White House Correspondents Insider

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

Obama’s “Anger Translator” Keegan-Michael Key to Attend Samantha Bee’s Correspondents’ Dinner Weekend Comedy Special

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President Barack Obama delivers remarks with the help of comedic actor Keegan-Michael Key during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, D.C., April 25, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Keegan-Michael Key of “Key & Peele” fame has signed on to attend Samantha Bee’s “Not the White House Correspondents’ Dinner” event to be held on Saturday, April 29 at the D.A.R. Constitution Hall.

Key has a famous history with the White House Correspondents’ Dinner weekend, having portrayed his popular character “President Obama’s ‘Anger Translator’ Luther” alongside Obama during the President’s 2015 Dinner remarks.

Watch the clip below:

Other celebrities expected at Bee’s “Not the White House Correspondents’ Dinner” include Kal Penn of Designated Survivor, Gloria Steinem, Matt Walsh of Veep, and Padma Lakshimi from Top Chef.  Legendary singer and songwriter Elvis Costello and his band The Imposters are scheduled to perform at the after-party held at the W Hotel in Washington.

WHCD Preview: A History of WHCD’s Past

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CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan and IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde following the 2016 White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Photo courtesy Haddad Media.

Washington is heating up for the big bash, the White House Correspondents Dinner and the annual Garden Brunch to be held on Saturday, April 29th. You can whet your appetite for all things WHCD and Garden Brunch by catching up on some of our podcasts and stories from previous years.

February 2017 — Why the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Is More Important than Ever

“It’s about an opportunity to lift up good journalism, celebrate up-and-coming journalism, and celebrate the First Amendment—that’s what we’ll be doing this year. And we do encourage our member organizations to bring as many journalists as they can, because that’s what the dinner is about. It’s also about giving journalists a chance to visit with the sources they cover.”

April 2016 — 2016 Garden Brunch Video

April 2015 — Garden Brunchers Recount their First WHCD

April 2015 — 2015 Garden Brunch Video

April 2015:  Washington Insider: George Condon’s Candid History of the White House and the Press

Washington Insider’s Tammy Haddad gets a candid and humorous history of the White House and the press from George Condon, White House correspondent for National Journal and unofficial historian of the White House Correspondents’ Association.

The WASHINGTON INSIDER inaugural podcasts, White House Correspondents Weekend focus on the personalities and ambition that fuel politics, power and elections – and ultimately drive policy inside the Beltway. The first seven WASHINGTON INSIDER podcasts are timed to the upcoming 2015 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner weekend, which begins later this week.

February 2015 — Jon Stewart’s performance at the 1997 WHCA Dinner

As he announces his retirement from The Daily Show​, we take a look back at Jon Stewart’s performance during the 1997 White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

May 2014 — Garden Brunch 2014 celebrates White House Correspondents Weekend

April 2013 — 2013 White House Correspondents Garden Brunch Complete Show

April 2012 — You’re Invited to the 2012 White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch

April 2012 — Jimmy Kimmel hosts White House Correspondents’ Dinner

“Americans are in terrible shape.  You can even tell how out of shape we are by the way we protest.  We used to march.  Now we occupy.”

April 2011 — 2011 White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch

April 2011 — Seth Meyers Hosts White House Correspondents’ Dinner

April 2010 — 2010 WHC Garden Brunch for MDED and CURE Epilepsy

May 2009 — WHCI Garden Brunch 2009: Mothers Day Every Day

May 2009 — Wanda Sykes Hosts White House Correspondents’ Dinner

Elvis Costello Joins Samantha Bee’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner Weekend Comedy Special

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Elvis Costello performing in 2006. Photo by Victor Diaz Lamich provided courtesy Wikipedia.

Legendary musician and songwriter Elvis Costello, known for smash hits “Allison” and “Veronica”, will be performing with his band The Imposters at the after-party following Samantha Bee’s “Not the White House Correspondents’ Dinner” comedy special.

Bee’s event is scheduled to take place at D.A.R. Constitution Hall a few hours before the April 29th annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. She has said her event is not an attempt to “supersede” the annual Correspondents’ Association dinner, but rather an attempt to celebrate the importance of a free press.

