Debra Tice, who had not been heard from since her disappearance at a checkpoint in Syria in 2012. US officials said that They operated assuming she was alive and working to try. to take him home.
“Journalism is not a crime. Evan and Austin should be released immediately, along with other Americans detained overseas,” Biden said. “I promise, I’m working hard to get them home.”
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