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President Joe Biden dusted off his funny bone during his speech at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, April 30. The politician poked fun at himself regarding the phrase “Let’s go, Brandon,” which has been adopted in some anti-Biden groups as a code for a profane expression against him.
“Republicans seem to support one fellow, some guy named Brandon,” Biden joked. “He’s having a really good year. I’m kind of happy for him.”
The phrase became popular with his detractors after an announcer at a NASCAR race in October mistakenly believed the crowd was cheering “Let’s go, Brandon” when, in fact, they were yelling “F**k Joe Biden.”
Of course, Biden had to be the brunt of several jokes throughout the evening, as the WH Correspondents’ Dinner is known to be an irreverent roast of the current President by members of the media. His appearance made him the first sitting president to attend the gala since former President Barack Obama’s final dinner in 2016.
Producers of the WH Correspondents’ Dinner were hoping to bring back the glitz and glamour to the event with the likes of Pete, Kim, and Drew Barrymore. The show even had pre-taped skits provided by Late Late Show host James Corden and Billy on the Street star Billy Eichner. Dubbed the “Nerd Prom,” it also featured an after-party hosted by Paramount and two brunches hosted by Politico and CNN on Sunday.
The team also brought in veteran Hollywood producer Bob Bain two months before showtime, according to Variety. Bain had recently produced the Critics Choice Awards and the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards. “We are hoping he can elevate this event to a level we haven’t had it at before,” Steven Portnoy, the current president of the White House Correspondents Association, told the outlet.
It sounds like the organizers wouldn’t mind if the Dinner became an annual red carpet like the Oscars or Grammys. “If everything goes well and people decide that maybe this should be a network special at some point, that would be my dream come true,” Bain told Variety.