At President Barack Obama’s final White House Correspondents’ Dinner Saturday night he walked on stage to Anna Kendrick’s song “You’re Going to Miss Me When I’m Gone”, and smirked as he told the audience, “You know it’s true”.
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He spent about six minutes roasting the five remaining 2016 presidential candidates. There were a lot of Trump jokes.
But Obama wasn’t all jokes.
“Your hair is so white, it tried to punch me at a Trump rally”, Wilmore joked. Judge Merrick Garland come on out.
“We weren’t just going to stop there!”
“Prince George showed up to our meeting in his bathrobe”. That was a slap in the face. “A clear breach of protocol”. “Last time this year we spoke of Jason’s courage as he endured the isolation of an Iranian prison”, he said.
He was speaking at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, an annual meeting that’s been running since 1920. “I’m grey, grizzled. counting down the days to my death panel”.
President Barack Obama, right, at the White House Correspondents’ dinner in Washington, April 30, 2016. “And now to live in your time, Mr. President, when a black man can lead the entire free world”.
“Next year at this time, someone else will be standing in this very spot, and it’s anyone guess who she will be”. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders joined Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry and other government officials taking a seat.
He was even more harsh to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, saying, “Hey, Wolf, I’m ready to project tonight’s victor: Anyone who isn’t watching The Situation Room”. After all, Mike was a big city mayor, he knows policy in-depth. “Just in case anybody is still debating if I’m black enough, I think that settles the debate”.
“He went to Indiana – Hoosier Country – stood on a basketball court and called the hoop a basketball ring. Baseball sticks? Football hats?” he joked.
Priyanka Chopra finally made it to the 102nd Annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washinton.
“Savannah Guthrie, she’s left the White House press corps to host the “Today” show”. Norah O’Donnell left the briefing room to host CBS This Morning. “Best fantasy film since ‘Star Wars'”.
In previous years the president’s speech at the correspondents’ dinner has been delivered with humour and withering put-downs.
“That has to sting a little bit”.
Then there was the time when Jeb Bush validated the “low energy” nickname bestowed on him by Trump by pleading with a snoozing crowd to “Please, clap”.
“I am hurt though Bernie, that you’ve been distancing yourself a little from me”, he said. And it is surprising. “I hope you’re happy”, he told the room of reporters.
He added, “Is this dinner too tacky for the Donald?”
Obama: “Is he at home, eating a Trump steak, tweeting out insults to Angela Merkel?”. “So, got any advice for me?”
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“Even some foreign leaders have been giving me grief. The guy wanted to give his hotel business a boost, and now we’re praying that Cleveland makes it through July”. “I want to close my final White House Correspondents’ Dinner by saying thank you”, he said, holding out the microphone at arm’s length.
