In the absence of US President Donald Trump at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner, comedienne Michelle Wolf, who hosted the event, directed her most scathing remarks at the President’s senior staff members, most notably his Press Secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
It’s the second time in a row that Mr. Trump has opted not to attend the dinner, choosing instead to attend a campaign event in Michigan.
This unfunny “comedian” criticized the physical appearance of Sarah Huckabee Sanders. pic.twitter.com/Q92othbJ4v
— Mark Pantano (@TheMarkPantano) April 30, 2018
Ms. Wolf’s remarks were controversial and ribald, with allusions to the Stormy Daniels scandal, and even the President’s absence that night. She said at one point, “I would drag him here myself, but it turns out that the president of the United States is the one p***y you’re not allowed to grab.”
Full statement from WH Chief of Staff John Kelly as provided by @PressSec in response to @NBCNews report on Kelly ridiculing @POTUS: pic.twitter.com/aJYVyIMeYC
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) April 30, 2018
Many in the audience grew uncomfortable at Ms. Wolf’s jabs, both at the President and Ms. Sanders, as the comedienne did not even spare the Press Secretary’s appearance. “I have to say I’m a little starstruck, I loved you as Aunt Lydia in A Handmaid’s Tale. Mike Pence, if you haven’t seen it you would love it.”
In the televised version of Margaret Atwood’s dystopian bestseller, aunts are austerely dressed, grim-faced older women who taught handmaids the ways of the new order in society and punished them severely when they transgressed.
People groaned at what Ms. Wolf said about Ms. Sanders, who was only sitting a few feet away from her. Earlier that night Margaret Talev, White House Correspondents’ Association President, had thanked Ms. Sanders for her work.
Ms. Wolf also said, “I’m never really sure what to call Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Is it Sarah Sanders, is it Sarah Huckabee Sanders, is it Cousin Huckabee, is it Aunt Huckabee Sanders? What’s Uncle Tom but for white women who disappoint other white women? Ah I Know, Aunt Coulter.”
We love Sarah Huckabee Sanders !!
MAGA pic.twitter.com/GXfVjvlZFL— Mark Robbins. (@MarkRob61529464) April 30, 2018
The comedienne also made jokes about Kellyanne Conway, President Trump’s trusted advisor, and his daughter, Ivanka Trump Kushner.
Her most controversial remarks involved abortion and US Vice President Mike Pence. “Mike Pence is what happens when Anderson Cooper isn’t gay. Mike Pence is the kind of guy who brushes his teeth and then drinks orange juice and thinks, Mmm. He thinks abortion is murder. Which first of all don’t knock it til you try it. And when you do try it, really knock it, you gotta get that baby out of there.”
Ms. Wolfe’s jokes about the President involved his finances. She reasoned that Mr. Trump has heard shots fired against him concerning racism, xenophobia, incompetence and impotence, but “he doesn’t care.”
Using the call-and-response technique where she had the audience ask, “How broke is (Mr. Trump)?” She gave answers such as, “He has to fly failed business class”; ‘”He looked for foreign oil in Don Jr’s hair”; “Southwest used him as one of their engines”; and “He had to borrow money from the Russians and now he’s compromised.”
Ms. Wolfe also said that she wished Mr. Trump had attended the event. “I like making fun of people to their face … more than behind their backs, so it would have been more fun’ if Trump were in the audience.”
Former Trump aide Sean Spicer harshly criticized Ms. Wolf on Twitter, saying, “Tonight’s #WHCD was a disgrace,” while former
White House Communications Director, Anthony Scaramucci, defended the Press Secretary, tweeting, “Sarah is all class and the definition of strength, compassion, confidence and competence. She is a role model for handling nonsense and snark.”
The #CorrespondenceDinner was pure partisan politics by the media
The shameful attacks by #MichelleWolf should have been booed
But #SarahHuckabeeSanders handled it with poise and grace pic.twitter.com/vWZHATQI0T
— Robbus Deplorablus (@hickorymtnman) April 30, 2018