President Biden arrives at White House luncheon dinner: "American democracy is not a reality show"

"This is the first time in six years that a president has attended the dinner," Biden noted.

"This is understandable. We had a terrible plague, followed by another two years of Corona," he added, referring to the absence of former President Trump from the event during his four years in office.

News agencies

01/05/2022

Sunday, 01 May 2022, 11:21 Updated: 11:50

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In the video: Biden at a White House dinner (Photo: Reuters)

US President Joe Biden returned last night (Saturday) to host a White House dinner dinner - following the absence of an American president from the event for the past six years.

Biden, wearing a suit and a slightly crooked tie, spoke at the dinner, which was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the corona.

Biden's appearance was another step back in the White House tradition, after former President Donald Trump boycotted the event during his tenure.

"This is the first time in six years that a president has attended the dinner," Biden noted.

"It's understandable. We had a terrible plague, followed by another two years of Corona," he added.

Biden continued: "Just imagine if my predecessor in office had come to dinner this year, it could have been a real coup."

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2,600 participants (Photo: Reuters, REUTERS / Al Drago)

The dinner was attended by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and other cabinet members, as well as journalists from Seanan, MSNBC, and celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Pete Davidson, Brooke Shields and Caitlin Jenner.

The three-course meal was held in a ballroom of a hotel despite the corona.

The 79-year-old Biden was not present at the meal itself, for which participants had to be vaccinated and present a negative test from that day.

The three-course meal was held in the hotel's ballroom.

The 79-year-old Biden was not present at a meal that included 2,600 guests.

Everyone was asked to present a negative test from that day and be vaccinated.

Restore tradition (Photo: Reuters, REUTERS / Al Drago)

Biden began by saying, "Special thanks to the 42% who applauded me. I am very excited to be here tonight as the only group of Americans with a lower support rate than my own."

He joked at the expense of the conservative Fox news channel and the revelation that Mark Meduse, the White House chief of staff during Trump's tenure, exchanged more than 80 messages with Fox News presenter Sean Hanity, between November 2020 election day and Biden's January inauguration.

"Fox News, I'm really sorry their favorite candidate lost in the last election. To make up for it, I'm happy to give you my chief of staff so he can tell the Aniti language what to say every day."

Towards the end of his 14-minute speech, Biden recognized the importance of journalism to American democracy.

"American democracy is not a reality show," he hinted at Trump's "intern" reality show.

Comedian Trevor Noah, host of the Daily Show, said goodbye to Biden and said, "Please pay attention when you leave the place. We all know this administration is not coping well with evacuation," referring to the shameful withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The meal had other serious moments, including gratitude to journalists who were killed while covering whether the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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