White House Correspondents’ Association president Margaret Talev on Sunday said she regrets how comedian Michelle Wolf’s monologue has overshadowed a night that was supposed to celebrate First Amendment rights.
“My aim, and the way I sought to put together the program, was to build a spirit of unity in that room, to rally around journalism, and why it’s important,” Talev said, during an interview with CNN’s “Reliable Sources,” of the organization’s annual glitzy dinner held in Washington Saturday.
“My only regret is that to some extent, those 15 minutes are now defining four hours of what was a really wonderful, unifying night. And I don’t want the cause of unity to be undercut,” Talev continued, referring to Wolf’s comedy routine.
White House Correspondents’ Association presidents traditionally don’t vet speeches in the spirit of highlighting the significance of free speech, Talev said.
“I think that she brought to the night what she thought was important to say and that her goal may not have been press unity and everyone rallying around the room to support journalism,” Talev told CNN.
“But look I invited her and I invited her because I thought she is a talented comedian who had a message to deliver, and she did deliver a message. I delivered a message, too,” she said, adding she selected Wolf as a female comedian “on the rise.”
Conservatives Saturday night and Sunday criticized the tenor and character of the White House Correspondents’ dinner after Wolf ripped into Trump and officials in his administration.
