White House Correspondents Insider

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

Michelle Wolf warms up for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner

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Michelle WolfMichelle Wolf. Photo courtesy of Twitter @michelleisawolf.

White House Correspondents’ Dinner host, Michelle Wolf, is warming up for the annual event that will take place at the Washington Hilton on April 28.

Wolf recently shared her pre-dinner thoughts with The Hollywood Reporter. On whether or not President Trump shows up: “I’m going to say the same things, whether he’s there or not. I think it’s more fun when people are there only because I like making fun of people to their face.”

Wolf also received some advice from 2011 dinner host Seth Meyers. “He told me to be specific and that the room is terrible.”

The Daily Show correspondent and future Netflix late-night host also reacted to news that Sarah Huckabee Sanders will attend on behalf of Trump. She told The Daily Beast, “I’m just excited Sarah finally gets to go to prom.”

Read the full interview with The Hollywood Reporter: Michelle Wolf On Trump Skipping Correspondents’ Dinner and Her Netflix Late-Night Debut

Read more via The Daily Beast: Michelle Wolf Mocks Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ Attending White House Correspondents’ Dinner

Hollywood Reporter Predicts Less Action at White House Correspondents Dinner

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Don Lemon, Stephanie Ruhle, and Matt and Morgan Walsh at the 2017 White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch

Jeremy Barr, writing for the Hollywood Report today, claims that many of the media companies that traditionally host parties during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner weekend will be skipping out this year, but is that true?

According to Barr, “Representatives for Vanity Fair and Bloomberg confirmed that, like last year, the brands will not be co-hosting a party this year. A spokeswoman for The New Yorker said the magazine’s once-renowned party, canceled last year, isn’t happening this year either.” Barr could not confirm whether MSNBC will once again host their annual Correspondents’ Dinner after party.

This year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner takes place on April 28th. Tammy Haddad started The White House Correspondents Garden Brunch 25 years ago but has not yet commented on this year’s event.

You can read Barr’s full report here.

Trump Fails To Make State of the Union Ratings Great Again

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Media Post’s  

Donald Trump has been called the “ratings” President, because of his propensity to use the TV industry term to refer to his Presidential performance, and because he’s an ex-reality TV personality and producer. But based on Nielsen’s official ratings, the performance of his first State of the Union Address wasn’t exactly huge.

While it’s true that the ratings of Presidential State of the Union addresses have been trending downward in recent years, Trump’s first SOTU ranks only eighth in terms of viewers among the last 25 to be aired on the major broadcast and cable networks carrying it live, according to an analysis of Nielsen data.

Gretchen Carlson Elected Miss America Board Chair

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Gretchen Carlson was elected chairman of the Miss America Organization on Monday, January 1st, making her the first former Miss America to lead the organization. Carlson, FOX News anchor, won the Miss America pageant in 1989 representing the state of Minnesota.

In a tweet this morning Carlson said she was, “Honored to move this iconic program forward with so many amazing volunteers.”

Carlson, a former member of Miss America’s Board of Directors, is joined by three former Miss Americas, Laura Kaeppeler Fleiss (2012), Heather French Henry (2000), and Kate Shindle (1998). Donna Axum Whitworth and Phyllis George are the first Miss Americas to serve on the board over the last ten years.

Haskell Resigns as Chairman of Miss America Organization

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Statement from Dan Meyers, Interim Chairman of the Board, Miss America Organization:

“This afternoon, the Board of Directors of the Miss America Organization accepted the resignation of Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Sam Haskell, effective immediately. The Board of Directors also accepted the resignation of Chairman Lynn Weidner. At the Board’s request, Ms. Weidner has agreed to remain on the Board for up to ninety days to facilitate a smooth transition for the MAO to new leadership.

The Board thanks Lynn and Sam for many years of tireless work for, and significant financial support to, both the Miss America Organization and thousands of young women who received millions of dollars of educational scholarships from the Organization as a direct result of their efforts.”

 

Haddad Resigns From Miss America Board of Directors

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Statement from Tammy Haddad:

“After serving 14 years as a volunteer board member, early this year I notified Sam Haskell of my plans to resign. I want to advise the rest of the board that this is effective immediately and wish you all the best. The women who put their hopes and dreams into this program are the best of America, as well as those who have worn the Miss America crown, traveling the country lifting hearts and spirits through their service above self.”

Washington Media Women Toast Tina Brown

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Time Warner’s Carol Melton and Gail MacKinnon from the Motion Picture Association lead a toast to Superstar editor and author Tina Brown at The Jefferson Hotel in Washington DC. Photo courtesy Haddad Media

Journalist, entrepreneur and author Tina Brown delighted the crowd gathered at the Jefferson Hotel in Washington Tuesday evening, dishing about her experiences as a magazine editor-in-chief, highlighted in her newest book, The Vanity Fair Diaries.

Connie Milstein, Carol Melton, Andrea Mitchell, Hilary Rosen, Gail MacKinnon, Rachel Pearson and Kathy O’Hearn hosted the book party. The biggest applause of the evening came during the Q&A session led by Tammy Haddad, where she was asked her working around men accused of sexually harassing women, including Harvey Weinstein.

“The answer to creepy men is to kind of be the boss, right?… [T]he more women in power, the more women who are leading, the more women on that team, the less of these creepy, stalking harassers you’re going to encounter… I’ve been hassled in other ways, in terms of feeling like so many women feel: cut out of the action that I wanted to be in or underestimated or demeaned or whatever. I’ve had a lot of that in my career,” Brown responded.

