What was perhaps Biden’s best joke at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner involved the Kevin McCarthy tapes and Mickey Mouse.
Video of Biden:
The President said:
And folks, I’m not really here to roast the GOP, that’s not my style, besides, there is nothing I can say about the GOP that Kevin McCarthy hasn’t already put on tape.
At the same time, a lot of people say the Republican Party is too extreme, too divisive, too controlled by one person. They say it’s not your father’s Republican Party. Ronald Reagan say tear this wall down! Today’s Republicans say, tear down Mickey Mouse’s house! And pretty soon, they’ll be storming Cinderella’s castle, and you can be sure of it. Republicans seem to support one fellow. Some guy named Brandon. He’s having a really good year! And I’m kind of happy for him.
Biden made a couple of serious points with these jokes that came toward the close of his remarks. The Kevin McCarthy tapes aren’t going away. Even if McCarthy does end up becoming Speaker, he will have no credibility with anyone.
The decline of the Republican Party from fighting to end the Cold War to attacking Mickey Mouse symbolizes how far they have fallen and how little they have to offer the country.
The right needs to understand that the Brandon thing they have going isn’t doing what they think it is doing. It is not bothering Biden. He is joking about it. They are the butt of the joke.
One can debate whether or not the WHCD needs to continue. No one seemed to miss it during the pandemic. It could go away or turn into a scholarship presentation, and few people outside of DC would care. Still, it has given presidents who were smart enough to use it a platform to have a little fun and show off their sense of humor while making some serious political points.
It was a return to normal for the WHCD and a job well done by President Biden.
Mr. Easley is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
