Biden Takes Aim at Trump, Defends Press Freedom at White House Correspondents’ Dinner
WASHINGTON, D.C. – At the star-studded White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday night, President Joe Biden delivered a speech that blended humor with a serious defense of press freedom and democracy.
The president took swipes at his likely 2024 rival, former President Donald Trump, while urging the media to remain vigilant in reporting the truth.
In front of an audience of around 2,600 journalists, celebrities, and political figures, Biden poked fun at his own age and Trump’s legal woes.
“Imagine running against a grown man who acts like a six-year-old,” Biden quipped, referencing the 76-year-old Trump. The president joked that despite their similar ages, his vice president Kamala Harris has publicly endorsed him.
However, Biden’s speech took a more somber tone as he addressed the high stakes of the upcoming presidential election. He urged the press to focus on the serious issues at hand and potential threats to democracy, rather than getting sidetracked by “horse race numbers” and “gotcha moments“.
“A defeated former president has made no secret of his attack on our democracy,” Biden warned, alluding to Trump.
“He said he wants to be a dictator on day one…He promised a bloodbath when he loses again. We have to take this seriously.”
The president called on the media to “rise up to the seriousness of the moment” and fulfill their vital role in ensuring democracy endures.
“In the age of disinformation, credible information that people can trust is more important than ever,” he said.
Biden also highlighted the plight of journalists imprisoned abroad, specifically naming Evan Gershkovich of the Wall Street Journal, detained in Russia, and Austin Tice, believed held in Syria.
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“Journalism is not a crime,” the president declared as he toasted to a free press.
The dinner took place against a backdrop of escalating protests over the Israel-Hamas conflict. Demonstrators gathered outside the venue to condemn the Biden administration’s handling of the crisis and media coverage of the war. The president’s speech made no direct reference to the conflict.
“We’re at a complex moment for our nation,” acknowledged Kelly O’Donnell, president of the correspondents’ association. The event aimed to strike a balance between its traditional humor and the gravity of the issues facing the country.
As Biden gears up for a potential rematch against Trump in 2024, his speech underscored the vital role of the free press in safeguarding democracy. With laughter and solemnity, the president sought to rally the media to meet the moment
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