Biden vows to fight for Americans ‘wrongly detained’ abroad at correspondents’ dinner

Comedian Roy Wood, Jr. packed his White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner punchlines with barbs aimed at President Biden and the “king of scandals” former President Trump, while also roasting Tucker Carlson, Don Lemon and GOP lawmakers including Rep. George Santos (N.Y.). But, he struck a serious tone when saying much of the public can’t afford some of the media’s “most essential, fair and nuanced reporting.”

“I think you left some of your classified documents up here,” Wood, the night’s headliner, quipped to Biden as he shuffled some papers on the dais at Saturday’s dinner, a reference to Department of Justice officials finding materials with classified markings at the commander in chief’s Delaware home and in a former office earlier this year.

The “Daily Show” correspondent followed Biden’s remarks at the dinner, throwing out jokes to a sold-out ballroom of journalists, lawmakers and celebrities at the annual Correspondents’ soiree at the Washington Hilton hotel.

“The often overlooked purpose of tonight’s dinner… is to award scholarships to students who have shown great achievements in journalism,” Wood said.

“I’d like to stop right now and congratulate tonight’s top scholarship recipient: Arizona State senior George Santos,” he said of the House freshman, who’s facing multiple investigations for lying about his background.

But the 44-year-old comic quickly turned his attention to two of TV’s former biggest stars, Fox News’s Tucker Carlson and CNNs’ Don Lemon. Both personalities were dropped by their respective employers within less than an hour of each other earlier this week.

“Tonight we are all unified under one thing, and that’s scandal,” Wood said. “Scandals have been devouring careers this year.”

Mentioning Carlson’s firing to cheers from some in the crowd, Wood said, “Some people are celebrating, but to Tucker’s staff I want you to know that I know what you’re feeling. I work at ‘The Daily Show,’ so I too have been blindsided by the sudden departure of the host of a fake news program,” he said. Trevor Noah exited “The Daily Show” in December.