White House Correspondents Insider

Behind the scenes of one of the most powerful clubs in America.

Bob Woodruff Presents Army Veteran with a Mortgage-Free House at White House Correspondents Garden Brunch

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Bob Woodruff, Andrea Dellinger, Jerry Quinn, and LT Gov Justin Fairfax present Dominic with the official deed.

This year’s White House Correspondents Garden Brunch was full of surprises and the biggest came when ABC News Correspondent Bob Woodruff partnered with Wells Fargo to present Ret. Army Staff Sergeant Dominic Perrotte with a 100% mortgage-free house!

Perrotte, who completed 3 tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq and was wounded in 2012 when his vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb, was awarded the home after completing the Wells Fargo and Military Warriors Support Foundation’s Homes4WoundedHeroes’ three-year financial mentoring program.

Woodruff, who was wounded while covering the frontline in Iraq in 2006, praised Wells Fargo’s initiative to honor veterans and their families saying, “To date, Wells Fargo has donated over 350 homes, valued at $55 million, to veterans and gold star families in all 50 states. It’s not just about giving away homes — it’s about providing quality, long-term assistance for our veterans for many years down the road.”

Woodruff awarded Perrotte with an Ann Hand eagle pin, which is worn by Congressmen, Ambassadors, and military service members. Woodruff even invited Perrotte to attend the White House Correspondents Dinner as his guest! Virginia Congressman Don Beyer and Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax were there to congratulate Perrotte upon accepting the deed for the home, which is in Hampton, Virginia.

 

Our (Cartoon) President Addresses Press and Awardees at White House Correspondents Dinner

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RJ Fried and Tammy Haddad at the Bloomberg pre-party

Showtime’s Our Cartoon President made a special appearance at the White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday, April 28th to serenade the New York Times’ Maggie Haberman. The segment also featured cartoon versions of MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, and White House Correspondents’ Association president Margaret Talev.

Along with producers RJ Fried and Stephen Colbert, “Our Cartoon President” is executive produced by Chris Licht, the executive producer of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and Executive Vice President of special programming at CBS.

Washington Gathers at the 25th Annual White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch to Award Army Veteran a House

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The hosts of the White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch honor the NS2 serves’ program graduates

Washington’s top names, media icons, politicos, and celebrities descended upon Katharine Graham’s Beall-Washington House, owned by brunch co-host Mark Ein and the location for scenes in Steven Spielberg’s The Post, for the 25th annual Washington Correspondents Garden Brunch to mingle, grab goodies from the donut wall, and most importantly, to honor the military service members who give their lives to protect our liberty.

Tammy Haddad, who started the Garden Brunch in her backyard 25 years ago, kicked off the proceedings by bringing out longtime Bloomberg correspondent and this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association President Margaret Talev who reminded folks that the reason they all gather is to protect the First Amendment and celebrate the hard work of journalists.

Hilary Rosen took the stage to thank a special Garden Brunch guest, Former US Navy Commander Everett Alvarez Jr., who earned a Purple Heart after being the first US pilot shot down over North Vietnam. Alvarez Jr. spent eight years as a prisoner of war, one of the longest periods in American military history.

Wells Fargo teamed up with SAP NS2 Serves and Garden Brunch hosts Tammy Haddad, Hilary Rosen and Megan Murphy, Mark and Sally Ein, Fred Humphries, Mark Testoni, Kevin Sheekey, Fritz Brogan, Franco Nuschese, and Greta Van Susteren and John Coale, to honor Ret. Army Staff Sergeant Dominic Perrotte to award the veteran, who completed 3 tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq and was wounded in 2012 when his vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb.

As part of Wells Fargo’s commitment to helping veterans, they have partnered with the Military Warriors Support Foundation’s Homes4WoundedHeroes to award Perrotte and other combat-wounded gold star families with a 100% mortgage-free home in Hampton, Virginia- yes, a home!

Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax praised Perrotte’s service and opened the frame door where Jerry Quinn, Wells Fargo’s Military Affairs Program Manager, awarded Perrotte the deed to the house along with Andrea Dellinger with the Military Warriors Support Foundation, who presented Perrotte and his wife Kayla with a flag to fly in front of their new home.

ABC News Correspondent Bob Woodruff speaking at the 2018 Garden Brunch

ABC News Correspondent Bob Woodruff, who was wounded while covering the frontline in Iraq in 2006, introduced Perrotte and awarded him with an Ann Hand eagle pin, which is worn by Congressmen, Ambassadors, and military service members. Woodruff even invited Perrotte to attend the White House Correspondents Dinner as his guest!

