White House Correspondents Insider

Behind the scenes of the most powerful city in the world — Washington, D.C. — and those who cover it.

Archives for April 2018

Michelle Wolf Ruffles Feathers at White House Correspondents Dinner

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Michelle Wolf roasts the President and White House administration officials at this year’s White House Correspondents Dinner

Michelle Wolf’s divisive stand-up routine at this year’s White House Correspondents Dinner has stirred tensions on both sides of the aisle for her comments on White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and other administration officials. According to a review by the New York Time’s Michael Grynbaum, Wolf’s performance “took unflinching aim at some of the notables in the room — and quickly opened a divide, largely but not entirely along partisan lines, over the limits of comedy and comity under a president who rarely hesitates to attack the press.”

After Wolf’s performance, the White House Correspondents Association issued an apology, “Last night’s program was meant to offer a unifying message about our common commitment to a vigorous and free press,” White House Correspondents Association President Margaret Talev wrote. “Unfortunately, the entertainer’s monologue was not in the spirit of that mission.”

For her part, Wolf is unapologetic about the response her performance received, tweeting “Thank you!” to a statement made by former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer calling her comments “disgraceful”.

Virginia Congressman Don Beyer Awards NS2 Serves Graduates at White House Correspondents Garden Brunch

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Mark Testoni, of NS2 Serves, and Rep. Don Beyer handing a Garden Brunch Champions of Freedom Award to an NS2 graduate at the 2018 White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch

The 25th annual White House Correspondents Garden Brunch brought together Washington politicos and Hollywood A-listers to recognize veterans and their contributions to our democracy including SAP NS2 Serves, a non-profit dedicated to helping veterans by providing valuable IT training and employment assistance at absolutely no cost to the veterans.

“At NS2 Serves, we are all about Boots to Suits,” said NS2 president and CEO Mark Testoni. “These veterans and their families have sacrificed so much for their country — they deserve our support.”

Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) joined Testoni on stage at the Garden Brunch to present this year’s NS2 Serves graduates with the Garden Brunch Champions of Freedom Award.

“I’m so proud to be here with you to honor the contributions of these veterans and military families,” said Beyer, whose father is a Korean War veteran. “My district is home to over 50,000 veterans and active duty men and women, and 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.”

In just four years, NS2 Serves has celebrated ten graduating classes totaling over 200 students, giving graduates and their families the benefits of quality, skilled-based employment in technology fields. Every graduate from this year’s class has been hired by Deloitte.

The Garden Brunch is proud to support NS2 Serves and its commitment to providing skills training and high-tech jobs to veterans.

Here’s All The Big Stars Who Attended This Year’s White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch

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The annual White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch brings together Hollywood stars, politicians, and of course, the brightest lights of Washington media, and this year’s 25th anniversary was no different.

Stormy Daniels’ attorney Michael Avenatti was spotted at the brunch as well as celebrities like HBO Ballers star Richard Schiff, Gloria Calderon Kellett showrunner Netflix’s One Day at a Time, and The View co-host Sunny Hostin.

Among the Trump administration and White House officials in attendance were Senior Advisor to the President Kellyanne Conway, Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley, and former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.

Pollster Frank Luntz, political advisor Bill Knapp, Heather Podesta, and American Conservative Union head Matt Schlapp and his wife, White House Director of Strategic Communication Mercedes Schlapp were among the politicos seen at the brunch.

The bipartisan crowd featured members of Congress from both sides of the aisle including Representatives Darrell Issa, Debbie Dingell, Don Beyer, Joaquin Castro, and John Delaney.

Government officials included Virginia Lieutenant Gov. Justin Fairfax, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, DC Councilman Jack Evans, DC Senator Paul Strauss, and Dr. Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress.

Comedians Jordan Klepper, the host of Comedy Central’s “The Opposition”, and RJ Fried, the executive producer of “Our Cartoon President”, a segment of which made it into the program at the White House Correspondents Dinner, were also in attendance.

News Leaders included Fred Ryan, publisher of the Washington Post, Craig Gordon, Bloomberg DC Bureau Chief, Sam Feist, CNN Bureau Chief, and Andrew Morse, President of CNN Digital.

A handful of TV hosts including ABC Correspondents Bob Woodruff and Juju Chang, Brian Stelter, Don Lemon, MSNBC analyst Heidi Przybyla, Washington Post reporter and host of PBS Washington Week Robert Costa, and MSNBC hosts Ali Velshi and Stephanie Ruhle joined the fun.

Making the rounds were media stars Margaret Talev, the veteran Bloomberg White House Correspondent and WHCA President, MSNBC’s Peter Alexander and his wife Alison Starling, CNN Political Director David Chalian and CNN reporters Jeff Zeleny and Jim Acosta, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist from the Washington Post Philip Rucker, ABC White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl, The Atlantic’s Steve Clemons, Politico’s Daniel Lippman and Anna Palmer, MSNBC national security analyst Jeremy Bash, Fresh FM Tommy McFly, and Defense One’s Kevin Baron.

