The White House announced on Wednesday that President Joe Biden would take added precautions while attending its Correspondents' Association Dinner this weekend at the Washington Hilton, including skipping the dining portion of the event, The Hill reported.
The president might even wear a mask throughout the speaker session, which will feature comedian Trevor Noah and recognize journalists covering the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
''He's made the decision he wants to attend, in a safe way, the White House correspondents' dinner to showcase his support for the free press, for the work of all of you, for the work of your colleagues around the world to not only share accurate information about COVID but also report on the war in Ukraine and all of the work that happens every single day,'' White House press secretary Psaki told reporters in a press briefing.
''That does stand in stark contrast to his predecessor, who not only questioned the legitimacy of the press on a nearly daily basis but also never attended the dinner, I don't believe,'' Psaki continued. ''So [Biden] felt that was important and made a risk assessment to do that in consultation with his doctors and healthcare team.''
The 2022 dinner is the first time it will be held since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago, with guests required to be vaccinated and have a proven negative test to enter.
News of Biden's decision to attend but skip the meal portion comes after Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House chief medical adviser, told The New York Times he would not attend due to an ''individual assessment'' of his ''personal risk.''
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