Biden Gives White House Correspondents’ Speech, Jokes About DeSantis

Each year, the incumbent president and their team organize a renowned event called the White House Correspondents’ dinner, inviting distinguished personalities including celebrities, journalists, and reporters. Typically, a comedian is invited to entertain the guests with humorous comments related to current affairs, including the president’s performance. 

This year, the comedian Roy Wood Jr. was the host and made humorous remarks about President Joe Biden’s age. However, President Biden also attempted to make the audience laugh by targeting conservative politicians such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) in his jokes.

At the recent Correspondents’ Dinner, held at the Hilton hotel in Washington, DC on April 30, President Biden made a humorous comment about having prepared several jokes about Ron DeSantis, but was beaten to the punch by Mickey Mouse due to the ongoing conflict between Disney and the Republican leader of Florida over laws and regulations at the theme parks.

Biden also mentioned his 42% approval rating during his speech and shared a story about House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) asking him about the secret behind his success.

In his speech, President Biden not only entertained the audience with jokes but also criticized conservative news outlets. He referred to Fox News as “owned by Dominion Voting Systems,” following the company’s payment of $787.5 million to settle a defamation lawsuit.

The president also used the occasion to draw attention to the plight of Americans being held captive in other countries, including Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, and Austin Tice. He also highlighted the return of Brittney Griner from Russia after her arrest.

According to Biden, his administration’s “unrelenting efforts” have led to the release of “dozens of hostages and wrongfully detained individuals.” As he prepares for his 2024 presidential campaign, the president will need to continue highlighting his administration’s successes.