During his speech at the Gridiron Club dinner, a longstanding Washington tradition, U.S. President Joe Biden took playful jabs at his election opponent, former President Donald Trump, poking
fun at Trump's mental fitness. This event marked the first time a sitting president attended the dinner in person since Trump's appearance in 2018.
Amid the light-hearted banter exchanged between politicians and journalists in attendance, Biden, 81, who recently secured the Democratic Party's nomination for the upcoming presidential election, engaged in humorous self-deprecation, quipping, "One candidate is too old and mentally unfit to be president. The other one is me."
In a room filled with over 650 guests, including notable figures like Taoiseach of Ireland Leo Varadkar, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, Biden's jests drew laughter and applause. Notably, Biden's remarks targeted Trump's age and mental acuity, contrasting them with his own candidacy.
Trump's campaign did not offer a response to Biden's remarks, although Trump has previously questioned Biden's mental capacity to hold the presidency.
Beyond the humor, Biden emphasized the importance of the press, signaling a departure from Trump's adversarial stance towards the media. He also touched upon the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, reaffirming his commitment to stand with the Ukrainian people.
Following his speech, Biden mingled with attendees, taking selfies with reporters and even making a personal call to one guest's mother. The event also featured speeches from Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, representing the Democratic Party, and Utah Governor Spencer Cox, representing the Republican Party, who injected humor into their remarks while also acknowledging a desire for more positivity in politics.
The Gridiron Club dinner, characterized by its nostalgic atmosphere with guests donning formal white tie attire, contrasts with the more publicized White House Correspondents' Association dinner. With no photography allowed during the event and a request for participants to refrain from posting on social media until its conclusion, the Gridiron dinner maintains a sense of exclusivity reminiscent of bygone eras. Photo by Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia commons.