Woodruff praised Wells Fargo’s initiative to honor veterans and their families saying, “To date, Wells Fargo has donated over 350 homes, valued at $55 million, to veterans and gold star families in all 50 states. It’s not just about giving away homes — it’s about providing quality, long-term assistance for our veterans for many years down the road.”

Mark Testoni, President of NS2 Serves, speaking at the 2018 Garden Brunch

SAP NS2 Serves President Mark Testoni brought the 17 graduates from this year’s NS2 Serves program, which places vets in an intensive training program to place them in high tech jobs, to the stage where they each received the Garden Brunch Champions of Freedom Award.

Representative Don Beyer introduced the graduates and thanked the veterans in attendance. “My district is home to over 50,000 veterans and active duty men and women. I’m proud to represent a district with such a strong ethic of service, the same devotion shown by all these individuals before you today. My father is a Korean War vet, and I am deeply committed to caring for those who sacrifice to protect our freedoms.”

Testoni encouraged others to join him in his mission to train and hire vets, “We’re proud of the work we’ve done at NS2 Serves and we want to reach more people and touch more lives. That’s why I’m asking stakeholders, companies, anybody that wants to give back to the veteran’s community to join me in the next month at Dog Tag Bakery to explore how we can help integrate NS2 serves programs across platforms and partner with organizations to bring high tech jobs to vets.”

The bipartisan crowd included administration officials Kellyanne Conway and former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, Representatives Darrell Issa, Debbie Dingle, Don Beyer, and notables Ali Velshi, Ambassador Roy Hand, Alison Starling, Ambassador Charles Rivkin, Anna Palmer, Audrey Gelman, Bill Knapp, Brian Stelter, Chrys Kefalas, Daniel Lippman, Don Lemon, Dr. Carla Hayden, Franco Nuschese, Frank Luntz, Fred Humphries, Fritz Brogan, General John Campbell, Gloria Calderon Kellett, Greta Van Susteren, Heather Podesta, Hilary Rosen, Jack Evans, James Hong, Jeremy Bashd, David Adler, Jill Zuckman, Joaquin Castro, John & April Delaney, John Coale, Jonathan Karl, Jordan Klepper, Juju Chang, Kevin Baron, Laura Gray, Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax, Madchen Amick, Margaret Talev, Mark & Sally Ein, Mark Testoni, Matt & Mercedes Schlapp, Mayor Muriel Bowser, Megan Murphy, Megan Smith, Michael Avenatti, Richard Schiff, Robert & Elena Albritton, Sally Quinn, Stephanie Ruhle, Steve Clemons and Andrew Oros, Amy Weaver, Erick Kuhn, Steve Howey, Sunny Hostin, Tara Setmeyer, Ted Johnson, Ted Olson, Tekedra Mawakana, Timothy Lowery, Tina Tchen, Tommy McFly, Valerie Jarrett and Laura Jarrett, and Zach Leonsis.

Five Memorable Moments From White House Correspondents’ Dinner History

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The White House Correspondents’ Dinner has generated its share of funny, unexpected and uncomfortable moments over the years. Following are five memorable highlights that played a role in cementing the dinner as a legendary annual event.

1. The George W. Bush and Ozzy Moment
The year was 2002 and the unified spirit that enveloped Washington in the wake of the 9/11 attacks still lingered as the masses gathered at the Washington Hilton for the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner. President George W. Bush was at the dais, along with several of his cabinet members and other administration officials. The featured entertainment for the evening was comedian Drew Carey and celebrities including Harrison Ford and Christie Brinkley were in attendance. But heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne, a guest of Fox News host Greta Van Susteren, was the real draw of the event. His MTV reality television show, “The Osbournes,” was capturing the attention of the country, and even President Bush couldn’t resist the pull of America’s sudden and most unlikely celebrity. “The thing about Ozzy is he’s made a lot of big hit recordings,” Bush said as he gave the singer a shout-out during his remarks. “’Party With Animals,’ ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,’ ‘Face in Hell,’ ‘Black Skies’ and ‘Bloodbath in Paradise’…Ozzy, mom loves your stuff.” Osbourne responded by standing on his chair, arms raised and shouting as the audience howled and applauded.

2. Bill Clinton’s Farewell
The Clinton presidency had its share of drama, and at his final White House Correspondents’ Dinner in 2000, President Bill Clinton was determined to prove he hadn’t lost his sense of humor. Known for being more effective than most at leveraging pre-produced videos, starting with the “Man From Hope” bio produced for his 1992 campaign, Clinton rolled out the tactic one more time for the 2000 dinner. Casting the president as a down-and-out lame duck who has been deserted by nearly everyone in the White House, including his Senate-bound wife, the video showed Clinton aimlessly roaming the halls of the executive mansion, giving press briefings to a sleeping Helen Thomas and pruning shrubs. Still, the president found joy – and success – by the end of the video: discovering eBay, launching golf shots at political opponents’ cars and finding a way to cheat the vending machines for some free ice cream. The crowd of reporters, editors, business leaders and celebrities in the room roared their approval.