Guests included Chris and Lorraine Wallace, former House member Jane Harman, Mac McLarty, Kevin Baron, Megan Smith, Craig Gordon, John Coale, Martha Slagle, Peter Baca, Lloyd Hand, John Phillips, Linda Douglass, Robin Sproul, and Jordanian Ambassador Dina Kawar.

“You’ll all be in my next ‘Diaries,’” she toasted party attendees near the end of the evening. “So watch out!”

You can read more about Tina’s book and the event in the Washington Post’s write-up of the celebration here.

Brown’s newest book, The Vanity Fair Diaries, was named one of the best books of 2017 by Time, Amazon and The Guardian.  It is available in print, Kindle or audiobook on Amazon.

Washington Cheers on Greta Van Susteren, Newly-Minted App Creator and Author

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Greta Van Susteren Book Party, Guests tape a group “I am Sorry” video for her SorryAPP. The Jefferson Hotel, Washington, DC

DC celebs gathered at the Jefferson Hotel in Washington, DC on Monday, November 27th to celebrate the new career path of longtime cable news staple Greta Van Susteren. Van Susteren has stayed busy since leaving MSNBC earlier this year, launching an app called “Sorry”, which is designed to give users a platform for apologies, as well as releasing her latest book, Everything You Need to Know About Social Media Without Having to Ask a Kid.

Connie Milstein, Anita McBride, and Tammy Haddad hosted the standing-room-only celebration in the Gallatin Room. Haddad, in conversation with Van Susteren, asked about the impetus for creating an apology app. “When you’re unemployed, you look for something to do. So I created an app.” The crowd roared.

Senators Amy Klobuchar and John Barrasso were seen paying respects to Roberta McCain, John McCain’s mother and brother, Joe McCain.

Greta Van Susteren Book Party Mrs. Roberta McCain, Greta Van Susteren, Joe McCain and Anita McBride, The Jefferson Hotel

Almost as popular was native Navajo Nation president Russell Begaye, fresh from his wild White House event paying tribute to the Navajo Code Readers with President Trump calling Senator Warren “Pocahontas.” White House aide Kellyanne Conway and former WH press secretary Sean Spicer mixed with Greta’s media colleagues including Wolf Blitzer, Gloria Borger, Roger Cossack, Hilary Rosen, Sam Feist, Jennifer Griffin, and Jon Decker.

Others who came to pay respects to the media legend and Van Susteren’s husband John Coale were literary agent Bob Barnett, Carol Melton, Betsy Fischer Martin, Rebecca Spicer, Ryan Williams, Ben and JoAnne Ginsberg, Heather Podesta, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and FreshFM’s Tommy McFly.

Democracy Fund’s Jessica Harris and Lauren Strayer were pleased by the enthusiasm of the media players in the room for their #GivingNewsDay awareness campaign and #Newsmatch 110 non-profit news organizations.

You can read more about Greta’s book in the Washington Post’s write up of the celebration:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/reliable-source/wp/2017/11/28/vip-pals-turn-out-to-celebrate-greta-van-susterens-new-book-and-her-app/

More coverage via The Hill:
http://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/362119-greta-van-susteren-book-release-celebrated-with-bipartisan-bash

CAROL MELTON, POWER WOMAN

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Carol Melton and Dana Bash. Photo courtesy Dana Bash.

A DC Cheer to Carol Melton, Time Warner’s Executive Vice President for Global Public Policy, for being named to Moves Magazine annual Power Women list.

Honored at a year-end celebration gala held in Manhattan on November 10th, Melton is one of 25 women chosen this year who represent Moves Magazine mission of advocating for women’s rights, social fairness and equal opportunity.

The gala was hosted by acclaimed actors, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Isabelle Huppert, and the audience was treated to a live performance from international opera star James Valenti and Michelin star dining by chef Laurent Tourondel.

Melton was chosen for leading by example and being a role model for future generations. As EVP for TimeWarner she is responsible for overseeing the Company’s policy offices in Washington, D.C., London, Brussels, Hong Kong and Buenos Aires.

Melton serves on the Board of Trustees of JBG Smith Properties (NYSE: JBGS), the Board of Directors and First Vice President of the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., as well as the Boards of start-up incubator Halcyon and the Phillips Collection. She is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

#movespowerwomen

Barbara and Jenna Hager Bush WHCInsider Interview

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Barbara Bush, Jenna Bush, Tammy Haddad. Photo courtesy Haddad Media

WHCInsider co-founder Tammy Haddad spoke with Barbara and Jenna Bush, #SistersFirst, at a book party hosted by Connie Milstein, Dr. Mark Dybul and Anita McBride at The Jefferson Hotel.

While they would not reveal the joke their father, President George W Bush whispered to President Obama at the Hurricane relief event, they twins explained why they have the best jobs in the world.

Barbara Bush is the founder of Global Health Corps, an NGO that places 216 fellows from 12 countries in positions with health organizations, such as Partners In Health and the Clinton Health Access Initiative, in Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Rwanda, Zambia, and the United States. She told Haddad they look for “rational dreamers” to join the program.

Jenna Hager Bush is a teacher, author, mother of two and Today show correspondent. She said through her reporting she was surprised by the “unexpected beauty of life.”

Both claimed Dr. Mark Dybul, who started PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, on behalf of President George W. Bush, as their inspiration for their focus on helping others.

Dybul thanked Connie Milstein for raising awareness of good works and good people.

The full interview is on the Washington Insider podcast on iTunes.