Biden to discuss wrongfully detained Americans during White House Correspondents dinner

Washington [US], April 30 : United States President Joe Biden made his appearance at the White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday (Local Time) and is likely to discuss the wrongfully detained Americans abroad, according to CNN.

Since Biden announced the launch of his reelection campaign earlier this week, this is the first time he marked his presence at the black-tie gathering in Washington.

During his remarks, Biden will "speak to the importance of the First Amendment, how critical press freedom is around the world, and his unwavering commitment to bring home wrongfully detained journalists and other Americans," a White House official said in a statement to CNN.

Saturday's dinner is taking place a month after the arrest of Evan Gershkovich, an American Wall Street Journal correspondent based in Moscow. The United States has designated him as wrongfully detained by Russia.

Earlier, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, on Thursday, said the Biden-Harris administration announced that the administration will impose sanctions targeted at actors, who are involved in hostage-taking or wrongful detentions in Russia and Iran and those that provide them with material support.

"In doing so, the administration is, for the first time, deploying a new tool that was established under executive order by President Biden to impose severe economic costs on governments and groups that hold hostage or wrongfully detain Americans around the world," Pierre said.

"Today's sanctions afford the administration additional leverage to support negotiations and impose additional costs on those who are responsible for unjustly holding Americans against their will," she added.

The annual dinner, hosted inside the Washington Hilton, drew thousands of guests in support of freedom of the press. The event raises funds for the White House Correspondents' Association scholarship fund and offers a rare opportunity for journalists and politicians to rub elbows - but also features remarks from a comedian often tasked with walking a fine line between gentle ribbing and legitimate criticism, according to CNN.

US first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff attend the 2023 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. Comedian Roy Wood Jr. is also present.

The dinner gives Biden a rare chance to flex his comedic muscles in front of entertainers and members of the media.

The audience is also expected to be a "who's who" of officials across the Biden administration, and other top White House officials will be seated at the dais - with first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff in attendance, reported CNN.