Skip to main content

President Obama Has His Last Laughs At 2016 White House Correspondents' Dinner

President Barack Obama drops the microphone and the line "Obama out," after his eighth and final appearance at the White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner on Saturday.i
President Barack Obama drops the microphone and the line "Obama out," after his eighth and final appearance at the White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner on Saturday.
Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images
If the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner is "nerd prom," Mr. President is the class clown.
In his final run as comedian in chief at the event on Saturday evening, President Obama closed his speech with "Obama out," and a mic drop before receiving a standing ovation from Washington's bigwigs and Hollywood.
That's right, Obama pulled a Kobe Bryant in a nod to his own retirement from correspondent dinners, and soon the White House.
In his roasting session, the president united celebrities, journalists, politicos and his potential successors by taking them down. Known for his comedic timing and one-liner delivery, Obama didn't disappoint.
He likened Hillary Clinton to an aunt who couldn't figure out how to use Facebook, and called Bernie Sanders "comrade," poking at his Democratic socialist status. And of course, Donald Trump, his main farce fodder at 2011's event:
"I am a little hurt [Donald Trump] is not here tonight. We had so much fun the last time. And it is surprising. You've got a room full of reporters, celebrities, cameras, and he says no. Is this dinner too tacky for The Donald? What could he possibly be doing instead? Is he at home, eating a Trump steak, tweeting out insults to Angela Merkel?
"There is one area where The Donald's experience could be useful, and that is closing Guantanamo — Donald knows a thing or two about running waterfront properties into the ground."
Obama had a lot to live up to since last year's event, but by the applause versus groan level, he outdid the comedian of the night, Larry Wilmore. That's not to say Wilmore didn't get some hearty applause.
"Oh, I just got a note from the president saying that if you want another drink, you should order it now because the bar will be closing down. Of course, he said the same thing about Guantanamo, so you have at least another eight years."
Obama ended his appearance on a serious note to salute the press corps, including Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post reporter was released in January month after 544 days in an Iranian prison.
Here are some of our favorite Obama jabs from the night:
"Eight years ago I said it was time to change the tone of politics, in hindsight I really should have been more specific."
"I was running on CPT, which stands for jokes that white people should not make."
"As you know, Spotlight is a film about investigative journalists with the resources, the autonomy, to chase down the truth and hold the powerful accountable. Best fantasy film since Star Wars."
"Savannah Guthrie left the White House press corps to host The Today Show. Nora O'Donnell left the briefing room to host CBS This Morning. Jake Tapper left journalism to join CNN."
And, like any true comedian, Obama turned the spotlight on himself:
"Last week Prince George showed up to our meeting in his bath robe. That was a slap in the face. A clear breach of protocol."
The White House YouTube

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Hillary Clinton Gains Double-Digit Lead Over Donald Trump in Key Battleground States

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has built up a significant lead in several crucial battleground states, according to new NBC/WSJ/Marist polling released today. Clinton has generated double-digit margins in Virginia and Colorado with 13-point and 14-point advantages over Trump, respectively. The poll also showed Clinton with leads over Trump in Florida and North Carolina. In the Sunshine State, Clinton has a 5-point edge among registered voters. In North Carolina, Clinton enjoys a 9-point advantage. Losses in these states could be devastating for Trump. The Republican nominee’s clearest path to the White House requires wins in Ohio and Florida, where Hillary Clinton has a slight lead, as well as North Carolina and Pennsylvania, where he trails by a broad nine percentage points. Trump has been plagued by controversy since his party’s convention three weeks ago, clashing with the father of a fallen Muslim soldier, refusing to endorse House Speaker...

Ten Things I Wish I Knew When I Started 'Deus Ex: Mankind Divided'

Photo: Eidos Deus Ex: Mankind Divided  is finally out today, an early embargo revealing pretty solid reviews, including my own 8/10 good-not-great score. I love the series, but I just wanted the sequel to evolve a little more than it did. With that said, what it does carry over from  Human Revolution  is welcome, and I enjoyed my time with the game overall. As always, when I get to play a game this early, I try to impart wisdom I’ve learned for those who are just starting out. This is a game where you have to make a lot of fundamental choices about both the story and which upgrade path you pick, so it doesn’t hurt to get some early guidance. There’s a lot to say, but I’ve narrowed it down to a handful of points for your consumption. Here are the ten things I wish I knew when I started  Deus Ex: Mankind Divided : 1. There Are At Least Two Ways To Do Almost Anything Deus Ex: Mankind Divided , like its predecessor, is a game about choice. ...

Bitcoin value falls off cliff after $77M stolen in Hong Kong exchange hack

Many investors holding BTC sell holdings in wake of Bitfinex hack. The value of bitcoins plummeted 20 percent after almost 120,000 units of the digital currency were stolen from Bitfinex, a major Bitcoin exchange. The Hong Kong-based exchange said it had discovered a security breach late Tuesday and has suspended all transactions. Bitfinex added that it was working with law enforcement to investigate the theft and planned to resume operations despite the hack.“We are investigating the breach to determine what happened, but we know that some of our users have had their Bitcoins stolen. We are undertaking a review to determine which users have been affected by the breach. While we conduct this initial investigation and secure our environment, bitfinex.com will be taken down and the maintenance page will be left up,” said the company on its website. It said any settlements for “open margin positions, associated financing, and/or collateral affected by the breach” will be ...