BS BRIEF:
- President Donald Trump’s joke comparing CNN’s Kaitlan Collins to Dylan Mulvaney during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner ignited a media backlash, with some journalists arguing the event has lost its purpose.
- The controversy quickly prompted conservatives to resurrect clips from the 2009 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, where comedian Wanda Sykes joked she hoped Rush Limbaugh’s kidneys would fail—a line that drew laughter from much of the room, including then-President Barack Obama.
MEDIA MELTS DOWN OVER TRUMP’S WHCD JOKE—BUT CONSERVATIVES REMIND THEM WHAT THEY LAUGHED AT WHEN RUSH WAS THE TARGET
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner has always billed itself as a night of jokes, political jabs and self-deprecating humor.
Unless, apparently, Donald Trump is the one telling the jokes.
The media world spent much of the weekend fuming after President Trump poked fun at CNN’s Kaitlan Collins during Friday night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, joking that he briefly thought she had landed a Bud Light sponsorship before realizing it was transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney who had appeared in the company’s now-infamous promotional campaign.
“I thought Kaitlan had really made it big with a major new sponsorship,” Trump quipped. “But then I informed her that it wasn’t her on the Bud Light can. It was Dylan Mulvaney.”
The room offered scattered laughs, long stretches of silence and plenty of uncomfortable expressions.
By the next morning, criticism from members of the press corps was pouring in.
New York Times chief White House correspondent Peter Baker suggested the annual dinner itself may need to be reconsidered.
“Our mission is to defend the First Amendment rights of White House correspondents to report on the president without fear or favor. Unfortunately, last night did not advance that cause. Time to rethink the dinner.”
CNN defended Collins following the speech, while Collins herself later emphasized the importance of press freedom and quoted Eleanor Roosevelt in a social media post reflecting on the evening. Dylan Mulvaney also responded publicly, saying she viewed the comparison as a compliment and thanked Collins for her support.
But as criticism intensified, conservatives answered with a reminder many in the media would probably prefer remain buried in the archives.
Almost immediately after journalists condemned Trump’s remarks as beneath the dignity of the Correspondents’ Dinner, old video resurfaced from the 2009 WHCD featuring comedian Wanda Sykes.
During that performance, Sykes joked about conservative radio icon Rush Limbaugh.
“Rush Limbaugh said he hopes this administration fails… I hope his kidneys fail.”
The audience erupted in laughter.
Then-President Barack Obama smiled and laughed along with many of Washington’s journalists and political elites seated throughout the ballroom.
Social media filled with side-by-side clips asking why wishing death on one of America’s most influential conservative broadcasters was considered comedy, while a joke comparing two public figures suddenly crossed an unforgivable line.
Numerous conservative commentators argued the media’s reaction wasn’t really about civility—it was about who happened to be the target.
MY TAKE:
I’ll admit something right up front.
I’m not exactly an impartial observer when Rush Limbaugh enters the conversation.
I worked with Rush for decades. I watched firsthand what he meant to tens of millions of Americans. So yes, seeing people suddenly discover their concern for “decency” after laughing at jokes wishing death on Rush deserves a little scrutiny.
That’s the issue here.
You don’t have to think Trump’s joke landed. Comedy is subjective. Some people laughed. Some didn’t. Fine.
But spare me the lecture from people who sat through Wanda Sykes joking that she hoped Rush’s kidneys would fail and treated it like it was the funniest thing they’d heard all year.
Back then there were no solemn declarations that the White House Correspondents’ Dinner had lost its soul.
There were no anguished editorials insisting the event had disgraced journalism.
No calls to “rethink the dinner.”
Apparently, the standards only become sacred when someone in the media is on the receiving end.
That’s why so many Americans have tuned out the outrage industry. It isn’t that people object to standards—they object to selective standards.
If you’re going to preach civility, at least have the courtesy to apply it evenly.
Because the internet has a long memory.
And unlike some members of the press corps, it doesn’t forget who was laughing.
DBS WIRE SOURCES:
- Twitchy — ‘Wish Squalled Wanda’: Journalists Mad at Trump Were ‘Psyked’ Over WHCD Rush Limbaugh Death Quip
- The Washington Post — Trump’s insult-laden speech to press dinner draws mostly stunned silence
- People — Trump Attacks Kaitlan Collins During White House Correspondents’ Dinner
- People — Dylan Mulvaney Shows Love for CNN’s Kaitlan Collins After Trump Attacked Both Women During WHCD Speech
- Breitbart — Trump at WH Correspondents’ Dinner Mocks ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ Press