“We just want to be there in case something happens – or doesn’t happen. And ensure we get to properly roast the president,” Bee told the New York Times in January.

Proceeds for Bee’s event will benefit Committee to Protect Journalists, according to organizers. The show will be broadcast on TBS April 29th at 10PM EST.

Your Guide to the WHCD Weekend Parties In DC

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Neve Campbell, Derrick Dockery, Emma Dockery, Tammy Haddad

Ladies and gentlemen, pull out your dance cards out to prepare for the WHC weekend! Thanks to the Washington Post, here’s your guide for all of the events surrounding DC’s big night out.

Thursday, April 27

Gloria Dittus and Cathy Merrill Williams’s kickoff — Prominent PR guru Dittus and Washingtonian magazine CEO Williams host Washington’s top (mostly female) journalists for an event honoring women in Washington. Over white wine sipped poolside at Dittus’s lovely Kalorama home, WHCD attendees swap pre-game strategies for their surviving the party-packed weekend.

Independent Journal Review — The right-tilting news site hosts a salute to “The Golden Age of Journalism” at the Carnegie Library, where the party favor will be the second annual edition of a  super-insidery mock high school yearbook featuring vintage photos of White House correspondents.

Bytes and Bylines — As the title suggests, this soiree — thrown by entrepreneurs Allen Gannett, Eric Kuhn, John McCarthy and Susanna Quinn— brings the denizens of Washington’s not-quite-Silicon Valley tech scene together with media types. This year, it’s at DTR Modern Gallery in Georgetown.

Friday, April 28

Voto Latino’s “Our Voices” cocktail reception — The organization aimed at civic engagement of young Latinos will party on at the Hay-Adams rooftop. Look for the typical mix of lawmakers, journos and celeb-tivists. (Actress Rosario Dawson is a co-founder.)

David Bradley’s welcome dinner — The Atlantic Media owner and his wife, Katherine, throw the doors of their just-off-Embassy Row mansion open (well, at least to the VIP invitees) for an intimate seated dinner.

Capitol File and the British Embassy —  Now that the Friday-night party options are more limited, this bash (where in previous years, you were just as likely to bump into a top diplomat as you were a member of the cast of “Scandal”) at the British ambassador’s residence could be an even hotter ticket.

Creative Coalition — The arts-advocacy organization is hosting a 150-ticket “Right to Bear Arts” fundraiser at Georgetown restaurant Flavio. Expect Trump’s proposed NEA cuts to be a big topic among attendees, including members of Congress from both parties, plus actors including Tim Daly, Rob Lowe and Wendy Anne McLendon-Covey.

White House Correspondents’ Jam — Actor/musician Billy Bob Thornton’s band, The Boxmasters, headline a concert at the Hamilton that features bands made up of moonlighting journalists. Thrown by Mother Nature Network, the enviro-news outlet founded by Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell, the rock-themed event is a little looser than your typical Washington reception.

Saturday, April 29

Tammy Haddad and friends’ “Garden Brunch” — The ultimate pre-game for the big event, where Washington heavyweights, corporate titans and Hollywood glitterati fortify themselves with mimosas under huge tents, is still on. Once a massive cheek-to-jowl mingle at the historic Beall-Washington House, the former home of Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham that’s now owned by businessman Mark Ein and his wife, Sally, the event is being scaled down this year. Those on the pared-back guest list will gather at the Georgetown home of Dem donor and Jefferson Hotel owner Connie Milstein.

BuzzFeed’s “Red, White and Banned” — Cool-kid media outlet Buzzfeed is taking as a badge of honor its status as one of the news orgs left out of an early White House press briefing with this dinner-alternative event at the Brixton bar in Shaw.

Assorted hotel pre-parties — The Washington Hilton’s event and conference rooms go black-tie formal for an array of small cocktail parties hosted by media outlets (including The Washington Post).

MSNBC — The after-party put on by sister networks MSNBC and NBC News usually features a rowdy dance floor and a crowd that maybe just couldn’t make it onto the Bloomberg/Vanity Fair guest list. This year, the party’s at the Organization of American States, though we’re told MSNBC host Rachael Maddow will not, alas, be bartending, as she has in previous years.

