US President Joe Biden used the platform of the annual dinner for Washington’s political and media elites to humorously critique his predecessor and political rival, Donald Trump. At the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner, Biden, 81, made jest of Trump, 77, by saying, “I am a grown man running against a six-year-old,” employing cutting humor to continue his criticism of Trump.
Addressing an audience of nearly 3,000 journalists, celebrities, and politicians, Biden joked about the age difference between himself and Trump, referring to Trump as “Sleepy Don.” He also made a veiled reference to Trump’s past controversies, such as the Stormy Daniels affair, by mentioning “stormy” weather.
While Biden’s speech featured several jokes targeting Trump, he also took a more serious tone to discuss the state of democracy and the upcoming 2024 election. Biden highlighted Trump’s attacks on democracy and urged the audience to focus on the stakes involved rather than just the political competition.
Following Biden’s remarks, comedian Colin Jost provided comic relief with a roast of political figures present at the dinner. However, Biden notably did not directly address ongoing protests outside the event space or the Israel-Hamas conflict, despite demonstrators urging attendees to speak out against the conflict and the killing of journalists in Gaza.
Since Hamas’ attacks on October 7, at least 97 journalists, primarily Palestinian, have been killed in the region, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
