Reporters Gather For White House Correspondents' Dinner

President Trump was the first president in 36 years to skip the White House correspondents' dinner, but the show went on without him.

LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:

President Trump traveled to Pennsylvania yesterday to celebrate his a hundredth day in the White House. And he reminded his cheering crowd where he could have been instead, back in a Washington ballroom with hundreds of journalists and celebrities.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: They are gathered together for the White House Correspondents' Dinner - without the president.

(LAUGHTER)

GARCIA-NAVARRO: For almost 40 years, the sitting president has joined the White House Correspondents' Association for their annual gala. It's a charity event. They hand out scholarships to aspiring journalists. But let's be honest, it's basically a televised black-tie roast.

(SOUNDBITE OF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER BROADCAST)

HASAN MINHAJ: You know, Donald Trump doesn't drink - right? - does not touch alcohol, which is oddly respectable. But think about that...

GARCIA-NAVARRO: That's Hasan Minhaj who hosted this year's event.

(SOUNDBITE OF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER BROADCAST)

MINHAJ: ...That means...

(LAUGHTER)

MINHAJ: ...Every statement, every interview, every tweet - completely sober.

(LAUGHTER)

MINHAJ: How is that possible?

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Minhaj is a self-described Indian-American Muslim kid and a correspondent for "The Daily Show."

(SOUNDBITE OF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER BROADCAST)

MINHAJ: I would say it is an honor to be here, but that would be an alternative fact. It is not. No one wanted to do this. So of course...

(LAUGHTER)

MINHAJ: ...It lands in the hands of an immigrant. It's how it always goes down.

(APPLAUSE)

GARCIA-NAVARRO: So there was programming, presidential counterprogramming and then some counter-counterprogramming.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "NOT THE WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER")

SAMANTHA BEE: Oh, my God.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Yep, that's comedian Samantha Bee who hosted her very own straightforwardly titled, "Not The White House Correspondents' Dinner."

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "NOT THE WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER")

BEE: I know it looks like we have a cash bar tonight. But as I promised you in the invitation, at a later date, I will get Mexico to pay for all your drinks.

(LAUGHTER)

GARCIA-NAVARRO: So something for everybody.

(SOUNDBITE OF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER BROADCAST)

MINHAJ: Goodnight. I love you. Thank you.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

TRUMP: Thank you. God bless you. Thank you.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "NOT THE WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER")

BEE: Play us out. Play us out. What does that mean, play us out?

(LAUGHTER)

BEE: You know what, [expletive]? [Expletive]. We'll do it live.

(SOUNDBITE OF TREME BRASS BAND'S SONG, "BIG CHIEF")

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