‘Obama out’: President ends last ‘Nerd Prom’ with a bang
President Obama literally dropped the mike at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, where politicians, journalists, stars and even dogs ( Star
Wars actress Carrie Fisher’s, to be exact) gathered.
Before Obama’s customary riffs, guests at Washington’s Hilton Hotel ballroom were treated to a blooper reel, splicing the president’s various fumbles, including knocking over audio equipment, calling Today show host Matt Lauer “Tim” and branding Kanye West a “jackass” in one infamous “hot mike” moment.
“I was running on C.P.T,” Obama explained when he finally took the podium. “Which stands for jokes that white people should not make.”
The jab was a pointed reference to a recent exchange between Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who attributed his delayed endorsement of Clinton to “C.P. Time” or “Colored People’s Time.”
Obama’s skewering of the tone-deaf joke was just one of the zingers lobbed at the presidential hopefuls. The president also took aim at Republican candidate Donald Trump. “It is surprising — you have a room full of reporters, celebrities, cameras. And he says, ‘No.’ Is this dinner too tacky for The Donald? What could he be possibly doing instead? Is he at home, eating a Trump Steak? Tweeting out insults to Angela Merkel? What’s he doing?”
Obama later complimented Democratic candidate and dinner attendee Bernie Sanders: “Bernie, you look like a million bucks. Or, to put it in terms you understand, you look like 37,000 donations of $27 each.”
Obama wasn’t all jokes. He celebrated the presence of The
Washington Post’s Jason Rezaian, who — on the heels of his release from a nearly 18-month-long detainment in Iran — was there to present awards to The Wall Street Journal’s Carol Lee, CBS This Morning’s Norah O’Donnell, The Boston Globe’s Matt Viser, The
Washington Post’s Terrence McCoy and Inside-Climate’s Neela Banerjee, Lisa Song, David Hasemyer and John Cushman Jr.
“Last time this year, we spoke of Jason’s courage as he endured the isolation of an Iranian prison. This year, we see that courage in the flesh, and it’s a living testament to the very idea of a free press,” Obama said before thanking the press corps for its work.
Rosario Dawson — who attended as USA TODAY’s guest alongside stars such as the Washington Wizards’ John Wall, Miles Teller ( Divergent), Gabrielle Union ( Be
ing Mary Jane), Neve Campbell ( House of Cards), Wendi McLendon-Covey ( Bridesmaids,
The Goldbergs) and Kendall Jenner — said Obama brought a different energy to the annual affair, an “electric” one.
“There’s a connectivity with (the Obamas), and it feels seamless,” she told USA TODAY during the pre-dinner reception. “Thinking of (Obama) as a community organizer and, like, how that’s grown into the presidency, I think it’s really incredibly inspiring. We need that level of inspiration. It’s going to be hard to see that go.”
Scandal star Kerry Washington echoed Dawson’s sentiments, calling the farewell gala “bittersweet.”
“I think the only people happy that it’s his last Correspondents’ Dinner is the comedy world, because he’s always funnier than every comedian,” she told USA TODAY at the dinner.
Indeed, host Larry Wilmore jokingly told the president to “stay in his lane” before diving into his roast. “President Obama’s hair is so white, it’s started saying ‘All Lives Matter,’ ” Wilmore teased before adding, “All I’m saying is that in less than eight years, Mr. President, you’ve busted two time-honored stereotypes: Black does crack, and apparently, once you go black, it looks like we are going back. Thanks, Ben Carson.”
The Nightly Show host then took shots at the media and presidential aspirants Sanders, Clinton, Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz, though he ended on a solemn note.
“I’ve always joked that I voted for the president because he’s black,” Wilmore said. “But behind that joke is the humble appreciation for the historical implications for what your presidency means. When I was a kid, I lived in a country where people couldn’t accept a black quarterback. Now think about that: A black man was thought by his mere color not good enough to lead a football team.
“And now to live in your time, Mr. President, when a black man can lead the entire free world. Words alone do me no justice.”