--- description: The title: Community's Joel McHale Headlines White House Correspondents Dinner image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9102fd8905bb8d85/69868dc8cd684872ca0947a5/488060979-1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Press, Celebrities Gather for White House Correspondents' Dinner by [Sam Frizell](/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 3, 2014 8:52 PM CUT  President Barack Obama at the annual White House Correspondent's Association Gala at the Washington Hilton hotel, May 3, 2014 in Washington, D.C. President Barack Obama at the annual White House Correspondent's Association Gala at the Washington Hilton hotel, May 3, 2014 in Washington, D.C.Olivier Douliery—Pool/Getty Images by [Sam Frizell](/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 3, 2014 8:52 PM CUT Senior government officials, celebrities and the nation’s press corps congregated in Washington D.C. Saturday for the annual dinner hosted by the White House Correspondents’ Association. Joel McHale, the star of NBC’s _Community,_ is[ the featured comedian](http://www.whca.net/ "undefined") at the dinner, where he and President Barack Obama will crack jokes for senior government officials and members of the press corps. A [smattering of other stars](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/few-movie-stars-set-attend-700688 "undefined") will reportedly be attending the event, according to the Hollywood _Reporter_, including Robert De Niro, who is promoting a documentary on his artist father, _12 years a Slave_ director Steve McQueen and actress Lupita Nyong’o, _Gravity_ director Alfonso Cuaron, and _Her_ director Spike Jonze. McHale isn’t known for political comedy, but he’s used to mocking celebrities as the host of E!’s The Soup.The White House Correspondents’ dinner has often served as a springboard for aspiring comedians, providing a national spotlight for funnymen like [Stephen Colbert](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7FTF4Oz4dI "undefined") in 2006 or Seth Meyers in 2011. The president, meanwhile, can be expected to dig into a healthy repertoire of self-deprecating jokes, and take some jabs at the right, too. At last year’s dinner, for example, he [fired off against billionaire donor Sheldon Adelson](http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/05/02/obama-will-weaponize-comedy-at-the-white-house-correspondents-dinner.html "undefined"). “Did you know that Sheldon Adelson spent $100 million of his own money last year on negative ads? You’ve got to really dislike me to spend that kind of money…You could buy an island and call it “Nobama” for that kind of money,” Obama said. Tune in [tonight](http://www.c-span.org/ "undefined") at 10p.m. for President Obama and McHale’s remarks. ### Celebrities Hit the Red Carpet at Correspondents’ Dinner  Actor Tony Goldwyn attends the 100th Annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton on May 3, 2014 in Washington, DC. Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Darby Stanchfield Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Alicia Quarles Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Willie and Korie Robertson Jonathan Ernst—Reuters  Actress Bellamy Young Jonathan Ernst—Reuters  Actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson, right, and husband Justin Mikita Jonathan Ernst—Reuters  Actress Bellamy Young Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Actress Sofia Vergara Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Arianna Huffington Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  News anchor Diane Sawyer, left, and ABC news reporter Martha Raddatz Jonathan Ernst—Reuters  Emilie Livingston and actor Jeff Goldblum Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Actor Patrick Stewart and his wife, Sunny Ozell Jonathan Ernst—Reuters  Actress Taylor Schilling Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Katie Couric Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Actress Julie Delpy Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Actress Lupita Nyong'o Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Diane Lane and news anchor Wolf Blitzer Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Journalist Barbara Walters Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Olympic Skier Lindsey Vonn Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Kristen Bell Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Megan McCain and Senator John McCain Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Michelle Branch Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Actress Julianna Margulies Jonathan Ernst—Reuters  Designer Cynthia Rowley Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Jessica Simpson Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  AnnaSophia Robb and Ronan Farrow Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images Community's Joel McHale Headlines White House Correspondents Dinner ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/86846/whca-dinner-obama-joel-mchale/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/86846/whca-dinner-obama-joel-mchale/"},"headline":"Press, Celebrities Gather for White House Correspondents' Dinner","datePublished":"2014-05-03T20:52:33.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:08:25.553Z","description":"Celebrities, dignitaries and journalists gathered in Washington, D.C., on Saturday for the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner. 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