3. Stephen Colbert’s Scolding
The mood of the 2006 White House Correspondents’ Dinner was tenser than President Bush’s first dinner in 2001. Cast in the shadow of the ongoing war, the President tried to set the tone by poking some fun at himself alongside Bush impersonator Steve Bridges (who served as Bush’s “internal voice”). However, the post-dinner buzz was focused on Stephen Colbert’s stinging indictment of both the president and the press. Appearing in character, Colbert started out by likening himself to the president, alluding to the perception that both made decisions from their “gut,” not beholden to the “reality” based “factinista.” He then turned his sights on the press, which, as an entity, had recently come under withering criticism for its coverage of the buildup to war. Colbert explained the “rules” of covering the president: “The president makes decisions. He’s the decider. The press secretary announces those decisions and you people of the press type those decisions down. Make, announce, type. Just put them through a spell-check and go home. Get to know your family again. Make love to your wife. Write that novel you’ve got kicking around in your head. You know, the one about the intrepid Washington reporter with the courage to stand up to the administration? You know – fiction.”

4. Obama Takes on Trump
While best known as a reality TV personality in 2011, Donald Trump was also raising his political profile. One of the ways he was doing this was by vocalizing his support of the “birther” movement that questioned the legitimacy of President Obama’s birth certificate. Dipping his toes in the political waters at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Trump would quickly find himself in the spotlight. As President Barack Obama launched into a roast of Trump that lasted several months, Trump stared straight ahead with a stern look on his face. The presentation included Obama’s “official birth video” (footage from the Lion King), and then Seth Meyers continued lambasting Trump with his own series of jokes. While Trump had hinted at running for president many times over the last few decades, some people suggest this may have been the moment that spurred him to launch his campaign.

5. Reagan Dials Into the Dinner
Donald Trump wasn’t the first Republican president to miss a White House Correspondents’ Dinner. In 1981, Ronald Reagan wasn’t able to attend the annual event, but not for political reasons. He was still recovering from the assassination attempt made on his life just weeks before – at the same location. However, he did phone into the dinner to offer his thanks and brief remarks for the attendees. His advice for the dinner crowd: “When somebody tells you to get in a car quick, do it.” White House Press Secretary James Brady’s wife, Sarah, was in attendance, and Nancy Reagan got on the phone to share a moment. “Sarah, you remember those days in the hospital when you and I had many conversations. And we both agreed that you and I, from now on, had a bond that was very special and that nobody could ever break…I know that both our fellows are going to make it, and I send you and Jim all my love.”

Bloomberg’s Washington Bureau Fêtes Margaret Talev

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Margaret Talev and Andrea Mitchell at Bloomberg’s Washington Bureau, Photo Courtesy of Haddad Media

Bloomberg Washington Bureau Chief Craig Gordon gathered government officials, media, and Washington influencers to celebrate one of Bloomberg’s own, White House Correspondent Margaret Talev, at Bloomberg’s Washington Bureau on Tuesday, April 10th. As this year’s president of the White House Correspondents Association, she has had the difficult task of leading the press pool that covers President Trump and negotiates access. Talev, as head of the WHCA, is leading this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 28th.

Talev spoke at length about the importance of the First Amendment and encouraged the crowd to talk to their friends, colleagues, and family about the principles and foundations of a free press.

Craig Gordon, a veteran news manager who became Bloomberg’s DC bureau chief in 2017, praised Talev’s reporting and applauded her for choosing to lead the White House Correspondents’ Association at such a tumultuous time. 

Tom Forrest and Meredith Balenske, Photo Courtesy Haddad Media

Guests included White House aides Kellyanne Conway, Sean Spicer, and Hogan Gidley, as well as media powerhouses Steve Clemons, Andrea Mitchell, David Bradley, Daniel Lippmann, Polson Kanneth, and Sam Feist. Washington influencers included Neera Tanden, Ryan Williams, Grover Norquist, Frank Coleman, and David Chavern. Business was well represented by Danielle Burr of Uber, Tom Forrest of Shinola, Meredith Balenkse of Revolution, and Robin Sproul of Javelin. Bloomberg’s top executives and reporters Jason Schechter, Emily Chang, Ty Trippett, and Laura Zelenko were also there to celebrate Talev’s success.

Jessica Yellin Set to Publish Novel of Newsroom Intrigue, Savage News

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Jessica Yellin with Wolf Blitzer and Dan Pfeiffer, Photo Courtesy Haddad Media

Veteran Washington Correspondent Jessica Yellin will bring her years of experience to her first novel, Savage News, set to be published next year. Let’s hope she tells some insider stories!

