Biden delivers a message to the press: ‘Rise up to seriousness of the moment,’ know what’s ‘at stake’

President Biden called on the press to “rise up to the seriousness of the moment” on Saturday at the White House Correspondents Dinner and said while he wasn’t calling on the media to take sides, he wanted reporters to “focus on what’s actually at stake.”  

“I’m sincerely not asking you to take sides, but asking you to rise up to the seriousness of the moment,” Biden told the press. 

“Move past the horse race numbers and the ‘gotcha’ moments and the distractions and the sideshows that have come to dominate and sensationalize our politics, and focus on what’s actually at stake,” Biden said. “I think in your hearts, you know what’s at stake.”

Biden said those stakes couldn’t be higher. 

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“Every single one of us has roles to play, a serious role to play, in making sure democracy endures,” he said. “In the age of disinformation, credible information that people can trust is more important than ever,” he continued. 

The president took some shots at former President Donald Trump during the dinner, and made some jokes about his own age. 

“Yes, age is an issue, and I’m a grown man running again a six-year-old,” Biden said, referring to Trump.

Pro-Palestinian protesters were also present outside the event, as they shouted “Shame on you!” and “Free Palestine” at attendees walking in. 

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Comedian Colin Jost hosted the dinner and made some quips about the president, in addition to several jokes about Trump and other Republican politicians. 

“Like many of you here tonight, I pretend to do news on TV. My ‘Weekend Update’ co-anchor Michael Che was going to join me here tonight but in solidarity with President Biden, I decided to lose all my Black support,” he said, referring to his “Saturday Night Live” role as a co-anchor of “Weekend Update.”

“I love Washington. Last time I was here I left my cocaine at the White House. Luckily President Biden was able to make good use of it at his State of the Union,” Jost said, making a reference to the cocaine discovered at the White House.

Biden also called on Vladimir Putin to release Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been in Russian prison since March 29, 2023. 

“Putin should release Evan,” he said at the dinner. “We are doing everything we can.”