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The Official Guide to White House Correspondents’ Week

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According to Politico’s Playbook today, The White House Correspondents Day Weekend is no longer a weekend. Get ready to say hello to the White House Correspondents’ Week. Here’s a complete list of the events to get you ready for the festivities. Just remember, these parties are invite-only, as reported by Playbook:

Jeff Goldblum, Emilie Livington, Robin Dearden, Bryan Cranston at the 2016 White House Correspondents’ Weekend Garden Brunch

THURSDAY: The weekend has become so crowded with high-profile parties that some organizations have moved their events to Thursday. These tend to be more civilized and casual affairs that allow you to practice your rusty social skills and get a preview of who’s in town before the historically fancier (and drunker) events that begin Friday.

6 p.m.: Washington Women in Journalism Awards. This year’s honorees include ABC’s Martha Raddatz, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Washington Post’s Kathleen Parker and NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe.

6:30 p.m.: National Geographic reception, followed by screening of “We Feed People,” a documentary about José Andrés and directed by Ron Howard. Both will be on hand for a Q&A. 

6:30 p.m.: Bytes & Bylines, hosted by the Irish ambassador. We’ve never been to a bad party hosted by the Irish, so this is a good choice to start the festivities.

FRIDAY: This has become a big night for parties, and is now dominated by two talent agencies, CAA and UTA. There are tons of smaller events all over Washington scheduled for Friday, but you’re probably having a good night if you’re shutting down the dance floor at the UTA party at 2 a.m.

5 p.m.: Vanity Fair and Power to the Patients cocktail reception.

6 p.m.: NBCUniversal shows off its new digs on Capitol Hill with Chair Cesar Conde.

6 p.m.: Motion Picture Association reception. This one has historically attracted a big Hollywood contingent. 

6:30 p.m.: CAA WHCD Cocktail Party. Always a classy affair.

6:30 p.m.: 14th annual Our Voices event hosted by Maria Teresa Kumar and Rosario Dawson. (No word on whether Sen. Cory Booker is invited.)

7 p.m.: Politics & Inclusion Dinner, which promises to “bring together 50 diverse leaders in politics and media, both established and rising stars.” This year’s hosts: CNN’s Abby Phillip and ColorComm’s Lauren Wesley Wilson. 

7 p.m.: Semafor party. Justin Smith, Ben Smith, Gina Chua, Steve Clemons and Rachel Oppenheim are hosting an informal get-together to talk about their new media venture. 

7:30 p.m.: The Creative Coalition is hosting the #RightToBearArts Gala Dinner. They promise celebrities from “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Young Sheldon” and “Barry.” 

9 p.m.: Funny or Die/People Magazine party. How it’s being pitched: “In a town filled with famously unfunny parties, Funny Or Die and PEOPLE Magazine present the funniest party this town has ever seen.” Also: “celebrities galore.”

9 p.m.: UTA Celebration of America’s Journalists.

Shonda Rhimes and Kerry Washington share a laugh at the 2016 Bloomberg Vanity Fair White House Correspondents’ Dinner After-Party 

SATURDAY:

Brunches: There’s actually only one. Known simply as “Tammy’s brunch,” this party, now in its 27th year, has become as famous as the WHCD itself. Tammy Haddad, along with her 2022 co-hosts, Mark & Sally Ein, Kevin Sheekey, Stephanie Ruhle, Yamiche Alcindor, Craig Minassian, Teresa Carlson and Franco Nuschese, will be honoring ABC News’ Bob Woodruff and Lt. Gen. Donna Martin, inspector general of the Army, with special awards.

11 a.m.: The 27th Annual White House Correspondents’ Weekend Garden Brunch. A reminder from the hosts: “Aside from designated press areas, the event is off the record. We ask that you follow the same rules established by the WHCA for the dinner: No professional cameras or audio/video recorders are allowed inside the Party. Interviews are not permitted inside the event. Reporting on ‘overheards’ is strongly discouraged.” 

