White House Correspondents Insider

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

May is Military Appreciation Month at Dog Tag Bakery

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We were honored to highlight the work of Dog Tag Bakery at the 2022 White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch, and May is Military Appreciation Month at Dog Tag. To express their gratitude for those who have served our country, Dog Tag is calling on you to nominate your loved ones who are connected to the military by highlighting their service and telling their stories, including active-duty service members, veterans, spouses, children, and caregivers.

Dog Tag will select 3 winners at the end of the month to receive their very own tag in Dog Tag Bakery’s dog tag chandelier, composed of over 3,500 dog tags. Winners will receive a dog tag copy to keep at home, as well as a gift box full of bakery goodies! Submit your nominations here.

Photo Credit: Dog Tag Bakery, Inc.

But anyone can add their loved ones’ names to the chandelier, which includes a custom inscription for a military member (active duty, veteran, spouse, child, or caregiver). The dog tags hang permanently in the chandelier, with a duplicate dog tag mailed to the recipient. To participate, click here to donate!

Photo Credit: DoD Marvin D. Lynchard GS-09

All donations made throughout Military Appreciation Month support Dog Tag’s innovative and impactful fellowship programming. Gifts of all sizes will make a difference!

Thank you, Dog Tag Bakery, for your service to our veterans.

Karine Jean-Pierre to Replace Jen Psaki as White House Press Secretary

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President Joe Biden announced today that Karine Jean-Pierre will replace outgoing White House press secretary Jen Psaki, who is set to depart the White House on May 13.

Karine Jean-Pierre, Principal Deputy Press Secretary, and Suzanne Malveaux, CNN at the WHCD After Party at the French Ambassador’s residence, in Washington, D.C., on April 30, 2022. Photo credit: Mary Kouw/CBS ©2022 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Jean-Pierre’s current role at the White House is principal deputy press secretary. With her promotion, she will also serve as an Assistant to the President.

According to the White House release, “Karine is a long-time advisor to President Biden, having served in senior communication and political roles in the Biden Administration, the Biden campaign, and to then-Vice President Biden in the Obama Administration.”

The release continues: “Prior to her role on the campaign, she served as Chief Public Affairs Officer for MoveOn.org and an NBC and MSNBC Political Analyst. Jean-Pierre served as Regional Political Director for the White House Office of Political Affairs during the Obama-Biden administration and as Deputy Battleground States Director for President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign. She served as Southeast Regional Political Director for President Obama’s 2008 campaign, Deputy Campaign Manager for Martin O’Malley for President, Campaign Manager for the ACLU’s Reproductive Freedom Initiative, and Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Legislative and Budget Affairs for two members in the New York City Council.”

White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch Photos

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Teresa Carlson, Craig Minassian, Yamiche Alcindor, Bob and Lee Woodruff, Tammy Haddad Mark and Sally Ein and family, Gayle King and Stephanie Ruhle at the 2022 White House Correspondents Garden Brunch
The 27th annual White House Correspondents’ Weekend Garden Brunch on April 30, 2022 in Washington, DC. Lt. General Donna Martin and husband Tim w/ Dr. Tony Fauci and his wife, Dr. Christine Grady(Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for White House Correspondents Insider )
Ron Bonjean take a photo of rapper Fat Joe talking to Dr. Tony Fauci

View more images from the 2022 #GardenBrunch

Dr. Anthony Fauci Returns to White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch

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White House Correspondents’ Weekend Garden Brunch co-hosts were pleased to welcome Dr. Anthony Fauci and his wife Dr. Christine Grady back to the Garden Brunch. They are long-time attendees and supporters of our causes. Here he is with this year’s White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch “Courage” Award recipient Lt. Gen. Donna Martin, the first female Inspector General of the Army and previous award winner Lt. Gen. Gwen Bingham (Ret.).

WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 30: The 27th annual White House Correspondents’ Weekend Garden Brunch on April 30, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for White House Correspondents Insider )

At the outdoor location in Georgetown well wishers greeted them and took photos. Dr. Fauci announced earlier in the week that he would not attend the White House Correspondents Dinner itself. 
When the rapper, Fat Joe, approached Dr. Fauci the iPhones went up, including longtime republican consultant Ron Bonjean.

WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 30: The 27th annual White House Correspondents’ Weekend Garden Brunch on April 30, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for White House Correspondents Insider )

The Daily Mail noticed Fauci’s participation and highlighted the event. Read the story here.

View more images from the 2022 #GardenBrunch

Paramount Global’s Starry White House Correspondents Dinner After Party

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CBS, MTV Entertainment, Comedy Central, Paramount+, and Showtime, otherwise known as Paramount Global, came together to host the #ParamountAfterParty at the Residence of France with Ambassador Philippe Etienne following the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, April 30th. The star-studded affair was one of the most sought-after tickets of the weekend.

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The top brass from Paramount Global strutted their stuff as the new hosts. Bloomberg and VANITY FAIR were the longtime hosts of the After party, but this year in Paramount Global garnered an equally epic gathering of Washington’s top players and Hollywood’s beautiful people. The guest list included Diane Lane, Sophia Bush, Gayle King, Roy Wood, Jr., Billy Eichner, as well as Biden administration officials Secretary of State Tony Blinken, White House Cabinet Secretary Evan Ryan, Counselor to the President Steve Ricchetti, Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Biden Senior Advisor Mike Donilon and Senators Chris Coons (Del.) and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) and former Congressman Will Hurd (Texas) from Capitol Hill.

Paramount Global leadership was well represented by CBS president and CEO George Cheeks, SHOWTIME CEO David Nevins, Washington favorite DeDe Lea, EVP of Global Public Policy and Government Relations, co-presidents of CBS News Wendy McMahon and Neeraj Khemlani and Tom Ryan, President & CEO Paramount Streaming / Co-Founder & CEO Pluto TV.

The company owned the weekend with Comedy Central’s Trevor Noah appearing as the comedian at the dinner, CBS radio’s Steve Portnoy, this year’s President of the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell, who signed a new contract and hosts the only evening new show that originates from Washington, and Showtime Stars Corey Stoll and Desus were among the guests.

The Biden White House staff was well represented beginning with Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Evan Ryan, Steve and Amy Ricchetti, Mike and Trish Donilon, Jen Psaki, Ned Price, Anthony Bernal, Naomi Biden, Ashley Biden, Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas, Amb. Philippe Etienne, Amb. Karen Pierce, Charles Roxburgh, Karine Jean-Pierre, John McCarthy, Lina Khan, Rohit Chopra, Jessica Rosenworcel, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Sen. Chris Coons, DeDe Lea, David Nevins, George Cheeks, Neeraj Khemlani, Gayle King, Norah O’Donnell and Geoff Tracy, Diane Lane, Brooke Shields and daughter Rowan, Harry Hamlin, Roy Wood, Christa Robinson, Roy Wood, Jr., Tony Dokoupil and Katy Tur, Chris and Jenny Licht, David and Katie Leavy, Don Lemon and Tim Malone, Nathaniel Brown, Pamela Brown, Kate Bouldan, Fred and Genny Ryan, Kara Swisher, Nayeema Raza, Carol Melton, Robert Costa, Jason Isaacs, Symone Sanders, Jonathan Swan, Mike Allen, Jay Carney, John Harris, Matt Kaminsky, Matt Dornic, Jim VandeHei, Steve and Jean Case, Marne Levine and Phil Deutch, Will Hurd, Chris Krebs, Shelley Zalis, Yebbie Watkins, Liz Johnson, Daniel Koh and Amy Sennett, Senay Bulbul, Jonathan and Betsy Fisher Martin, Luke Russert, Kasie Hunt, Craig Gordon, Olivia Nuzziand Ryan Lizza, Brian Stelter, Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews, Ryan Williams, Anthony Verdugo, Nancy Cordes, Marc Adelman.

White House Correspondents’ Association to Honor First Two Black Women of the White House Press Corps

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The White House Correspondents’ Association has announced that African American Reporters Alice Dunnigan and Ethel Payne to be First Recipients of the newly created “Dunnigan-Payne Prize” named after the first two African American women to serve as members of the White House press corps.

Dunnigan-Payne Prize for Lifetime Career Achievement will be awarded on an occasional basis at the discretion of the WHCA board to recognize meritorious service throughout an individual’s career as a White House correspondent.

