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Colin Jost’s April 27, 2024, White House Correspondents’ Association dinner set mixed sharp jokes about politicians and the press with a closing tribute to his grandfather and a defense of press freedom. “Best” is subjective: Vogue and The Washington Post each chose highlights, rather than publishing a definitive ranking. Here are some of the lines they singled out, with the context that makes them land.
What was the setting for Jost’s set?
Jost headlined the annual dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., on April 27, 2024. President Joe Biden also spoke at the event; the American Presidency Project’s archive of Biden’s remarks records his speech at 8:12 p.m. The dinner is more than a night of political humor: the WHCA says it is the association’s main source of revenue, supporting journalists covering the president, public education about the First Amendment and a free press, and journalism scholarships.
Vogue reported that demonstrators protesting the Israel–Hamas war gathered outside the hotel. That tense backdrop formed part of the evening’s context, but it was not the subject of Jost’s entire performance.
Which jokes stood out?
The highlights below reflect selections by Vogue and The Washington Post, not a measured audience ranking. Jost’s references were tied to the 2024 political moment, so jokes about the campaign and Trump’s trial should be understood in that historical context.
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“Nerd prom” and Matt Gaetz
Jost used the dinner’s familiar “nerd prom” nickname as a setup for a jab at Rep. Matt Gaetz. Vogue selected the line as a highlight; the transcript captures the longer version and the room’s reaction. It is a compact example of the evening’s approach: begin with a knowing description of the press gathering, then turn it into a political punchline.
Trump’s trial and Biden’s age
Jost contrasted Biden staying awake late with Donald Trump appearing to fall asleep during his criminal trial. The joke played on two subjects that dominated the 2024 campaign conversation—Biden’s age and Trump’s court case—rather than making a general claim about either man. Its timing is essential: it was a campaign-season punchline, not a comment on a later election or current political conditions.
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The New York Times and Wordle
“Wordle is here! Sorry, I mean the New York Times. I forgot they do stuff in addition to puzzles,” Jost joked. The line teases the paper’s association with its games, especially Wordle, by pretending the puzzle is more recognizable than the journalism. Vogue included it among its picks; in the transcript it appears within a broader run of jokes aimed at news organizations.
Cocaine, Biden, and high-speed rail
One of Vogue’s and The Washington Post’s selections has Jost say that a fictional reference to cocaine is actually Biden’s enthusiasm for high-speed rail. The joke turns an absurd image into a gag about policy enthusiasm. It is not a factual allegation about Biden or a report of an actual incident.
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Jokes aimed at the wider media and political world
The Washington Post’s roundup also highlighted jokes involving a juror conceit, Doug Emhoff, Jost’s “Weekend Update” co-anchor Michael Che, Fox News, The Washington Post, and congressional email. Its broader account of the set describes targets including Biden, Trump, TikTok, Fox News, the Post, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vaccine stance. These lines broaden the set beyond the most widely repeated one-liners: Jost was teasing the institutions and media habits surrounding the political news, as well as the politicians themselves.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How did the set end?
Near the close, Jost shifted from topical jokes to a story about his grandfather, William Kelly, a Staten Island firefighter who helped raise him. Jost says Kelly was 95 and jokes about his ability to use stairs; then he recounts that Kelly voted for Biden because Biden was a decent man. The personal anecdote leads into a more earnest point about decency, freedom, political humor, and journalists’ role in protecting that freedom. It gives the set a tonal turn rather than ending on another campaign punchline.
Among the lines that bridge the jokes and the seriousness is Jost’s observation, “This may be the worst time in history to be a print journalist.” In the transcript, he follows it with a joke about this being the best time to be a courtroom sketch artist.
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Where can you read or watch the full performance?
- Rev’s transcript of Jost’s remarks provides the set’s wording and timestamps, including the closing section. As with any transcript, a disputed word is best checked against the recording.
- C-SPAN’s complete video of the remarks lets viewers hear the delivery, pauses, audience response, and shift in tone near the end.
- Vogue’s selected jokes and The Washington Post’s roundup offer two editorial sets of highlights. Neither should be read as an objective ranking.
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