Pre-parties: One of the longest-running traditions of the dinner is the pre-party cocktail receptions throughout the Washington Hilton, hosted by news organizations. These often spill out into the hallways, and you can hop from one to the other. It’s typically easier to see and talk to people at these receptions than inside the ballroom itself, and you’ll get your first glimpse of interesting guests as you wander around. (One of us remembers chatting with Matt Drudge and Paula Jones at one of these back in 1998.) Here are a couple, but there are many more:

5:30 p.m.: ABC News reception, hosted by ABC News President Kim Godwin.

6 p.m.: POLITICO-CBS reception hosted by POLITICO CEO Goli Sheikoleslami and CBS News President Neeraj Khemlani.

7:30 p.m.: The White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton. 

After-parties: There are more this year than ever. The Vanity Fair party used to be the hottest ticket, but Graydon Carter canceled it in 2017, and the magazine isn’t returning this year. NBC’s shindig became the go-to destination from 2017-2019. Now, party newcomer Paramount is hosting an afterparty that is being buzzed about as the new Vanity Fair. We’ll see!

9 p.m.: Vice News’ “Break the News” party to celebrate “our friends in the field.” This one goes until 1.

9:30 p.m.: Modern Luxury DC party. Don’t worry if you didn’t go to the dinner and aren’t wearing black tie — the dress code for this one is “Cocktail Chic.”

10:30 p.m.: theGrio’s “A Seat at the Table” party celebrating Black media and April Ryan’s 25th anniversary covering Washington. Mary J. Blige is performing, and comedian Chris Tucker is hosting.

10:30 p.m.: An Evening of Magical Realism, hosted by the ambassador of Colombia. This one, billed as “an exclusive soirée,” sounds interesting. Music: Thievery Corporation’s Eric Hilton.

11 p.m.: The Paramount After Party.

11:30 p.m.: The NBCUniversal After Party. There’s no end time on the invitation, so that bodes well. 

Emma Watson mingling at the 2016 Bloomberg Vanity Fair White House Correspondents’ Dinner After-Party 

SUNDAY: You’re hungover. You were dancing late into the night with MSNBC bookers. Or perhaps you couldn’t sneak into the Paramount party and ended up at Black Whiskey until closing time. However the night went, you need a bloody mary and some eggs. The city is scattered with some smaller gatherings Sunday, but the two main events are hosted by CNN and yours truly.

10:30 a.m.: CNN Political Hangover Brunch.

11 a.m.: POLITICO Brunch.

We look forward to this week’s events and encourage everyone to stay safe!

President Biden and First Lady to Attend The White House Correspondents’ Dinner 

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President Biden and first lady Jill Biden will both attend this month’s White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Saturday, April 30th. 

Biden entering the 2016 White House Correspondents’ Dinner Bloomberg Vanity Fair after party.
Photo credit: JUSTIN BISHOP

“The @WHCA is pleased to host President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden as we honor the First Amendment at our dinner on April 30,” the association tweeted on Wednesday, announcing the president and first lady’s plans to attend the dinner. 

The dinner, which raises money for White House Correspondents’ Association scholarships and honors winners of the association’s annual journalism awards, will be the first to take place during Biden’s presidency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Past presidents have typically attended the annual dinner, though former President Trump repeatedly declined to attend. Barack Obama was the last president to attend the annual event. The WHCA is requiring guests to show proof of a same-day negative COVID-19 test and vaccination in order to attend this year’s event. 

White House COVID Coordinator Says White House Correspondents’ Dinner Should Proceed; Here’s How They’re Protecting the President 

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White House coronavirus response coordinator Ashish Jha brought smiles to official Washington’s face on Sunday when he said that the White House Correspondents’ Dinner should go ahead as planned this month, despite the local rise in COVID-19 cases.

Speaking to “Fox News Sunday” Jha said, “We are at a point in this pandemic, Mike, where I think we can gather safely. That’s the key point.” He continued, “I don’t think events like that need to be canceled. I think if people put in good safeguards, they can make it substantially safer, make sure people are vaccinated, make sure you have testing, and improve ventilation.” 

Today, The White House brought back the historic Easter Egg Roll after a two year delay due to the pandemic. Pictured are President Biden and The First Lady enjoying the festivities. Photo Source, CNN. 