Notables included MPAA President Charles Rivkin, President of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Patricia Harrison, Ted Olson and Lady Booth Olson, General John Campbell, Abbe Lowell, Valerie Jarrett, Ambassador Lloyd and Ann Hand, Sally Quinn, The Wing co-founder Audrey Gelman, Executive Director of Wikimedia Katherine Marler, David Adler, Robert & Elena Allbritton, Ryan Williams, Facebook’s Erin Egan and Rachel Whetstone, Zach Leonsis, co-owner Monumental Sports, Washington Wizards and Ed and Deborah Lerner Cohen, co-owners of the Washington Nationals, and Tina Tchen of the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund.

This year’s Brunch co-hosts were Mark and Sally Ein, who own the Beall-Washington House where the brunch took place, Greta Van Susteren and John Coale, Tammy Haddad, Hilary Rosen and Megan Murphy, Kevin Sheekey, Fred Humphries, Franco Nuschese, and Fritz Brogan.

25 Years of Celebrating Causes and Journalism at the White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch

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It started as an intimate gathering in my backyard in the Palisades in 1993, 25 years ago. I created the Garden Brunch as a way to gather friends from New York and LA who were in Washington for the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

The first Garden Brunch was a salute to a longtime friend and colleague Stephen Rivers, a Hollywood publicist and political activist well known to politicos on both sides of the aisle and Washington reporters. After the invites went out, I was surprised by the amount of RSVPs we received from legends like Tim Russert to Bush 41 White House aide Anna Perez as well as many TV and print journalists.

Late into the party I got a call on my house phone. A voice on the line said, “A secured package is on the way.” A few moments later none other than Barbra Streisand walked in accompanied by the great songwriters Marilyn and Alan Bergman. There were no cameras or paparazzi in those days.

We soon realized the gathering had so much political wattage that we should use this platform to help others while celebrating great Washington journalism. We decided to bring in more than just the country’s top anchors and reporters, but also activists, celebrities, and government leaders, to advocate for their causes.

As part of the weekend, the Garden Brunch has always been about celebrating the free press. And we aim to stay true to our original goal of creating a gathering space for journalists, politicos from both sides of the aisle, and celebrities to mingle prior to the main event. The brunch also provides an opportunity for many of the new faces making their White House Correspondents’ Weekend debut to meet their dinner sponsors.

The Fourth Estate has been well represented at the Garden Brunch. Guests have included Greta Van Susteren, Rupert Murdoch, Wolf Blitzer, Arianna Huffington, David Gregory, Andrea Mitchell, Bret Baier, April Ryan and Gayle King.

Over the years, the event has maintained a bipartisan spirit as presidential administrations have come and gone and the brunch crowd has continued to grow.

One of my all-time favorite moments from the Garden Brunch has to be getting the opportunity to introduce Captain Richard Phillips, who had been captured by Somali pirates, to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who had coordinated his rescue at sea. Another favorite was watching Matthew Morrison, the star of Glee, joining the hottest boy band of the year, The Jonas Brothers, to advocate for finding a cure for epilepsy.

In 2011, the event moved to its new location, the historic Beall-Washington House in Georgetown, the former residence of Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham. Mark and Sally Ein, who have since become co-hosts of the event, now own the home which was the location of many scenes in Steven Spielberg’s film, The Post.

Celebrity spotting at the Brunch doesn’t disappoint. The biggest stars of the day that have been invited to Washington, DC for the weekend often make a pre-dinner appearance at the Garden Brunch.

Since 2017, the dinner has been a lower-key affair due to the change in the White House, which has translated to fewer celebrities making the trek to Washington. Notable guests at the Brunch in recent years have included cast members from HBO’s VEEP, Helen Mirren, Bryan Cranston, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Tony Goldwyn, the cast of Netflix’s House of Cards, Bridget Moynahan, Gerard Butler, Lindsay Lohan, Elle Macpherson, Kerry Washington, Rosario Dawson, Kris Jenner and Woody Harrelson. Luminaries and business leaders have included Travis Kalanick, Joanna Coles, Kevin Plank, Biz Stone, Eric Schmidt, Sheila Johnson and Yuri Milner.

My favorite guests have always been Greta Van Susteren and her husband John Coale. You know her as a TV host, but she is the most loyal friend and has always brought in interesting celebrities who helped us draw attention to our causes. Over the years she has brought everyone from Kim Kardashian and Todd Palin to Lindsay Lohan and Kris Jenner.

Other Garden Brunch co-hosts over the years have included Hilary Rosen, Alex Castellanos, Steve McMahon, Kevin Sheekey, Anita Dunn, Bill Knapp, David Adler, Franco Nuschese, Steve and Jean Case, Constance Milstein, Fred Humphries and Rupert Murdoch’s then-wife Wendi.

