Controversy is not absent in the primary elections taking place in USA. President Joe Biden during a weekend event in Washington, he noted that two candidates had clinched his party’s presidential nomination, but that one was too old and mentally incapacitated for the office.
“The other one is me,” Biden joked during the annual dinner of the Gridiron Club and Foundation, an event where journalists and politicians make jokes and make fun of each other in a friendly way.
Biden launched insinuations against his rival, the Republican candidate donald trump, amid criticism that he is too old and his memory fails. The president instead highlighted moments in which Trump, 77, also appeared confused and incoherent.
“Don’t tell him anything, but he thinks he’s running against Barack Obama, that’s what he said,” said Biden, 81, who also joked that he was up long past his bedtime.
It is the first time Biden has attended the dinner during his presidency, and it comes as the November election looms and the rematch between Biden and Trump heats up. The annual bacchanal organized by the newspaper organization, now in its 139th year, dates back to 1885, when President Grover Cleveland refused. All United States presidents have attended at least one of these dinners.
Threat to democracy
Biden, however, also adopted a serious tone, speaking about what he considers a real threat to democracy if Trump, who to this day refuses to accept that Biden won the election, wins. Biden’s speech had sections that resembled his campaign speeches, in which he criticizes Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We live in an unprecedented time for our democracy,” said the president. “An unprecedented moment in history. Democracy and freedom are literally under attack. Putin is at war in Europe. My predecessor crouches before him and says ‘Do whatever the hell you want.’”
Biden then introduced Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.
“We will not bow down. They will not bow and I will not bow,” she said.
Biden, dressed in a white tie suit as usual, attended with his daughter Ashley.
The dinner is reputed to be a night of bipartisan merriment and was packed with politicians and a who’s who of Washington, including Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff, at least eight other Cabinet members and at least five members of Congress, five governors and at least five ambassadors. Leo Varadkar, the Irish Prime Minister who is in the city for the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, also attended.
Also speaking at the dinner were Michigan’s Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Utah’s Republican Gov. Spencer Cox.
Biden closed the dinner by also talking about the importance of a free press. Although he may not agree with everything the media publishes, he said he understands the need for journalism and is still working to bring home journalists Evan Gershkovich and Austin Tice, one detained in Russia and the other missing during a work trip in Syria.
“Good journalism is a mirror of society,” he said. “We need them”.
Biden and Harris were seated at the head table along with other Washington officials and foreign leaders, plus Gridiron President Dan Balz of the Washington Post. Also seated at the table were Balz’s bosses, Post executive editor Sally Buzbee and the newspaper’s owner, Jeff Bezos.
The dinner was held at the Grand Hyatt. No photographs or television were allowed.
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Source: Gestion
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