Biden roasts Trump, saying he is ‘running against a 6-year-old’ at correspondents’ dinner

His comments at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner come as protesters outside slam his pro-Israel stance in the Gaza war

Opposition against the war has expanded to college campuses in the US, signifying a growing revolt inside the Democratic base

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US President Joe Biden laughs during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 2:12pm, 28 Apr 2024Updated: 10:57am, 29 Apr 2024

US President Joe Biden delivered an election-year roast on Saturday night at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner as protesters outside criticised his support for Israel’s war against Hamas.

Biden used the annual black-tie event to chide his Republican rival Donald Trump for immaturity, poke fun at his own advanced age and take on the Washington press corps.

“Yes, age is an issue. I’m a grown man, running against a 6-year-old,” Biden joked.

Biden, 81, later added of former President Trump, 77: “Age is the only thing we have in common. My vice-president actually endorses me.”

Demonstrators holding banners chanted about journalist deaths in Gaza outside the Washington Hilton, the site of the annual gathering. Hundreds of protesters encouraged journalists to boycott the event and shouted down administration officials as they entered.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump visits a Chick-fil-A eatery in Atlanta. Photo: AP

Biden avoided the large protests at the front of the hotel by arriving through a back entrance, where he was greeted by smaller groups of protesters calling for a ceasefire.