The brunch has honored several prestigious organizations in its 25 years with a focus on causes that are making a significant difference in people’s lives. Recently, that list of organizations has included CURE Epilepsy, The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood, Blue Star Families, Dog Tag Bakery, Yellow Ribbons United, and NS2 Serves.

This year, we highlighted Wells Fargo’s veteran home donation program and NS2 Serves’ veteran training and hiring programs. The biggest surprise of the event came when ABC News Correspondent Bob Woodruff presented 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.

Other individuals and organizations have been acknowledged for their contributions as well. In 2017, Democracy Fund president Joe Goldman received the Visionary Award for his work in supporting independent journalists. At the 2015 Garden Brunch, American Sniper widow, Taya Kyle, received the Champion Award for her work on behalf of veterans’ families. We are proud to be the only White House Correspondents Weekend event to highlight a non-journalism cause.

Because it’s a brunch, the food being served is very important and the spread at past events has created buzz of its own. From Katherine Kallinis and Sophie LaMontagne of Georgetown Cupcakes, who always donate their finest cupcakes, to the popular donut wall, to specialty cocktails, to the necessary espresso bar that keeps guests buzzing through the weekend, the food at the Garden Brunch has often been the talk of the town.

We also attempt to have fun with social media while spreading the word about important causes. Guests have been invited to write their thoughts on Microsoft PPI displays. Zignal Labs has shared real-time analytics about #WHCD chatter through stunning visualizations on multi-screen displays. A livestream of the event has been broadcast online and also covered by C-SPAN. And guests are always encouraged to share their experiences using the #GardenBrunch and #WHCD hashtags.

It’s an honor to host the Garden Brunch and to be part of this exciting weekend of putting a spotlight on the importance of journalism in America. The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is a special event, and I speak on behalf of my co-hosts in saying that we look forward to being part of the celebration again next year.

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.

25th Annual White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch

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On Saturday, April 28, the 25th Annual White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch will honor our military veterans who have served the nation at the highest level.

We owe our veterans a great debt, and one important way to give back is to ensure they have the job skills and financial independence needed following their military service.

Saturday’s event will highlight Wells Fargo’s veteran home donation program and NS2 Serves’ training and hiring programs.

The White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch is hosted by Tammy Haddad, Hilary Rosen & Megan Murphy, Fred Humphries, Mark & Sally Ein, Mark Testoni, Greta Van Susteren & John Coale, Fritz Brogan, Franco Nuschese, and Kevin Sheekey.

Follow the conversation on social media at #GardenBrunch, @WHCInsider, @WellsFargo, @NS2Serves and #NS2ServesVets.

2018 WHCD Party List

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There won’t be a shortage of ways to have a good time for the journalists, politicians and celebrities in Washington, D.C. this weekend for the 2018 White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Following is a running list of events scheduled to take place.

Thursday, April 26

  • Washington Women in Journalism Awards (Story Partners and Washingtonian)
  • Great American White House Correspondents’ Dinner Party (The Daily Caller, Entertainment Software Association, International Franchise Association, National Beer Wholesalers Association, Conservative Partnership Institute)
  • Bytes & Bylines (Irish Ambassador’s Residence hosted by Allen Gannett, Eric Kuhn, John McCarthy, Susanna Quinn, Jon Steinberg)

Friday, April 27

  • Toast to the First Amendment (RealClearPolitics, National Restaurant Association, Beer Institute, Distilled Spirits Council)
  • A Celebration of America’s Journalists (United Talent Agency)
  • “Come Together” Washington (British Ambassador’s Residence)
  • Right to Bear Arts (Creative Coalition)
  • Capitol File Party
  • White House Correspondents’ Jam at The Hamilton

Saturday, April 28

  • White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch (Tammy Haddad, Kevin Sheekey, Hilary Rosen, Fred Humphries, Mark and Sally Ein, Mark Testoni, Greta Van Susteren and John Coale, Fritz Brogan, Franco Nuschese)
  • 2018 White House Correspondents’ Dinner
  • Atlantic Media and CBS News’ Reception
  • No Tie Party (Playboy)
  • NBC News and MSNBC After Party

Sunday, April 29

  • Correspondents’ Brunch (Thomson Reuters)
  • Political Hangover Brunch (CNN)

Wells Fargo donates mortgage-free homes to combat-wounded veterans and Gold Star families

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Representatives from Wells Fargo will attend the 2018 White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch. The event will highlight their efforts to donate mortgage-free homes to combat-wounded veterans and Gold Star families through the Military Warriors Support Foundation’s (MWSF) Homes4WoundedHeroes program. A special announcement will be made on stage during the brunch.

As part of the Homes4WoundedHeroes program, veterans and their families enroll in a three-year financial literacy and family mentorship training program through MWSF and receive the deed to their home upon successful completion. Mentors help them make budgets, manage their finances, and get ready to become homeowners, and also help navigate the many challenges of transitioning to life outside the military.

To date, Wells Fargo has donated over 350 homes, valued at $55 million, to veterans and Gold Star families in all 50 states.

Watch the following video to learn more about the program.