WATCH: Correspondents’ Dinner Host Embarrasses Biden Over Declining Black Support
Longtime SNL cast member Colin Jost poked fun at President Biden’s lack of black support during the 108th White House Correspondents’ Dinner, drawing a few uncomfortable groans from assembled corporate reporters.
“My ‘Weekend Update’ co-anchor, Michael Che, was going to join me here tonight, but in solidarity with President Biden, I decided to lose all my Black support,” Jost said.
COLIN JOST: “My Weekend Update co-anchor, Michael Che, was going to join me here tonight — but in solidarity with President Biden, I decided to lose all my Black support” pic.twitter.com/YG0DvqFSFC
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 28, 2024
While president Biden himself laughed at the joke, a number of reporters appeared to be uncomfortable. Biden’s declining popularity among black voters has been well documented in a number of recent polls. According to a Gallup poll conducted this past February, the share of black voters identifying the Democratic Party as their preferred political party has declined by a whopping 20 percentage points.
Black voters formed a major part of President Biden’s winning coalition in 2020.
While Jost did take a few jabs at President Biden’s age and unpopularity, he also dawned over him at numerous points. In one joke, Jost implied that Biden’s economy is actually excellent, a sentiment the public has not agreed with according to months of polling data.
“Everything feels strange now. By a-lot of measures, President Biden is having a very successful first term, but people don’t seem to realize it,” Jost told the room full of elitist reporters and celebrities. “Like with the economy; the vibes are bad but the numbers say it’s strong.”
He went on to compare it to President Biden’s frequent stumbles while boarding Air Force One as the crowd largely stayed silent.
COLIN JOST: “The economy is kind of like [Biden] on the steps of Air Force One” pic.twitter.com/OgP8qi7mOS
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 28, 2024
Jost also claimed that his late grandfather had been apolitical his whole life, but decided to vote for Biden in 2020. “He voted for you,” Jost told Biden, “and the reason that he voted for you is because you’re a decent man. My grandpa voted for decency, and decency is why we’re all here tonight.”
Wow. Very moving words from Colin Jost at the White House Correspondents Dinner tonight “My grandfather voted for you in the last election he ever voted in. The reason he voted for you is because you’re a decent man. I thank you for your decency.” Amazing. pic.twitter.com/ivcdsMyg04
— Harry Sisson (@harryjsisson) April 28, 2024