Joe Biden braces to get roasted at Annual White House Journalists' Dinner

Washington's political and media elites will attend the White House Correspondents Association dinner on Saturday, where US President Joe Biden will be subject to jokes and will also deliver his own. 

The event, which takes place at the same Hilton Hotel where Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981, had started to decline in popularity, first due to Donald Trump's boycott and then due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Although last year's event was relatively low-key due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year's event is sold out, with hundreds turned away after tickets ran out. Vice President Kamala Harris will also attend the event, marking a return to a tradition last observed in 2016. 

The event will include Hollywood figures, Washington politicians, and representatives from various media organisations, and a prominent comedian, "Daily Show" correspondent Roy Wood Jr, will perform.

Serious joking matter

The White House Correspondents Association dinner, an event that observes a few hours of truce between Washington's political and media elites, is an annual ritual that celebrates the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which guarantees free speech and press. 

Although, the focus is often on the jokes that are told during the event, which this year will feature President Joe Biden as both the subject and the teller. 

This year's event is completely sold out, with Vice President Kamala Harris also in attendance, marking a return to a tradition that was last observed in 2016 before Donald Trump took office. Comedian Roy Wood Jr. is set to perform and is expected to target not only Biden but also journalists, members of Congress, and Republicans eyeing White House runs. 

Biden will have his own slot to demonstrate his ability to take a joke, having recently delivered some self-deprecating remarks about his age.