At the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday, President Joe Biden was the subject of both concern and humor when a video of him struggling with his food circulated on X, formerly known as Twitter. In the video, the president is seen trying to eat a plate of lettuce, but he seemed to have difficulty handling the greens.
This sparked another round of online comments about his age, with viewers noting that it was “difficult” to watch the president struggle to even take a proper bite. Amid his lighter moments and personal struggles with food, President Biden used the platform to offer biting humor, directed particularly at former President Donald Trump.
Throughout the evening, Biden made jokes about Trump’s age and controversial statements. One comment highlighted the ongoing 2024 election dynamics, where Biden joked, “I’m a grown man running against a 6-year-old,” drawing laughter from the black-tie audience.
The Guardian reported that Biden also criticized Trump’s description of the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War as “interesting,” “ruthless,” “horrible” and “beautiful.” Biden humorously suggested that Trump’s characterization of the battle was so off base that “the statue of Robert E. Lee surrendered again.”
Delving deeper into political territory, Biden compared his relationship with his vice president to Trump’s fallout with former Vice President Mike Pence after the 2020 election. He highlighted the support he receives from Vice President Kamala Harris, who responded with laughter and cheers to his comments on stage.
To add to the evening’s humor, Biden referred to Trump’s recent venture of selling “God Bless the USA Bibles” for $59.99, joking that Trump briefly tried to interact with the Bible until he found a commandment he couldn’t accept, prompting him to comment, “This book is not for me.”
President Biden also jokingly addressed criticism of his interaction with the press, specifically mentioning a criticism from the New York Times that accused him of avoiding independent journalists. He responded with a wry comment about having been labeled “active and effective” by the newspaper, suggesting that if evasion led to such a description, he was all for it.
The evening concluded with Biden directing the mood toward more serious reflection on the state of politics and the media. He urged those present to transcend the trivial aspects of political coverage: the “horse racing numbers, gimmick moments and sideshows” that sensationalize politics. Instead, he called for focusing on the substantive issues at stake, emphasizing the importance of addressing the serious challenges facing the nation and its political discourse.
This mix of humor and candid appeal at the correspondents’ dinner showcased Biden’s use of the event to underscore both his wit and his perspective on the current political climate, navigating through personal scrutiny and political rivalry with remarkable aplomb.
