“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” It was a tale of two cities — or words to that effect.
The April Garden Brunch in Georgetown, organized by Tammy Haddad and others, did its own re-do on Thursday, July 23 and brought that same spirit back for “The Night Before” — a reception on the eve of the reschedules White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) Dinner, honoring Weijia Jiang as she closed out her term as WHCA President.
The event was hosted by British Ambassador Christian Turner and Lady Claire Turner, Spotify’s chief public affairs officer Dustee Jenkins and Haddad of White House Correspondents Insider, at the Ambassador’s residence on Massachusetts Avenue. The gathering was also a celebration of the larger Washington press corps and included not only those covering the president, but bureau chiefs, Capitol Hill reporters and journalists from leading news organizations.
In his remarks, Ambassador Turner called White House correspondents “a very special breed of fearless people” and said, “the U.K. will always stand up for the rights and safety of journalists and the importance of independent reporting.”
Dustee Jenkins honored Weijia Jiang for her bravery at the April dinner. “She is courage under fire. She is grace under pressure,” said Jenkins of Jiang. “She is all of those things. And the correspondents are so fortunate to have had her as the representative over the last year.”
The following day, Weijia Jiang presided over “Dinner 2.0,” a smaller affair of only 600 journalists, administration leaders and diplomats.
President Donald Trump delivered remarks, mentalist Oz Pearlman returned to perform, and Jiang will officially hand over the WHCA presidency to the 2027 president, Fox News anchor and senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich. Journalism awards were presented, along with a special presentation of The President’s Award for Exceptional Service to the WHCA, honoring Secret Service Police Officer Victor Gonzales — struck at the April security checkpoint — and the staff of the Washington Hilton.
The atmosphere and conviviality of the embassy in its rooms and gardens were in sharp contrast to the larger fishbowl that it was the ballroom at the Waldorf Astoria on Pennsylvania Avenue.
The difference was not at all unexpected, but still kind of stunning. Hilarious, if you didn’t want to scream. Pathetic and insightful at the same time.
Trump at the WHCA Dinner not so abrasively said, “You people have no idea how lucky you are. When I’m gone, you’re all going to be broke. Your business model is going to be finished. No, it’s true.”
“When I’m not around, you’re going to be broke. There’s not going to be anybody to report on. Nobody gives a damn about anybody else.”
He continued with jabs at Gavin Newsom, Chuck Schumer, Elizabeth Warren and others. None of it was really new. Most of the room just sat there. A few persons got the punch line and laughed at jokes that were not very good or delivered well. Being polite, no one walked out in a protest.
At one point, the president said: “Does anybody understand this stuff? It’s far worse than I thought.”
Wow, just wow. You had to be there; glad I wasn’t.
That Thursday night at the embassy was an oasis of relaxed fun and good cheer. Ambassador Turner — who recently threw out the first pitch for the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field — said hello to just everyone at the party and is evidently a man suited for his job.
The White House will continue to be covered by journalists, we trust, but let’s be aware that there are many more aspects to D.C. for us to appreciate. Take a breath.