Gridiron dinner returning after three-year absence

The Hill
·1 min read
Sen. John F. Kennedy, center, D-Mass., and his brothers Edward Kennedy, left, a student at the University of Virginia, and Robert F. Kennedy, chief counsel to the Senate Rackets Committee, attend the annual Gridiron Club dinner
Sen. John F. Kennedy, center, D-Mass., and his brothers Edward Kennedy, left, a student at the University of Virginia, and Robert F. Kennedy, chief counsel to the Senate Rackets Committee, attend the annual Gridiron Club dinner


The Gridiron Club dinner, typically one of the most high-profile annual Washington media events, is making a return after three years.

The fete is poised to be held on April 2, Axios was first to report Wednesday.

It will mark the 135th anniversary for the District's oldest journalists association, and the first time the dinner has been held since 2019. It was scrapped in 2020 amid the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, with organizers saying despite holding the dinner "in wartime," and "amidst all kinds of upheaval and turmoil," they were canceling it in the interest of public health and not wanting to "put people at risk."

The white-tie affair - traditionally attended by the president - typically features lighthearted barbs and roast-style speeches from journalists and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, along with skits and comedy sketches.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) are among this year's speakers.

While he bucked tradition and skipped the similar White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner each year while in office, former President Trump attended the 2018 Gridiron dinner. Trump called the event "great fun" after he delivered remarks there that year.

The Gridiron dinner isn't the only soiree making a return to in-person gatherings following a COVID-19-related break.

Earlier this month, "The Daily Show's" Trevor Noah was announced as the entertainer for the WHCA's April 30 gala.