Yellin was a correspondent for ABC News, MSNBC, and most recently CNN as their chief White House Correspondent, covering the biggest political stories of the last 15 years.

Page Six has learned some details about the novel’s plot. “Natalie Savage, fights to report on serious news at a network driven by a ratings-obsessed boss…as she investigates a scandal involving the foreign-born US first lady…against a backdrop of institutional sexual harassment.”

When asked whether the book contains any characters based on real people in newsrooms she has worked at, Yellin says this: “I’ll just say this is a work of fiction.”

You can read the full Page Six report here.

Mike Allen Talks to Parkland Shooting Survivor David Hogg Ahead of March for Our Lives

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David Hogg and Mike Allen, Photo Courtesy Axios

Mike Allen interviewed Marjory Stoneman Douglas student and school shooting survivor turned activist David Hogg on Friday, March 23rd, one day before the March for Our Lives gun control protest set to take place on in Washington, DC and around the country. They discussed the march, his activism, and his role in becoming a leading voice in the gun control debate.

Hogg states that, after the shooting, Marjory Stoneman is “like a prison” since last month’s shooting with the increased police presence and security measures. He added that “law enforcement are some of the hardest working individuals in the country,” and that, “we need to realize that there are serious issues not only at the FBI and Broward County Sheriff, but with politicians too who are responsible for government agencies.”

Allen asked about Hogg’s take on the way the media covered the shooting and the movement that has sprung up in its wake. Hogg’s biggest takeaway was that the media did not reach out to African-American students in the same way that it reached out to white students. “My school is about 25% black, but the way we’re covered doesn’t reflect that.”

Watch the full interview here.

The March for Our Lives is set to take place in Washington, DC and other cities around the country on Saturday, March 24th. You can learn more about the march here. 

NBC to Air Hope & Fury: MLK, The Movement, and the Media Doc on Saturday

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NBC is set to premiere a landmark new documentary Hope & Fury: MLK, The Movement, and the Media this Saturday, March 24th. The film takes a look at the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through the lens of his relationship with television and will mark the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination. It traces the civil rights movement from its grassroots origins to the present day, mixing iconic footage from anti-segregationist marchers with present-day activists and protesters.

Narrated by NBC anchor Lester Holt, the film reveals just far America has come and how far it has yet to go in dealing with race.

You can catch Hope & Fury: MLK, The Movement, and the Media on NBC on March 24th at 8pm and on MSNBC on March 25th at 9pm.

For more great interviews with civil rights leaders, listen to the What It Takes podcast series, which features revealing interviews with icons from Oprah Winfrey to Rosa Parks. Check it out on iTunes here.

News Media Alliance CEO David Chavern Applauds Google’s New Fake News-Combatting Initiative

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David Chavern, President & CEO of News Media Alliance

CNBC brought in News Media Alliance President and CEO David Chavern on Wednesday, March 21st, to discuss Google’s new campaign to root out disingenuous news sources from its feed. Dubbed the Google News Initiative, the company plans to invest $300 million over the next three years to accomplish its three stated goals: amplify accurate reporting and fighting fake news especially with developing news events, help quality news sites increase their revenue, and creating tools that can help journalists report more accurate news.

Chavern, who is the former US Chamber of Commerce Executive VP and CEO is excited by the announcement but states that, “Until we see real economic return for real, quality journalism I’m going to temper my enthusiasm.”

Google trying to take on very difficult problems in their own way: News Media Alliance CEO from CNBC.

The capability of differentiating real news from fake news has been the hot-button issue in tech this year and Google has taken the lead in combating the spread of misinformation. Chavern states that Google’s new subscription tool “Subscribe with Google”, which is designed to make it easier to follow trustworthy news outlets, is a “serious” step in the right direction.

Heather Podesta’s Invariant Taps Eric Rosen to Lead Tech Practice

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Invariant’s new tech leader,
Eric Rosen

Policy advocate Eric Rosen has joined Invariant, the newly created bipartisan government relations firm, as the leader of its technology practice. Before joining Invariant, Rosen was Senior VP for Global Government Affairs at Herbalife Nutrition.

Invariant CEO Heather Podesta said in a statement, “I am excited Eric is rejoining Invariant. Our longstanding clients know what an asset he will be to their efforts and new clients will appreciate Eric’s creativity, tenacity, and political savvy. He was by my side at the firm’s beginning, left to run a successful global government relations effort for a client, and returns with insight and expertise on how best to service clients.”

Rosen is a longtime colleague of Heather Podesta, having worked at Heather Podesta + Partners for eight years. He also served as counsel to then-Senator Joe Biden on the Senate Judiciary Committee.