Trevor Noah's best White House Correspondents' dinner jokes
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Trevor Noah, host of "The Daily Show" on Comedy Central, speaks during the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, D.C., on Saturday. Photo: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Comedian Trevor Noah brought the roast to the White House Correspondents' Association dinner as it returned for the first time in two years following a pandemic-induced break — taking aim at outlets including CNN, Fox News and Axios.
The big picture: The WHCA headliner, who also skewered political figures on both sides of the aisle, began by saying it's a "great honor" to be at "the nation's most distinguished superspreader event" — noting that NIAID director Anthony Fauci had dropped out of the event. "That should have been a pretty big sign," Noah said.
What else he's saying:
CNN was hit with several digs — starting with Noah telling dinner attendees to relax and feel comfortable. But "not too comfortable, Jeffrey Toobin," he said of the outlet's host, who apologized after being caught exposing himself while on a Zoom call.
- "Where is Jeffrey Zucker?" Noah asked of CNN's former boss, who resigned from the company in February.
- "'Jeff got fired off because he tried to keep his workplace relationship secret, which is weird, because if he really didn't want anyone to know about him, he could have just made a show about it on CNN Plus!"
"Fox News is sort of like a Waffle House," Noah said. "It's relatively normal in the afternoon, but as soon as the sun goes down. ..."
- Noah noted that the network "asked about" President Biden's son Hunter Biden.
- "I think people need to be held accountable if they’re using their dad's name to get ahead in life and I can’t think of anyone better to ask about that than Peter Doocy," he said of Fox News' White House correspondent, whose father is "Fox & Friends" co-host Steve Doocy.
On Biden, Noah said he wondered why he was picked to host this year's WHCD. "But then I was told you get your highest approval ratings with a biracial African guy standing next to you," he said, addressing the president.
- "Ever since you came into office, things are already looking up," Noah said to Biden. "Gas is up, rent is up, food is up. Everything ..."
- Biden saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot remain in power "was very upsetting to Russia, until someone explained to them that nothing that Biden wants actually gets done," Noah said.
Referring to actor Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars, Noah said he'd been a "little worried" about such an incident at the WHCA dinner.
- "What if I make a really mean joke about Kellyanne Conway, and then her husband rushes up on the stage and thanks me?" Noah said of the Trump administration counselor and her fierce Trump critic husband, George Conway.
On Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Noah said: "Who ever thought we'd see the day when a senator could be openly bisexual but a closeted Republican?"
Noah praised Axios' award-winning journalist Jonathan Swan for his interviews.
- "People are always asking how does Jonathan Swan get all these ... interviews. I'll tell you how: it's the Australian accent," Noah said.
- "An interview with Jonathan Swan is like being interrogated by a koala bear," before breaking out into an impersonation of the journalist:
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
