Biden at the Correspondents' Dinner: 'I'll Talk for 10 Minutes, Take Zero Questions' (April 29, 2023)

President Joe Biden summed up his own presidency at the 2023 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, and the room laughed. “Look, in a lot of ways, this dinner sums up my first 2 years in office,” he said. “I’ll talk for 10 minutes, take zero questions, and cheerfully walk away” [1].

The joke had a basis in the record. In his four years in office, Biden held 37 news conferences, about nine a year. Donald Trump held 88 in his first term, according to the American Presidency Project’s count [2].

The video above shows the line from the April 29, 2023, dinner in Washington. Quotes are from the official transcript published by the American Presidency Project [1].

”Take Zero Questions”

The line came early in the speech, right after Biden praised the free press. “After all, I believe in the First Amendment, not just because my good friend Jimmy Madison wrote it,” he said, before delivering the line about taking “zero questions” [1].

He then nodded to the news of the week. “Yes, I know, I just announced my reelection campaign,” Biden said. “Some of you scooped that I’d announce in a video. But really, you really all thought in your heart that I’d just blurt it out, didn’t you?” [1]

“You Call Me Old? I Call It Being Seasoned”

Biden leaned into the questions about his age. “You might think I don’t like Rupert Murdoch. That’s simply not true. How could I dislike the guy who makes me look like Harry Styles?” he said [1].

“You call me old? I call it being seasoned. You say I’m ancient? I say I’m wise. You say I’m over the hill? Don Lemon would say that’s a man in his prime,” he went on. “Folks, it’s wonderful to be back here again, proving I haven’t learned a damn thing” [1].

”It Took 15 Tries”

Biden saved a jab for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. “The Speaker is trying to claim a big win this week, but the last time Republicans voted on something this—that hapless, it took 15 tries,” he said [1]. The reference was to the 15 ballots it took to elect McCarthy speaker in January, as HYGO News reported in its page on that week.

He opened the night with Thomas Jefferson: “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate … to prefer the latter” [1].

Shots at Fox News

Biden also went after the network. “Look, it’s great the cable news networks are here tonight: MSNBC, owned by NBC Universal; Fox News, owned by Dominion Voting Systems,” he said. “Last year, your favorite Fox News reporters were able to attend because they were fully vaccinated and boosted. This year, with that $787 million settlement, they’re here because they couldn’t say no to a free meal” [1].

He took a shot at Tucker Carlson, too. Listing his record, Biden said: “But the job isn’t finished. I mean, it is finished for Tucker Carlson.” When the crowd reacted, he said: “What are you wooing about like that? Like you think that’s not reasonable? Give me a break” [1].

”Journalism Is Not a Crime”

The president opened on a serious note, with the families of two Americans held abroad in the room. He spoke to the family of Evan Gershkovich, the American reporter jailed in Russia: “We—not just me—we all stand with you” [1].

He also spoke of Austin Tice, the American journalist detained in Syria. “As a consequence of Austin showing the world the cost of war, he’s been detained in Syria for nearly 11 years. It’s simply wrong. It’s outrageous,” Biden said. “Tonight our message is this: Journalism is not a crime” [1].

The Record on Questions

The American Presidency Project, which tracks every presidential news conference, counted 37 for Biden over four years: 14 regular solo conferences, one televised in prime time and 22 joint appearances with foreign leaders. That works out to 9.25 a year [2].

Trump held 88 in his first term, 44 solo and 44 joint, or 22 a year. He also logged 710 informal exchanges with reporters, compared with Biden’s 490. In the first 1.67 years of his second term, Trump had already held 19 news conferences and 457 exchanges, according to the project [2].

By the Numbers

10 minutes: how long Biden joked he talks before walking away [1].
0: the questions he joked he takes [1].
37: Biden’s news conferences in four years, 9.25 a year [2].
88: Trump’s news conferences in his first term, 22 a year [2].
490 vs. 710: Biden’s informal exchanges with reporters, compared with Trump’s first term [2].
$787 million: the Fox-Dominion settlement Biden joked about [1].

What Happened Next

Gershkovich came home. On Aug. 1, 2024, Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Alsu Kurmasheva and Vladimir Kara-Murza were released from Russia. “All told, we’ve negotiated the release of 16 people from Russia,” Biden said [3].

Biden never made it to the second term. On July 21, 2024, he announced that he would not seek reelection [4], as HYGO News reported in its page on the polls that warned Democrats.

Trump took the questions. Back in office, Trump’s 457 exchanges with reporters in under two years already approached Biden’s total for four [2].