White House Correspondents Insider

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

Hollywood Reporter Predicts Less Action at White House Correspondents Dinner

By

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.

Mike Bloomberg’s Everytown Teams Up with Parkland School Shooting Survivors to Plan March For Our Lives Protest in DC

By

Cameron Kasky, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, at a CNN town hall with Sen. Marco Rubio, Photo courtesy CNN.

Mike Bloomberg’s gun safety nonprofit organization, Everytown for Gun Safety, is partnering with the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students who have risen up in the wake of the Parkland, Florida shooting which occurred on February 14th, to promote the March for Our Lives, a protest calling for action on gun laws. The March for Our Lives takes place on March 24th in Washington, DC, with other protests being planned around the US on the same day. Join the protest in your city here.

Everytown was formed in 2014, a year after Congress debated the issue of background checks following the Sandy Hook shooting. The nonprofit was formed out of a partnership between Mike Bloomberg’s gun control initiative Mayors Against Illegal Guns, which was launched in 2006, and the grassroots movement Moms Demand Action.

Juleanna Glover Among GQ’s 50 Most Powerful in DC

By

Juleanna Glover with Karen Appleton, Rachel Pearson, Kristi Rogers at the Washington Women Technology Network Luncheon with Senator Amy Klobuchar, Photo Courtesy Haddad Media

GQ has published its list of the 50 Most Powerful People in Trump’s Washington on Thursday, February 22nd. Among the ranks of insiders and Trump-whisperers is corporate consultant Juleanna Glover.

According to GQ, “For all that talk of swamp draining, Glover—a former aide to Dick Cheney—remains a key figure where the city’s social and policy scenes meet. Her dinner parties are a refuge for establishment Republicans in a sort of exile.”

Haddad Media CEO Tammy Haddad said of Glover, “Washington still works because Juleanna is ‘fixing’ every day.”

To see the rest of GQ’s 50 Most Powerful People in Trump’s Washington click here.

 

Comedian Michelle Wolf to Headline White House Correspondents’ Dinner

By

Fred Humphries, Mark Ein, Joe Goldman, Mark Testoni, Hilary Rosen, and Matt Walsh at the 2017 Washington Correspondents’ Garden Brunch

Michelle Wolf, “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” contributor will serve as the night’s entertainment for this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, April 28th. The dinner acts as an annual gathering of the nation’s top journalists and a who’s who of government and business leaders. The event, which will be carried live on all the major television networks, will surely be Wolf’s most high-profile performance yet.

Margaret Talev, president of the WHCA and a Bloomberg White House reporter, said of the announcement, “Our dinner honors the First Amendment and strong, independent journalism. Her embrace of these values and her truth-to-power style make her a great friend to the WHCA. Her Pennsylvania roots, stints on Wall Street and in science and self-made, feminist edge make her the right voice now.”

Wolf is also set to host an as-yet-untitled weekly late-night series on Netflix, which is set to premiere this year. According to Netflix, the show “will take a break from the seriousness of late night comedy. Instead of making the news fun, she’ll make fun of everything and everybody. There will be no preaching or political agenda…unless it’s funny.” The comedian is gearing up for a big 2018, having hosted an HBO special “Michelle Wolf: Nice Lady” earlier this month.

Curious about what Washington’s big weekend is all about? Check out the links below for podcasts on all the best moments and memories.

Jon Favreau and Jon Lovett on comedy’s role at the White House Correspondents’ Weekend here.

Robin Bronk on the power of celebrity to drive policy here.

George Condon’s candid history of the White House and the press here.

You can find more coverage of the entire White House Correspondents’ Dinner Weekend here.

Uber Welcomes Danielle Burr at DC Reception

By

Justin Kintz and Danille Burr at Uber’s DC Office, Photo Courtesy Haddad Media

Danielle Burr, Uber’s head of federal affairs, hosted DC’s top influencers from politics to advocacy and media on Tuesday, February 20th at Uber’s Washington, DC office.