Alice Dunnigan in 1977, for the Black Women Oral History Project 

The namesakes of the award, the late reporters Alice Dunnigan and Ethel Payne, will be the first recipients of the prize. Their relatives will be on hand to accept the posthumous honor at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington on April 30.

Gayle King, co-host of “CBS Mornings,” will present the award at the dinner.

“This association of White House reporters has never given its due to these two pioneering WHCA members who paved the way for so many,” said WHCA president Steven Portnoy.  “We are proud to see to it that Alice Dunnigan and Ethel Payne will be forever remembered for their service to the profession and to the American public.”

Ethel Payne, Courtesy of the Styberg Library 

Ms. Dunnigan was the first African American female reporter to be credentialed at the White House in 1947.  She was joined on the beat by Ms. Payne a few years later.  Both women distinguished themselves during the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower, regularly pressing him at his press conferences – when no other reporters would – about his administration’s support for civil rights for Black Americans.

“In the face of the racism and sexism of the era, these two women fearlessly brought the concerns of their readers directly to the most powerful man in the world,” Portnoy said. “It is our honor to lift up their legacies.”

The WHCA board voted to approve the creation of the Dunnigan-Payne Prize in January 2022. Portnoy credited board members Fin Gomez and Justin Sink, whom he said were key to the efforts to bring the honor to fruition.

27th Annual White House Correspondents’ Weekend Garden Brunch Honoring the Press and Our Military Veterans Returns on Saturday, April 30th, 2022

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Washington, DC – The annual White House Correspondents’ Weekend Garden Brunch returns for its 27th year on April 30, 2022. Traditionally held on the afternoon of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, the event brings together journalists, politicians, government officials, celebrities, and other notable individuals to honor the press and America’s military veterans. See preview video here. 

The 2022 Garden Brunch co-hosts are Tammy Haddad, Mark and Sally Ein, Kevin Sheekey, Stephanie Ruhle, Yamiche Alcindor, Craig Minassian, Teresa Carlson, and Franco Nuschese.

Bob Woodruff Foundation co-founders Bob and Lee Woodruff will be presented with the White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch “Innovation” Award for their work providing resources and support to injured service members, veterans, and their families. The couple launched the foundation after Bob Woodruff, an ABC News journalist, recovered from a ​​life-threatening traumatic brain injury he sustained while reporting on the war in Iraq.

Lt. General Donna W. Martin, the first woman to serve as Inspector General of the United States Army, a position she has held since September 2021, will be honored with the White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch “Courage” Award. LTG Martin was previously the Provost Marshal General of the U.S. Army, serving as the principal military advisor to the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff of the Army on policing matters, including law enforcement, criminal investigations, and anti-terrorism. LTG Martin served in both Iraq and in Afghanistan.

The Brunch will also highlight the work of Blue Star Families, an organization committed to strengthening military families by connecting them with their neighbors, and Dog Tag Bakery, which provides a bridge from military service to the civilian world by helping veterans, military spouses, and caregivers find renewed purpose.  Brunch guests will be invited to write notes thanking service members and their families, including those deployed in response to Russia’s war on Ukraine, and pin them onto an 8-foot-tall “Honor Wall” erected by Blue Star Families.

This year’s event will be held at the historic Beall-Washington House in Georgetown, once the home of former Washington Post publisher Katherine Graham, now owned by Mark and Sally Ein.

The first Garden Brunch took place in Tammy Haddad’s backyard 29 years ago, ahead of the 1993 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. For background and interviews on the history of the White House Correspondents’ dinner and the events surrounding it, see Haddad’s podcast series, “Cone of Silence” on Audioboom or iTunes.

Photos and videos of previous White House Correspondents’ weekends and Garden Brunches can be found at WHC Insider.  

The 27th Annual Garden Brunch is made possible by the generous support of the Web3 Foundation, GM, and Flex.

Hashtag: #GardenBrunch

Photos of award recipients Bob and Lee Woodruff and LTG Donna W. Martin are attached below.

For more information, please contact: WHCgardenbrunch@haddadmedia.com 

The Annual White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch and White House Correspondents Insider (WHC Insider) are not affiliated with, or approved by, the White House Correspondents’ Association, which is a registered trademark of the WHCA.