President Biden has stepped up his jokes in recent days, primarily targeting his opponent, former President Donald J. Trump. On Saturday, he is scheduled to address members of the press at the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.
The dinner at the Washington Hilton gives journalists and government officials a chance to take a break from their usual daily grind for a night of glamorous gossip celebrating freedom of the press. Biden will deliver his third humorous speech to the assembled audience, and is likely to continue attacking the news media and his Republican rivals.
But Biden is also expected to issue more serious warnings at a time when journalists around the world are increasingly being jailed or detained for doing their jobs.
In an interview with SiriusXM radio host Howard Stern on Friday, Biden said he would emphasize the importance of press freedom. But Biden, who has held fewer press conferences than his predecessor, also suggested this could come with some criticism.
After addressing his upcoming speech, Mr. Biden said he was concerned that members of the press were not doing enough about his political opponent, Mr. Trump.
“I think some of them are worried about attacking him, worried about dealing with him,” Biden said.
But on Saturday, Biden is expected to mostly put aside his nerves and join reporters for a few laughs. Colin Jost, a former reporter for the Staten Island Advance and co-anchor of Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update, will headline the dinner.
“He's a writer first and foremost, and all of our members can relate to that,” Kelly O'Donnell, president of the White House Correspondents Association, said in an interview with Deadline last week. “He became a reporter pretty early on as a student journalist. He understands that, and writing is the foundation of his entire entertainment career.”
Biden himself has been experimenting with ingredients lately. He has supported Trump's suggestion while in office that Americans should inject themselves with disinfectant to protect themselves from the coronavirus, even joking this week that Trump tried it himself. I skipped it. “It was all down to his hair,” he said.
The president also tried some self-deprecating jokes about his age, one of voters' biggest concerns. At a Thursday fundraiser at the home of Michael Douglas, the actor who played Benjamin Franklin on television, Biden said Franklin is only a few years older than him.
Biden was the first president to attend since 2016. Trump boycotted the event during his term. Dinners were canceled during Biden's first year in office due to concerns about the pandemic.