Comedian, Kenan Thompson, will host this year’s White House Correspondents dinner. Considering all the drama that the administration has created since 2017, a bit of comic relief will be a welcomed change of pace. The Saturday Night Live comedian and actor will host the dinner which typically has about 2600 attendees.
Thompson is off to a great start for 2020. He recently was named the new Universal Parks and Resorts spokesperson . Universal Studios is located in Orlando, Florida and is the same place where Thompson spent time filming as a cast member of All That at Nickelodeon Studios.
The White House Correspondents dinner is a chance for politicians, media, and celebrities to interact while enjoying a well put together meal. Since the creation in 1944, there has been a variety of different hosts and entertainers for the annual event. Thompson will follow in the footsteps of comedian Richard Pryor who hosted the WHCD in 1968 as its first solo host.
The comedic veteran will host alongside Netflix’s Patriot Act host Hasan Minhaj. Minhaj also participated as an entertainer for the dinner in 2017.
The White House Correspondents Association President Jonathan Karl said, “Kenan and Hasan are two of the most engaged and engaging entertainers in America. I’m thrilled they’ll help up celebrate the role of a free press in our democracy.”
In previous years, there have been a few comedians whose jokes have not gone over well. When hosts used the opportunity to air their grievances with the active administration, the crowd usually goes silent. In 2006, staffers of the Bush administration walked out of the dinner after Stephen Colbert joked about Bush’s 32% approval rating and poked fun at Fox News and other media outlets.
President Trump has chosen not to attend the dinner in the past and there is no word yet on whether he will attend this year.
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner will take place on April 25th in Washington D.C.