Biden takes swipe at himself, Trump
Washington – President Joe Biden poked fun at himself but took sharp aim at his election rival Donald Trump on Saturday at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, as protesters outside demonstrated against the conflict in Gaza.
A long list of VIP guests, including journalists and celebrities– from Chris Pine to Molly Ringwald – arrived in black-tie attire as more than 100 protesters confronted attendees in front of the Hilton hotel chanting “shame on you” and other slogans.
Inside, the topic of Gaza was far from the lips of Biden and the evening’s comedian, Colin Jost of Saturday Night Live, who roasted Biden for his age and occasional stumble on the Airforce One stairs.
“I would like to point out it’s after 10pm, ‘Sleepy Joe’ is still awake, while Donald Trump has spent the past week falling asleep in court every morning,” Jost joked, referring to the former president’s appearances at his New York hush money trial last week.
Amid some self-mockery and ribbing of the press, the 81-yearold president took sharp-elbowed jabs at his 77-year-old presumptive
November election rival, quipping that “age is the only thing we have in common. My vice-president actually endorsed me”.
Both Jost and Biden struck a more serious tone in addressing what many Americans feel is a politically fraught moment, with Biden telling attendees Trump’s rhetoric was a danger, particularly after the 6 January, 2021 attack on the Capitol, and that “the stakes couldn’t be higher”.
Jost recalled fondly that his recently deceased grandfather had voted for Biden “because you are a decent man”. –