The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is bringing comedy back after a one-year hiatus. This year’s event, which takes place on April 25th, will feature Kenan Thompson and Hasan Minaj — marking the annual dinner’s first time with both a host and a featured entertainer since Bob Hope and Chevy Chase in 1976.
Standup comedy is a beloved tradition at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. After a year of intense, grueling work for journalists and politicians, getting the opportunity to laugh at yourself and your peers is usually welcomed. President Donald Trump doesn’t have a sense of humor, though, which is why he hit pause on the tradition after hearing comedian Michelle Wolf’s iconic set two years ago — despite it being one of the best performances of 2018. Instead, last year’s dinner saw historian Ron Chernow lecture the crowd on the history of journalism and the First Amendment. Unsurprisingly, journalists and politicians wanted to have fun again, so comedy is now back on the menu.
“Kenan and Hasan are two of the most engaged and engaging entertainers in America,” said Jonathan Karl, the event’s president and ABC White House correspondent. “I’m thrilled they’ll help us celebrate the role of a free press in our democracy. We’re looking forward to a lively evening honoring the most important political journalism of the past year.”
So will Trump decide to check out the White House Correspondents’ Dinner comedy performances this year? Given he ordered his administration to boycott last year’s event, probably not. That’s a shame given this may be his last chance to attend the event, or at least that’s what polls — which state 64% of New Hampshire Democrats prefer death by meteor to Trump being re-elected — suggest.
Comedy to Return to White House Correspondents’ Dinner with Kenan Thompson and Hasan Minaj
Nina Corcoran
