NY Post
President Biden cracked jokes before more than 2,000 guests on Saturday at the revived White House Correspondents’ Dinner as DC’s biggest annual party returned after two years of COVID-19 restrictions. “Special thanks to the 42 percent of you that actually applauded,” Biden said as he took the stage. “I’m really excited to be here tonight with the only group of Americans with a lower approval rating than I have.” The dinner for reporters, officials and celebrities at the Washington Hilton featured entertainment from “The Daily Show” host Trevor Noah and remarks from a sitting president for the first time since 2016. “This is the first time the president attended this dinner in six years. It’s understandable, we had a horrible plague — followed by two years of COVID,” Biden said in apparent reference to former President Donald Trump, who never attended the event while in office. “Just imagine if my predecessor came to this dinner this year. Now that would have been a real coup if that occurred.” Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson, Olympic medalist Caitlyn Jenner and Martha Stewart were among the guests at the $350-per-seat bash. The black tie gala took place despite concerns it could be one of the pandemic’s great super-spreaders. More than 10 percent of attendees at DC’s similar but much smaller and snootier Gridiron Club dinner this month caught the coronavirus. The dinner kicked off a night of festivities and commanded significant red-carpet attention for the first time since the Obama administration.