Justin Kintz, the head of policy and communications for Uber’s American operations, took the stage to introduce Burr and noted her policy experience including working on the Hill with Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy in the House, to working with Jon Kyl in the Senate.

Kintz also talked about Uber’s recent inroads in DC, “In addition to having a local presence here in the district, this is also our east coast hub for the US. We have our operational leaders here in the room tonight who run UberEats in the US, and who run our US operations. This is a nerve-center for Uber, our third-largest office in the country. We’re very proud of our presence here.”

Burr thanked Justin for his guidance in helping her make the transition to the company. Burr told the crowd of policy and media influencers that “there’s an opportunity here to make some change, there’s an opportunity here to grow.”

She went on to discuss some of Uber’s latest initiatives saying, “I’m thrilled to be a part of the team, whether that is to help educate drivers about human trafficking, or whether that is the work we have been doing with the National Centers for Missing and Exploited Children. There’s so many powerful things we can do with this fast, fast platform, not to mention the work that we will do on the federal level with regards to infrastructure.”

Megan Cepiak, John Coale, Rick Klein, Greta Van Susteren, Carly DeBeikes, Photo Courtesy Haddad Media

Among her Uber colleagues at the event were Raj Naik, the general manager of Uber Eats for the mid-Atlantic region, Todd Brewer, from Uber Military, Dave Marmore from the Policy team, Malcom Glenn who coordinates Partnerships, Bill Gibbons from comms, and Carly Debeikes from comms and operations.

Hill colleagues and friends included Ron Bonjean, Yebbie Watkins, Marty Reiser, Todd Inman, Grover Norquist, Yebbie Watkins, Sage Peterson, Tess Glancey, Tom Forrest, Tom Hoare, Jeff Solnet, Emily Beyer, Tom Manatos, Stephanie Cutter, Lisa Barclay, Ron Bonjean, Kathy O’Hearn, and Meredith Balenske.

Media guests included Rick Klein, David Sanger, Jake Sherman, Anna Palmer, Daniel Lippman, Patrick Steel, Alexis Williams, Sara Fisher, Dave McCabe, Craig Gordon, Steve Clemons, Greta Van Susteren and John Coale, Tony Romm, Garance Franke Ruta, Shawn McCreesh, Naomi Nix, Kevin Cirilli, Carl Cannon and Lachlan Mackay.

 

Uber Danielle Burr Reception - 2/20/18

Julia Louis Dreyfus Winning Cancer Battle

By

Julia Louis Dreyfus post cancer surgery.

The day after winning her sixth Emmy in September, Julia Louis Dreyfus announced that she was diagnosed with breast cancer and her absence has not gone without notice.

Dreyfus took to Twitter this week to show cancer isn’t going to keep her down, “Hoorah! Great doctors, great results, feeling happy and ready to rock after surgery. Hey cancer, “F*ck you! Here’s my first post op photo.”

Dreyfus returns to the set in August with HBO officially confirming the return of Veep in 2019.

Check out the post on twitter here.

NYU’s Mitchell Moss: Scorn from NYC’s Elites Fueled Donald Trump’s Presidential Ambitions

By

Mitchell Moss, NYU’s Henry Hart Rice Professor of Urban Policy & Planning, Director of Rudin Center for Transportation Policy & Management, Photo Courtesy of NYU

 

In an op-ed for Zocalo Public Square on February 6th, Mitchell Moss, the head of New York University’s Director of Rudin Center for Transportation Policy & Management, writes that Donald Trump’s political ambitions were fueled by the resentment and disdain he received from elite New York social circles.

Moss claims that Trump, the son of a Queens real estate developer, was met with derision due to his harsh style and lack of credentials or business acumen as he began developing real estate properties in Manhattan. Moss writes, “His failure to make it into the upper echelon of New York’s business community is what drove him to run for president, and that, “Trump didn’t care about being right or smart or ethical, only about being known.”

