Joe Biden attends traditional gala dinner with Washington politicians and media

The American president attended the traditional gala dinner which brings together all of Washington politics and the media.

By Le Figaro with AFP

Posted on 04/30/2023 at 10:43update on 04/30/2023 at 11:43

France is set ablaze against retirement at 64 but Joe Biden80 ans, «begs us“To stay four more years: the American president cashed in and replied to the humorous spades about his age on Saturday at the gala dinner of the correspondents of the White House. This annual evening, which brings together all of Washington politicians and the media, celebrates in theory the first amendment to the American Constitution defending the freedom of the press. But in practice, we mostly remember the jokes.

The comedian ofDaily ShowRoy Wood Jr underlined the age of Mr. Biden who, a candidate for re-election, could remain in office until he is 86 if he wins. By mentioning the demonstrations in France against the pension reform. “They revolted because they didn’t want to work until they were 64. Meanwhile, in America, we have an 80-year-old man begging us to work four more years“, he quipped, provoking a broad smile from the head of state, seated a few meters further. ”Let me finish the job’: it’s not a campaign slogan, it’s a plea“, chained the comedian. “Say what you will about our president but when he wakes up from (his) nap, the job is done.»

A “seasoned” president

«Call me old – I call that seasoned“replied the president. “They say I’m an elder – I say I’m wise. They say I’m not young anymore -Don Lemon looks like I’m a man of first youth“. Don Lemon, a star CNN anchor, was recently fired by the network after he sparked controversy when he said Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, 51, was “notno more early youth».

Joe Biden also reserved a spade for Rupert Murdochthe 92-year-old media mogul and owner of the conservative channel Fox News. «You might think I don’t like Rupert Murdoch. It’s not true. How could I not like a man who makes me look like Harry Styles?“joked the American president, in reference to the 29-year-old British popstar.

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The appeal of the Correspondents’ Dinner, held in the vast hall of the Washington Hilton, had waned somewhat in recent years, between Donald Trump’s boycott and the pandemic. But this year the event was sold out, with 2,600 guests, including Joe Biden and his vice-president Kamala Harris. The presence of the two heads of the executive revives a tradition lost since the presidency of Donald Trump.

Before dinner, Joe Biden had met the family of American journalist Evan Gershkovich, imprisoned in Russia. “We work every day to obtain his release“, he assured. Among the guests was basketball player Brittney Griner, two-time Olympic gold medalist and figure in the American LGBT+ community. Released at the end of 2022 after ten months of detention in Russia, she has sworn to fight for other people wrongfully detained around the world.