CNN anchor Jake Tapper used a late-night television appearance to take a veiled swipe at President Donald Trump and his administration ahead of this years White House Correspondents Dinner, where the press corps is planning a quiet First Amendment-themed protest.
According to Mediaite, President Trump is set to attend the dinner for the first time in office, joined by officials such as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and FCC Chair Brendan Carr, both of whom have been sharply critical of the press. In response, members of the White House Correspondents Association have organized a subtle demonstration, opting for accessories like pocket squares and lapel pins celebrating free speech and a free press rather than overt confrontation.
Appearing on Colberts show Monday night, Tapper arrived wearing one of the symbolic pocket squares and quickly became the subject of the hosts trademark banter. Nice to see you again. You know, I enjoy your work, but what I forget when I havent seen you in a while is how damn handsome you are, Stephen Colbert told him, to which Tapper replied, Oh, youre so kind.
Colbert continued the light-hearted exchange, adding, Thank you. And dapper. And dappper. I like the pocket square. Tapper used the moment to highlight the protest accessory, explaining, Thank you. Oh, yeah. So this is a special freedom of the press and freedom of speech pocket square, drawing loud cheers from the audience.
Pressed by Colbert to show it off Whats it say? Show them the Thats very nice. Tapper tied the accessory directly to the upcoming dinner. Yeah, and were, Im gonna be, you know, Saturday nights the White House Correspondents Dinner, he said, prompting Colbert to respond, I did not know.
Tapper then underscored the coordinated nature of the gesture and its intended audience. And there are a bunch of us that are gonna be wearing these. These are from the Reporters Committee for the Free Press. Oh, okay. And, cause there might be some guests there that are unfamiliar with, uh, he remarked, a clear jab at administration figures often accused of hostility toward constitutional press protections.
Colbert noted the historic nature of the evening, asking, Oh, this is the first time that the president is going to be attending, right? to which Tapper answered, Now that you say so, yes! Tapper then added a personal touch to the protest, telling Colbert, By the way, I brought you one, and presenting an additional item, saying, And this is for Evie, as he handed over a fan.
Colbert played along with the bit, responding, Oh, thats so lovely, and joking, Oh, thats very nice. Yes, my southern belle, before swatting Tapper with the fan and prompting Tapper to quip, I was getting fresh. The two men reminisced about their shared history at the event, with Colbert recalling, First correspondents dinner I ever went to was with you, and Tapper agreeing, Yeah, you were my date. Yeah.
Tapper alluded to Colberts famously scathing performance at a past dinner, saying, It was a lot of fun. It was lot of, and then you came the next year and you dropped a nuclear bomb on the place. Colbert deflected with characteristic irony, replying, Tron bomb, everybody, the building was fine, a reminder that while the establishment may have survived, the evening cemented the dinner as a flashpoint in the ongoing clash between political power and a press corps determined to assert its constitutional role.
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