Samantha Bee’s after-party — The TBS host is taping a special edition of her show “Full Frontal” at DAR Constitution Hall the afternoon of the correspondents’ dinner. The event, where Trump will likely be roasted by Bee, a prominent critic, and some other VIP comedians, is a new entrant in the WHCD gauntlet, and so far looks to be the buzziest. (Could it be because it’s a sort-of protest event?) For pure partying, we also hear there will be an after-party for participants and friends, with specifics TBA.

Sunday, April 30

CNN’s “Hangover Brunch” — Flip cup and hair of the dog are on the menu at this ultra-casual get-together, where you’ll typically find the town’s younger journos. This year, it’s back at the Longview Gallery, and organizers promise guests will be greeted with Salty Dogs (that’s a spiked grapefruit juice with a salted rim).

Allbritton Brunch — The fancier crowd heads to the swanky Georgetown home of Politico owner Robert Allbritton and his wife, Elena, for post-morteming the weekend from the good seats.

Thomson Reuters brunch — The Hay Adams rooftop is the scene for this traditional brunch. A twist for this year? Contestants from “Top Chef” will be whipping up “politically inspired dishes.”

President Trump Won’t Meet the Press

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Jeff Goldblum, Emilie Livington, Robin Dearden and Bryan Cranston at the 2016 Garden Brunch. Photo courtesy Haddad Media.

It’s only three days until the top journalists and policymakers celebrate the white house press corps but the leader of the free world will be in Harrisburg, PA holding a rally that evening.  President Donald Trump has previously announced he will not attend this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner.  Instead, he recently announced he will host a rally in Pennsylvania the night of April 29th.

The White House would not offer details on rally details such as venue or topic.  According to Trump’s campaign website, the rally will take place in Harrisburg at 7:30 PM.

President Trump has taken an adversarial tone toward many in the mainstream media, including calling network news channels and print publications “fake news.”  No member of the White House staff will attend this year’s Correspondents’ Dinner in “solidarity” with the president.

The White House Correspondents’ Dinner will take place on Saturday at the Washington Hilton, annually drawing more than 2,000 reporters, celebrities and politicians.  Trump will be the first sitting president not in attendance since Ronald Reagan was recovering from an assassination attempt in 1981.

“The Daily Show’s” Hasan Minjah will be the featured performer at this year’s dinner, and legendary reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein will present journalism awards.  Proceeds from the dinner will fund scholarships for exceptional journalism students.

Hasan Minjah Will Host This Year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner

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By DoD News photo by EJ Hersom [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Hasan Minjah, senior correspondent on “The Daily Show” and stand up comedian, will be this year’s headline entertainment for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

In a statement, Minjah said “it is a tremendous honor to be a part of such a historic event even though the president has chosen not to attend this year. SAD!”

Jeff Mason, White House Correspondents Association president and journalist for Reuters, said in announcing Minjah’s role at the dinner:

“I am thrilled that Hasan will serve as our featured entertainer at this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Hasan’s smarts, big heart and passion for press freedom make him the perfect fit for our event, which will be focused on the First Amendment and the importance of a robust and independent media.”

Mason also said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that while President Trump will not be in attendance at the dinner, Minjah very likely will make jokes poking at both the press and the administration, but he “was not looking for someone who would roast the president in absentia.”

President Trump announced in February he will not attend this year’s dinner, making it the first time a sitting president will not be present since 1981, when Ronald Reagan was recovering from an assassination attempt. The White House later announced no staff would attend in “solidarity” with the president.

The White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner will be held on April 29 at the Washington Hilton.

Creative Coalition’s “Right to Bear Arts” Day of Advocacy and Gala Dinner White House Correspondents Dinner Weekend

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Jawbone’s Hosain Rahman, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Tammy Haddad and Tim Daly. Photo courtesy Haddad Media.

A delegation of Hollywood stars will arrive in Washington the weekend of the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner to promote and advocate funding for the arts.

The nonpartisan arts charity of the entertainment industry, The Creative Coalition will sponsor their annual gala and Advocacy Day, the “Right to Bear Arts,” the weekend of the Correspondent’s Dinner at the nation’s capitol.