“These are the strategies we have learned over the last two years, and if we implement them, do I think it’s safe for people to gather together indoors? Absolutely.” The White House Correspondents’ Association is set to host its annual dinner on April 30, the first time it has been held since the pandemic. 

White House Correspondents’ Association President Steven Portnoy, of CBS News Radio, affirmed earlier this month that the dinner would be proceeding, with a mandate that guests show a negative COVID-19 test from within 24 hours of the event.

“We are going to, as a baseline level, require every one of the 2,620 ticket holders at our event to demonstrate on Saturday, April 30, that they have tested negative on a same-day rapid test,” Portnoy told The Hill. “We’re taking it upon ourselves as an association to apply this requirement.”

Exactly how is the President being protected from the virus? The short answer is colored wrist bands. According to Politico Playbook, if you’re a White House staffer or a reporter who’s going to be close to the President, Vice President, or their subsequent spouses, you must first obtain a negative result on a Covid test. That result will get you a one-day wristband that signifies you’re clear to breathe in the oxygen of the Executive Branch. 

One technician who handles the Covid testing at the White House told Playbook that they recently added more wristband colors to the rotation. Apparently, fashion-forward staffers were getting frustrated with the lack of variety within color options.

The tech continued, adding that they’ve had press and staffers alike trying to get the gossip on what color the bands will be ahead of time, so appropriate outfits can be coordinated. Who said politicos can’t be stylish?!

George Clooney and Friends at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner After Party in 2012

The White House Easter Egg Roll is Back After a Two Year Hiatus 

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Former President Barack Obama at the 2010 Easter Egg Roll

Grab your baskets and get your Sunday best on: the White House Easter Egg Roll is back on Monday, April 18 after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Tickets to the event are lottery style, with an online application live until 10:00 AM ET on Thursday, March 31. Results will be released on April 7.

The Easter Egg Roll is the most popular publicly-attended annual event hosted by the White House, which welcomes thousands of people over the course of the day to participate in festivities on the South Lawn. 

The popular tradition dates back to 1878 when President Rutherford B. Hayes issued an order that if any children should come to the White House to roll their Easter eggs, they would be allowed to do so. Today, children and their parents alike flock to the White House South Lawn to celebrate.

The Washington Kastles Mascots at the 2011 Easter Egg Roll

The Egg Roll marks one of the first notable public White House events to return since the onset of the pandemic. In the last two years, public tours have been postponed, in addition to a dramatic scale-back of the dozens of annual holiday festivities and events.

Thursday’s Easter Egg Roll announcement also included news of rescheduled Spring Garden Tours, which are free and open to members of the public. This year’s tour dates are April 9 and 10. Earlier this month, the White House also announced that public tours will recommence on April 15.

More information about the White House Easter Egg Roll and about entering the lottery can be found here.

Biden to Hold Press Conference Amid Coronavirus Confusion and a Stalled Agenda In Congress

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Photo Source: Politico

Ahead of his one year anniversary in office, President Biden plans to hold his first formal news conference in months. Biden has remained out of the public eye this week as he prepares for just the second solo White House press conference amid slipping poll performance, 40-year record inflation levels looming, and all-time high COVID-19 cases. 

The President is seeking to  highlight his administration’s progress amid the ongoing pandemic. In announcing the press conference, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the president “looks forward to speaking directly to the American people.” 

Averages of the most recent national polls compiled by both Real Clear Politics and FiveThirtyEight put Biden’s approval at 42% and disapproval at 52%. 

Biden’s approval rating hovered in the low to mid 50s during his first six months in the White House. But the president’s numbers began to decline in August at the wake of Biden’s much-criticized handling of the U.S. exit from Afghanistan and a surge in COVID-19 cases this summer.

Biden’s approval ratings average has hovered in the low 40s and his disapproval ratings average in the low 50s since mid-October. 

But a Quinnipiac University national poll grabbed headlines last week when it measured the president’s approval at just 33%. A White House memo described the survey as an “outlier.”

However, it’s important that Biden makes this press conference. “There are times when you have to step up. This is one of them,” said David Axelrod, a former top adviser to President Barack Obama, in The Washington Post. “You have to try to shape the narrative of the last year, because you know the media and opposition will.”