Biden, 81, at White House correspondents' dinner as millions watch

• U.S. President Joe Biden gave an election-year roast on Saturday night at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner 
• At the century-old event, hundreds of journalists, politicians and celebrities rub elbows in a massive hotel banquet hall
• It often features friendly jabs from the president in a closing speech that takes aim at reporters and other guests in the audience

President Joe Biden delivered an election year roast at the White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday making fun of his age and firing barbs at Donald Trump.

‘It’s been a year since I delivered the speech and my wife, Jill told me she was worried how I’d do,’ Biden began.

‘I  told her, “Don’t worry. It’s just like riding the bike” She said that’s what I’m worried about,’ Biden joked, in a reference to him falling off his bike two years ago during a summer vacation in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

Biden, 81, wasted no time in getting to this November’s election which sees the two oldest candidates running in American history. Trump will be 78 by the time election day rolls around.

‘Course the 2024 elections in full swing and yes age is an issue,’ Biden said. ‘I’m a grown man and I’m running against a six-year-old!’

President Joe Biden delivered an election year roast at the White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday making fun of his age and firing barbs at Donald Trump

U.S. President Joe Biden reacts as host Colin Jost speaks to him

The president spoke  as millions will tuned in to see whether Biden was able to get through his White House Correspondents’ Association dinner speech gaffe free.

At the century-old event, often referred to as Washington’s ‘nerd prom,’ hundreds of journalists, politicians and celebrities will rub elbows in a massive hotel banquet hall at the Washington Hilton Hotel.

It often features friendly jabs from the president in a closing speech that takes aim at reporters and other guests in the audience.

This year it will be hosted by Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost.

President Joe Biden, left, and Kelly O’Donnell, WHCA president and Senior White House correspondent for NBC News, attend the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner

President Biden will be speaking on Saturday night as millions will tune in to see whether he is able to get through his White House Correspondents’ Association dinner speech gaffe free

People demonstrate in support of Palestinians in Gaza, during a protest outside the annual White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington

A growing movement against the war in Gaza has dogged Biden this year including at a $250-per-ticket March fundraiser at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, where protesters disrupted the event for the U.S. handling of the crisis in Gaza.

Recently, that movement has expanded to college campuses in the U.S., signifying a growing revolt inside the Democratic base that Biden needs to defeat Republican frontrunner and former President Donald Trump.

Demonstrators holding banners chanted about journalist deaths in Gaza outside the Washington Hilton, the site of the annual gathering.

Hundreds of protesters encouraged journalists to boycott the event and shouted down administration officials as they entered.

Biden avoided the large protests at the front of the hotel by arriving through a back entrance, where he was greeted by smaller groups of protesters calling for a ceasefire.

Kelly O’Donnell, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, declined to comment on security measures for the dinner.

‘The safety and security of our protectees is the U.S. Secret Service’s top priority,’ said U.S. Secret Service spokesperson Alexi Worley, who declined to comment further.

Scarlett Johansson, right, waves as Lorne Michaels, ‘Saturday Night Live’ creator and producer, looks on at the White House Correspondents’  Dinner at the Washington Hilton

ice President Kamala Harris looks on during the White House Correspondents Dinner

This year it will be hosted by Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost, left. Pictured, the president and Senior White House correspondent for NBC News, listen as the Star Spangled Banner is played

Israel’s six-month old war against Hamas in Gaza, in response to the Oct. 7 attack by the militant group in southern Israel, has killed more than 34,000 people, Palestinian health authorities say, and caused a humanitarian disaster for the enclave’s more than 2 million inhabitants.

The Hamas attack killed 1,200 people in Israel, and led to 253 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

The White House Correspondents Association was founded in 1914 and has held a dinner nearly every year since 1921 to celebrate the reporters who cover the presidency and raise money for scholarships.

Read more