'I'm running against a six-year-old': Biden roasts Trump at star-studded dinner
US leader Joe Biden roasted his presidential opponent Donald Trump at the White House correspondent's dinner, while pro-Palestinian protesters chanted 'shame on you' outside
Joe Biden poked fun at Donald Trump at the annual White House correspondents' dinner, in front of a crowd of journalists, celebrities and politicians.
Biden, like most of his predecessors, used the glitzy annual White House Correspondents' Association banquet, to jab at his rival ahead of the election.
Biden began his roast, on Saturday night, with a direct but joking focus on Trump, calling him “sleepy Don,” in reference to a nickname Trump had given the president previously.
"I'm a grown man running against a six-year-old," he joked about his and Trump's age.
Despite being similar in age, Biden said, the two presidential hopefuls have little else in common.
“My vice president actually endorses me,” Biden said. Former Trump Vice President Mike Pence has refused to endorse Trump’s reelection bid.
The president then made a grim speech about what he believes is at stake this election, saying that another Trump administration would be even more harmful to America than his first term.
“We have to take this serious - eight years ago we could have written it off as ‘Trump talk’ but not after January 6,” Biden told the audience, referring to the supporters of Trump who stormed the Capitol after Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 election.
Biden's star-studded dinner party guests were met with chants of "shame on you", as they arrived at the White House.
Hundreds of protesters outraged over the mounting humanitarian disaster for Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
They condemned Biden for his support of Israel's military campaign and Western news outlets for what they said was under coverage and misrepresentation of the conflict.
Inside the party Biden’s speech, which lasted around 10 minutes, made no mention of the ongoing war or the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
He followed the jokes with solemn warnings about what he said would happen if Trump won the presidency again.
Biden also called for the release of the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich who's been detained in Russia for over a year.
"Putin should release Evan also immediately. Just we're doing everything we can," Biden said.
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