The White House Correspondents’ Association has selected mentalist Oz Pearlman as the headline entertainer at its annual dinner in April, bypassing the traditional choice of a comedian.
Weijia Jiang, the president of the WHCA and CBS News senior White House correspondent, said in a statement, “As the world’s most celebrated mentalist, Oz Pearlman will offer a fascinating glimpse into what’s truly on the minds of Washington’s newsmakers. We look forward to an exciting, fresh, and interactive evening as we celebrate the First Amendment and Washington news coverage together.”
Last year, the WHCA selected Amber Ruffin to entertain at the dinner. But those plans were canceled as the Trump White House bashed the choice.
The dinner, to raise money for scholarships and to present an annual set of awards, will be held on April 25. While it has traditionally included the president among the highlights, Donald Trump has declined to attend throughout his presidency.
The choice of a mentalist is unconventional, but the WHCA has recently departed from a traditional night of standup. Last year, after Ruffin was dropped, there was no entertainer. After the controversy triggered by Michelle Wolf’s appearance in 2018, when she offered a set of scathing jokes about Trump and administration figures, the next year’s event featured historian Ron Chernow.
The president of the WHCA selects the entertainer each year, for a gig that is high profile yet challenging, given the judgment of the crowd and the acoustics in the ballroom of the Washington Hilton.
Pearlman said in a statement, “I am thrilled to be the featured entertainer at this year’s WHCA dinner and join the ranks of Frank Sinatra, Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien, among many other legends. This is a rare opportunity to gather so many accomplished, perceptive people in one place and invite them to share moments of wonder, surprise and awe.”
English (US) ·