U.S. President Barack Obama joked about President Vladimir Putin and issues closer to home as he headlined the White House Correspondents' Association dinner Saturday night.
The annual tradition has the president mocking others and himself as celebrities mingle with journalists and politicians.
Obama made fun of conservative television hosts' talk about Putin's bare chest, and he joked about opposition claims that he had been born overseas instead of the U.S.
Looking ahead to a possible successor in office, Obama said it would be a lot harder for Republicans to prove that Hillary Rodham Clinton was born in Kenya.
The president also poked fun at CNN's extensive coverage of the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane. He said he was still jet-lagged from his visit in recent days to Malaysia and added, "The lengths we have to go to get CNN coverage these days!"
Obama also turned the humor on himself and his difficult 2013, including the deeply troubled rollout of the website for his health care overhaul.
First Lady Michelle Obama accompanied him to the black tie event, and Joel McHale, star of the NBC series "Community," was the dinner's featured entertainer. Celebrities attending included Sofia Vergara and the stars of Washington-centric shows like "Veep" and "Scandal."
The dinner has often come at key moments of Obama's presidency. In 2011, Obama showed up the day before special operations troops killed Osama bin Laden. Last year's dinner came nearly two weeks after the deadly Boston Marathon.
This time, the U.S. and Europe are anxiously watching Ukraine and Russia's role in the turbulence in the eastern region of the former Soviet state.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
