RUSH TRANSCRIPT Endorses me ░░░░░░░░ and applause The president ░░░░░░░░ a good night Hi ░░░░░░░░ everybody It s 5 ░░░░░░░░ now in New York ░░░░░░░░ s one of the ░░░░░░░░ traditions about Washington For ░░░░░░░░ night at least the ░░░░░░░░ of the United States ░░░░░░░░ and then tries to ░░░░░░░░ assembled members of the ░░░░░░░░ press The annual White ░░░░░░░░ correspondents dinner is one ░░░░░░░░ the symptoms one of ░░░░░░░░ signs of a healthy ░░░░░░░░ democracy A one night ░░░░░░░░ hiatus from the normal ░░░░░░░░ opportunity to suspend those ░░░░░░░░ formal aspects of the ░░░░░░░░ between a president and ░░░░░░░░ news media It s ░░░░░░░░ coming together At its ░░░░░░░░ the president doing everything ░░░░░░░░ celebrates and honors the ░░░░░░░░ press Behind the levity ░░░░░░░░ there was something darker ░░░░░░░░ darker undercurrent if you ░░░░░░░░ and a point that ░░░░░░░░ president had to make ░░░░░░░░ it was more profoundly ░░░░░░░░ Because at this exact ░░░░░░░░ next year depending what ░░░░░░░░ in November seven months ░░░░░░░░ now we can t ░░░░░░░░ for certain that there ░░░░░░░░ even be a White ░░░░░░░░ correspondents dinner or even ░░░░░░░░ free press or even ░░░░░░░░ White House press corps ░░░░░░░░ You don t have ░░░░░░░░ have one Could be ░░░░░░░░ norm Trump blows up ░░░░░░░░ stakes of the 2024 ░░░░░░░░ are a living breathing ░░░░░░░░ of this year s ░░░░░░░░ House correspondents dinner It ░░░░░░░░ up in the jokes ░░░░░░░░ up in the inherent ░░░░░░░░ between President Joe Biden ░░░░░░░░ in the room and ░░░░░░░░ coup plotting openly autocratic ░░░░░░░░ of himself Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ wants to replace him ░░░░░░░░ ever hilarious superstar Colin ░░░░░░░░ of weekend update on ░░░░░░░░ night live finished his ░░░░░░░░ on a serious note ░░░░░░░░ well He told a ░░░░░░░░ about why his grandfather ░░░░░░░░ President Joe Biden s ░░░░░░░░ voted for Biden My ░░░░░░░░ a Staten Island firefighter ░░░░░░░░ for you Mr President ░░░░░░░░ He voted for you ░░░░░░░░ the last election that ░░░░░░░░ ever voted in I ░░░░░░░░ sure someone else will ░░░░░░░░ twice in this election ░░░░░░░░ his name But that ░░░░░░░░ just how the democratic ░░░░░░░░ works Laughter He voted ░░░░░░░░ you and the reason ░░░░░░░░ he voted for you ░░░░░░░░ because you re a ░░░░░░░░ man Decency President Joe ░░░░░░░░ meanwhile finished his remarks ░░░░░░░░ a serious note as ░░░░░░░░ Watch The defeated former ░░░░░░░░ has made no secret ░░░░░░░░ his attack on our ░░░░░░░░ He said he wants ░░░░░░░░ be a dictator on ░░░░░░░░ one And so much ░░░░░░░░ He tells supporters he ░░░░░░░░ their revenge and retribution ░░░░░░░░ in god s name ░░░░░░░░ you ever heard another ░░░░░░░░ say something like that ░░░░░░░░ he promised a bloodbath ░░░░░░░░ he loses again We ░░░░░░░░ to take this seriously ░░░░░░░░ years ago we could ░░░░░░░░ written it off as ░░░░░░░░ Trump talk But no ░░░░░░░░ Not after January 6th ░░░░░░░░ tonight I d like ░░░░░░░░ make a toast To ░░░░░░░░ free press To an ░░░░░░░░ citizenry To an America ░░░░░░░░ freedom and democracy endure ░░░░░░░░ bless America I ve ░░░░░░░░ that toast a bunch ░░░░░░░░ times But it landed ░░░░░░░░ differently this year Because ░░░░░░░░ what happens in November ░░░░░░░░ months from right now ░░░░░░░░ time next year I ░░░░░░░░ not be sitting here ░░░░░░░░ might not there might ░░░░░░░░ be a White House ░░░░░░░░ dinner or free press ░░░░░░░░ our democracy fall apart ░░░░░░░░ without it The real ░░░░░░░░ looms larger A candidate ░░░░░░░░ outward disdain not just ░░░░░░░░ a free press but