President Joe Biden's 2023 White House Correspondents' Dinner Speech: The Funniest Moments

At the White House Correspondents' Association's annual dinner on Saturday, President Joe Biden didn't hold back, roasting everyone from Don Lemon, Tucker Carlson, and Elon Musk to politicians like Kevin McCarthy, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Ron DeSantis.

Biden also cracked a few self-deprecating jokes, mostly about his age. "I support the First Amendment." "Not just because it was written by my good friend Jimmy Madison," he began.

"Look, I get that age is a completely reasonable issue," he stated before laughing about The New York Times' digs at him. "You may believe I dislike Rupert Murdoch. That is simply not the case. "How can I dislike a guy who transforms me into Harry Styles?"

"Can you call me 'old?'" I refer to it as being seasoned. "You say 'I'm ancient,' but I say 'I'm wise," Biden added. "When you say, 'I'm over the hill,' Don Lemon says you're a man in his prime!"

The president also poked fun at his first two years in office, noting that the evening will be similar. "I'll talk for 10 minutes, take zero questions, and then cheerfully walk away," he joked.

There were jokes regarding Biden's recently announced reelection bid, with the president joking that most people anticipated him to "just blurt it out" by accident. "Like I've been saying, don't compare me to the almighty, compare me to the alternative," Biden remarked. "We added 12 million jobs, and that's just counting the lawyers who defended [Donald Trump]!"

"This dinner is one of Washington's two great traditions." "The other one undervalues me and Kamala," he said, referring to Vice President Harris. "But the truth is, we have a track record to be proud of." Vaccinated the country, altered the economy, pushed for historic victories and mid-term outcomes. But the job isn't done. I mean, it's done for Tucker Carlson."

He then made a lighthearted remark on Musk's takeover of Twitter. "I like NPR because they whisper into the microphone just like I do." "However, not everyone enjoys NPR," remarked Biden. "Elon Musk suggested that it be defunded. The best way to get rid of NPR is for Elon Musk to acquire it. And it's more accurate than you believe..."

President Biden: "You say I'm over the hill. Don Lemon would say that's a man in his prime."#WHCD #nerdProm pic.twitter.com/1r8GFCbVzj

— CSPAN (@cspan) April 30, 2023

Lemon, Carlson, and Musk were among those who took shots at the media. There were also three direct attacks on Fox News following their recently resolved lawsuit. "It's great that the cable news networks are here tonight: MSNBC, which is owned by NBC Universal, and Fox News, which is owned by Dominion Voting Systems," Biden added.

"Last year, your favourite Fox News reporters were able to attend because they had been fully vaccinated and boosted," he explained. "This year, with that $780 million settlement, they're here because they couldn't say no to a free meal."

"And hell, I'd call Fox 'honest, fair, and true," Biden said. But then I'd be sued for libel!"

Then there were the hints regarding Biden's political colleagues.

"I want everyone to have a good time tonight, but please be safe." "If you're disoriented or confused, you're either drunk or Marjorie Taylor Greene," he began.

"Y'all keep reporting my approval rating as 42%, but I think you don't know this: Kevin McCarthy called me and asked me, 'Joe, what the hell's your secret?'" Biden said of McCarthy. I'm not even joking about that!"

In terms of DeSantis, Biden stated that he had "a lot of Ron DeSantis jokes ready, but Mickey Mouse beat the hell out of me and got there first."

"Can't be too hard on the guy," Biden remarked. "After being re-elected governor, he was asked if he had a mandate. 'Hell no, I'm straight!' he exclaimed. 'I'm not gay!'

President Biden: "I had a lot of Ron DeSantis jokes ready, but Micky Mouse beat the hell out of me and got there first."#WHCD #nerdProm pic.twitter.com/paF9H4boP5

— CSPAN (@cspan) April 30, 2023

The White House Correspondents' Association dinner is the second in two years. The WHCA events in 2020 and 2021 were cancelled because to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Prior to that, Trump snubbed the gathering during his first three years in office, telling reporters in 2019 that it was "too negative." After Michelle Wolf's turn as emcee in 2018, his White House staffers began to avoid the event as well.

The annual correspondents' dinner dates back to 1921 and has traditionally been attended by association members as well as high-ranking government officials, including the president and first lady.

The White House confirmed in March that Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff would all attend the dinner, marking the first time that all four key figures in an administration have attended since 2016, when the Obamas and Bidens both attended. (Previously, the president, vice president, and their spouses were all present in 2006 and 2009.)

Dr. Biden and President Biden both attended last year's event, which he described as "the first time a president has attended this dinner in six years."

He then poked fun at his predecessor, saying, "It's understandable." We experienced a terrible plague, followed by two years of COVID.

Roy Wood Jr., a Daily Show correspondent and podcast presenter, hosted this year's dinner.

The yearly event benefits the White House press corps, scholarships for the next generation of aspiring journalists, and awards that recognise outstanding work in political journalism.