This contempt on behalf of New York’s business and philanthropic communities, Moss claims, led Trump to seek attention in the city’s tabloid papers. According to Moss, New York papers “Loved to feature Trump, in stories about his three marriages and his calls for proof of President Obama’s birth. The front page of the New York Post is the equivalent of a daily billboard, which the local radio and television news programs treat as raw material for their evening programs. Trump was a master at getting the New York Post to cover his words, his wives, and his fights with Ed Koch and Barack Obama. He became famous as someone New Yorkers loved to ridicule.”

Now that Trump’s political ambitions have paid off, “News reports now have him marveling that New Yorkers who once wouldn’t give him the time of day—like the former Goldman Sachs chieftain Gary Cohn—now work for him.”

 

Jill Zuckman Named President of SKDKnickerbocker Public Affairs for DC

By

Jill Zuckman, SKDKnickerbocker’s newest President of Public Affairs for DC

 

Public relations firm SKDKnickerbocker has named Jill Zuckman President of Washington, DC’s public affairs on Tuesday, February 6th. Jill moves to the new role from a previous stint as a Managing Director at the firm. Before joining SKDK, Jill served as Assistant to the Secretary and Director at the Department of Transportation under Ray LaHood, an Obama Appointee.

SKDK has also named five new managing directors to their ranks:

Greg Minoff, Director of the Content Studio and the head of the broad portfolio of creative advertising and digital services offered by SKDK

Cecelia Prewett, former Federal Trade Commission official who leads the firm’s Regulatory, Investigations and Litigation practice

Morgan Hook, former journalist and former chief communications officer for the State University of N.Y. and head of SKDK Albany

Stephen Krupin, former White House speechwriter for President Barack Obama and head of SKDK’s Executive Communications practice

Nell Callahan, former press secretary for Senator Jeanne Shaheen, head of the Woman’s Practice and Chief of Staff in the Washington, D.C., Public Affairs office

According to their website, SKDKnickerbocker “provides the full range of communications services, including public relations, digital communications, executive communications, litigation support, television advertising, direct mail and research.”

 

‘VEEP’ Wins Big at SAG Awards

By

The cast and producers of VEEP, Photo courtesy of Haddad Media

 

The Veeples took the stage at the 24th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, which were held Sunday evening, January 21st, as HBO’s VEEP took home the night’s biggest trophy for comedy for its sixth season, and the show’s star Julia Louis-Dreyfus won the award for best actress in a comedy. Haddad Media CEO Tammy Haddad serves as a consultant on the show.

“I was hand chosen because I play a spokesperson — I’m very well-spoken on the show and in real life,” said Matt Walsh, who plays press spokesperson Mike McLintock, on the show.

VEEP has a long list of awards, winning outstanding comedy at the Emmys for three consecutive years, while Louis-Dreyfus has won best comedy actress at the Emmys six years running!

While HBO has not announced the premiere date, VEEP’s seventh and final season is sure to be can’t-miss TV.

Michael Wolff Celebrates Fire and Fury Success At Publisher’s Upper West Side Home

By

Publisher Stephen Rubin toasts Michael Wolff at his Upper West Side Home, Photo Courtesy Haddad Media

 

From the moment its first excerpts leaked to the press, Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House was destined to be a bestseller. To top it off, on the same day that it was revealed the book will be turned into a TV series, The New York Times’ Shawn McCreesh writes in an article on Thursday, January 18th that Michael Wolff held a party in celebration of the book’s success at the Upper West Side home of publisher Stephen Rubin.

According to McCreesh, conservative firebrand Ann Coulter was in attendance, as was NPR’s David Folkenflik, CNN’s Dylan Byers, former Hollywood Reporter editor Janice Min, and Jane Friedman, the former CEO of HarperCollins.

Haddad Media CEO Tammy Haddad also made the bash, saying, “I’ve joined every other reporter in being incredibly jealous of Michael’s access.”

Read the full report from the party here.

Purchase Fire and Fury here.