The White House Correspondents’ Association is replacing a comedic act with mind reading at this year’s dinner.
Psychologist Oz Perelman, whose exploits have gone viral on TikTok and YouTube and made him a frequent guest on channels like CNBC and Fox News, will be this year’s featured artist at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the WHCA said Thursday.
“As the world’s most famous mentalist, Oz Perelman will provide a fascinating glimpse into what’s really on the minds of newsmakers in Washington,” said CBS News correspondent Weijia Jiang, president of the association. “We look forward to an exciting, fresh and interactive evening as we celebrate the First Amendment and Washington news coverage together.”
Of course, the WHCD conference is usually attended by the White House press corps and members of the administration, including the President of the United States. However, President Trump has not attended most of the dinners during his time in office, which shouldn’t be too surprising given the frequent sparring between journalists covering the White House and its administration.
Last year’s event was no exception, and in fact the WHCA had to cancel a scheduled appearance by comedian Amber Ruffin, who had been the target of criticism from the White House. Perelman’s work is not about politics, but it caters to the public, as his appearances on CNBC and in front of NFL teams show.
“I am thrilled to be the featured artist at this year’s WHCA Dinner and to join the ranks of Frank Sinatra, Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien, among many other legends,” Perlman said. “It is a rare opportunity to bring together so many distinguished and knowledgeable people in one place and invite them to share moments of wonder, surprise and awe.”
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