Delegation members include Matt Walsh (“Veep”), Alyssa Milano (“Mistresses”), Justin Bartha (“The Hangover”), Wendi McLendon-Covey (“The Goldbergs”), Aaron Staton (“Mad Men”), Nick Sandow (“Orange is the New Black”), Denis O’Hare (“American Horror Story”) and Sarah Wayne Callies (“Prison Break”). Additional sponsors include the organization’s President actor Tim Daly (“Madam Secretary”) and Creative Coalition CEO Robin Bronk.

It had been speculated that Hollywood may sit out this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner weekend festivities as a protest against President Donald Trump. Trump announced on Twitter in February he would not attend the Correspondents’ dinner, which raises money for exceptional journalism scholarships and is a celebration of the First Amendment.

The dinner is Co-Chaired by Todd Hitt, Hitt Construction; Lori Gordon, Cardinal Health and Michael Mimeles.

The Creative Coalition was founded in 1989 by prominent members of the creative community. Its mission is to educate, mobilize and activate members on important issues in the arts and entertainment communities.

MSNBC Announces White House Correspondents’ Dinner After-Party

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Photo courtesy Wikipedia.

MSNBC will be holding an after-party at the Organization of American States immediately following the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.

Unlike other organizations and outlets that have opted not to hold celebrations surrounding the annual dinner, MSNBC has chosen to move forward with its annual tradition.

“This evening has always been a celebration of the First Amendment and developing the next generation of correspondents,” an NBC spokesperson said. “In that spirit, we’ve historically supported deserving organizations, and will do so again this year through a donation to the National Press Club’s Scholarship for Journalism Diversity.”

The New Yorker and The Hill have opted not to host events during the weekend of the Correspondents’ Association dinner this year. Vanity Fair and Bloomberg have also announced they will not host their annual after-party.

In February, President Trump announced on Twitter that he would not attend the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the first time a sitting president was not in attendance since 1981 when Ronald Reagan recovered from an assassination attempt. Last month, the White House announced no staff would attend, in “solidarity” with the president.

“The WHCA board regrets this decision very much.  We have worked hard to build a constructive relationship with the Trump White House and believe strongly that this goal is possible even with the natural tension between the press and administrations that is a hallmark of a healthy republic,” WHCA president Jeff Mason said in a statement.

The White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner will be held on April 29th at the Washington Hilton. Proceeds from the event will go toward scholarships for upcoming journalist students.

No White House Staff Will Attend Correspondents’ Dinner

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Correspondents’ Dinner place setting. Photo courtesy Haddad Media.

There will be no representative from the White House at this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. The Trump administration announced late Tuesday that White House staff will not attend this year’s Dinner out of “solidarity” with the president.

WHCA president Jeff Mason of Reuters sent a letter to the organization stating that “[t]he White House informed the White House Correspondents’ Association this evening that White House staff will not be attending this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner out of ‘solidarity’ with President Trump, who has previously announced that he would skip the event.”

The president announced on Twitter in February that he would not attend the annual dinner. But various White House figures had been rumored to be planning on attending, such as Vice President Mike Pence, Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, and Press Secretary Sean Spicer.

“Only the White House can speak to the signal it wants to send with this decision, but our signal is clear,” wrote Mason. “We will celebrate the First Amendment on April 29 and look forward to acknowledging the important work of our terrific members and awarding scholarships to students who represent the next generation of our profession.”

The White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner will be held on April 29 at the Washington Hilton. Proceeds for the event go toward scholarships for exceptional students in journalism.

Time and People Cancel Their White House Correspondents’ Pre-Party

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Time and People Magazines will not hold their annual cocktail reception the night before the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner this year.

“Time Inc. will not be hosting its annual Time/People party at the St. Regis during this year’s WHCA weekend.  As usual, Time will be participating in the WHCA Dinner,” a spokeswoman said.

The reception has been recognized as a star-studded event during the Correspondents’ Association dinner weekend.

The magazines’ decision follows other organizations’ decisions to cancel festivities surrounding the Dinner.  The New Yorker and Vanity Fair announced in January they opted not to hold their respective parties this year.  Bloomberg followed in announcing theirs cancelled in February.

President Trump announced on Twitter that he would not attend the annual dinner, held on April 29th at the Washington Hilton.  The last time a president did not attend the dinner was in 1981, when Ronald Reagan was recovering from an assassination attempt.  Reagan did send a video message.