The jokes were back, the celebrities were back, and the president was back. The only question was if Covid was still there.
The Washington press corps returned to normal in the nation's capital on Saturday night after six years of turmoil and disease.
The White House Correspondents Association Dinner is where Washington journalists and power brokers dressed up in tuxedos and gowns spend an evening schmoozing, networking, gossiping, preening and peacocking before returning.
Donald J. Trump boycotted the event because he deemed the media to be the enemy.
The official comedian of the night joked that he was honored to be speaking at the most distinguished superspreader event.
He asked the organizers if they read any of their own newspapers. You all turn into Joe Rogan after the second person gives you a free dinner.
Despite the health concerns, Mr. Biden went through with the dinner.
Both inside and outside the White House, the president's decision to attend was subject to second-guessing. Several members of Vice President Biden's cabinet were among the 70 guests who tested positive for the coronaviruses after the Gridiron Dinner. Vice President Kamala Harris and Kate Bedingfield, the White House communications director, both tested positive.
The government's top infectious disease expert decided against going to the dinner because of the danger. Most guests wore masks besides the serving staff, but they had to bevaccinated, boosted and tested negative before attending. Mr. Biden, who is in a high-risk age group, decided to skip the dinner and only come for the speaking portion of the evening.
His presence was meant to be a sign of a return to normal after Mr. Trump's war on the news media. While Mr. Biden has complained about his coverage, aides said he intended his decision to attend to be a reaffirmation of his support for a free press.
The free press is not the enemy of the people, according to Mr. Biden. He said that those who have given their lives reporting from the battlefields of Ukraine remind him of the importance of journalism.
The president gently chided journalists, urging them to avoid sensationalism and trivialization.
He said that American democracy is not a reality show.
The correspondents association made a point of adding a serious note to the evening's festivities by honoring two Black female pioneers of the White House press corps, Alice Dunnigan and Ethel Payne, who were two of only three African American journalists regularly reporting on the White. The family of Austin Tice, a reporter who was kidnapped in Syria in 2012 and killed in Ukraine, was paid tribute.
The event continued to be Washington's premier exercise in excess, with days of fancy, expensive, alcohol-filled parties held across the city late into the night bringing members of the political class together with the journalists who cover them.
At the main dinner, the president is typically expected to deliver humorous remarks, but Mr. Biden kept them briefer than some of his predecessors. He said he was happy to be with a roomful of journalists, the only people with a lower approval rating than him, and that it was good to be back after six years.
He teased the House Republican leader, Kevin McCarthy, who was revealed on an audio recording obtained by, that he had expected to run into opposition for his agenda in the Senate.
There's nothing I can say about the G.O.P. that Kevin McCarthy hasn't already put on tape, Mr. Biden said.
The New York Times, CNN, MSNBC and CBS News were all mocked by Mr. Noah. He teased Mr. Biden over his gaffes and failures to push his proposals through Congress. He said that Russia was upset by Mr. Biden's comment that Putin should be removed from power.
He contrasted Mr. Biden's willingness to be skewered with Mr. Trump's refusal to attend the dinner.
He said that he made fun of the president and that he was going to be fine. He turned to Mr. Biden and said, "I am going to be fine, right?"
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