In a Rare Move, Biden and Harris — and Their Spouses — Will All Attend the White House Correspondents' Dinner
The White House confirmed the news to PEOPLE, noting that it'll be the first time in seven years that a president, vice president and both spouses are each present at the star-studded event
In a rare occurrence, President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff will all attend the White House Correspondents' Association's annual dinner in April, PEOPLE has learned.
The White House confirmed the news Wednesday, noting that it will be the first time each of the four key figures in an administration are present at the event since 2016, when the Obamas and Bidens both attended (prior to that, the president, vice president and their spouses were all in attendance in 2006 and 2009).
The annual correspondent's dinner traces back to 1921 and has historically been attended by members of the association as well as high-ranking government officials — including the president and first lady. But it's rare that the president, the first lady, the vice president, and the vice president's spouse all attend at once.
Related:The Daily Show's Roy Wood Jr. to Headline White House Correspondents' Dinner
This year's dinner, which takes place on April 29, will be hosted by Daily Show correspondent and podcast host Roy Wood Jr.
"It's an honor to be a part of a long-running tradition of celebrating those members of the media, who work so hard to uncover the truth, and hold our government accountable," Wood Jr., 44, said in a release announcing the news. "It will be a great night that will go down in the history books, or not, depending on which state you live in."
Last year's dinner was hosted by former Daily Show host Trevor Noah and marked a return to star-power for the gathering that had avoided entertainers in the wake of comedian Michelle Wolf's turn as host in 2018, which some critics argued went too far in mocking then President Donald Trump's cabinet.
During the first three years of his term, Trump snubbed the gathering, telling reporters in 2019 that it was "too negative." His White House staffers also began avoiding the event after Wolf's turn as emcee in 2018.
The 2020 and 2021 WHCA events were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year's event was attended by both Dr. Biden and President Biden, who noted that his appearance marked "the first time a president has attended this dinner in six years."
He then took a swipe at his predecessor by joking: "It's understandable. We had a horrible plague, followed by two years of COVID."
The annual event is held in support of the White House press corps, scholarships for the next generation of aspiring journalists and awards that highlight significant work in political journalism.
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