Good afternoon from Washington, where White House Correspondents’ Dinner weekend is in full swing.
Today and tomorrow, you’ll receive a special send of the Party Animals newsletter tracking the big weekend in the capital. Last night, Vanity Fair and CAA threw a party at the Belgian Ambassador’s residence to properly kick things off. Read on for my VF colleague Clara Molot’s party report to get a full accounting of how Gavin Newsom held court, Kalshi's Tarek Mansour snapped a selfie with CIA whistleblower-turned TikTok sensation John Kiriakou, and more color from the night. PLUS: Some exclusive photos from the bash.
But first: The town is brimming with a mix of anticipation and dread for the main event tonight, where hundreds of journalists, editors, agents, executives, and administration officials will gather in the basement of the Washington Hilton for a black-tie dinner. President Donald Trump will for the first time deliver a speech at this event honoring the press and the First Amendment.
Trump, I’m told, is planning a Castro-length speech. Typically, presidents go for around 15 or 20 minutes, delivering a few jabs at the White House press corps and a dash of self-deprecation before wrapping up with some high-minded rhetoric about the importance of the Fourth Estate.
No one expects that from Trump. I’m told he plans to deliver a speech that will last for at least 45 minutes—some say he might even go for an hour—which has the potential to turn a nominally chummy affair into a black-tie hostage situation.
Rumor has it that Trump worked with comedians to craft the speech, including Tony Hinchcliffe of Madison Square Garden rally infamy. (The White House and a rep for Hinchcliffe did not respond to a request for comment.)
At the VF party, I got chatting to Oz Pearlman, the mentalist performing tonight. He’s excited for the set and hopeful that Trump will stick around after his own speech so that Oz can perform his mind tricks on him.
If Trump does stay for the entirety of the dinner, he’ll be facing off with Pearlman and watching on as The Wall Street Journal receives an award for its reporting on the lewd birthday card he reportedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump filed a lawsuit over the story that a judge recently tossed.
Also mentioned in this issue: Bari Weiss, David Ellison, Stella Bugbee, Rebekah McCabe, Isabel Wilkinson Schor, Tammy Haddad, Sally Quinn, Hasan Piker, Laura Bush, and more.
Got tips from the weekend? Hit the Party Animals hotline: aidan_mclaughlin@condenast.com. Or text me—my personal number is 917-817-8266.
