Hasan Minhaj to deliver keynote at 2017 White House Correspondents Dinner

The 2017 White House Correspondents Dinner might not feature the sitting president of the United States, his staffers or even some of the celebrity weirdness that makes the media dub the annual banquet “nerd prom,” but it’ll still feature a keynote address from a comedian. And one who’s Muslim-American, at that.

Hasan Minhaj, correspondent for The Daily Show with Trevor Noah on Comedy Central, and whose one-man show, “Homecoming King,” will come out later this year on Netflix, will deliver the main address.

“It is a tremendous honor to be a part of such a historic event even though the president has chosen not to attend this year. SAD!” Minhaj said in a statement. “Now more than ever, it is vital that we honor the First Amendment and the freedom of the press.”

Minhaj spoke last year at the Radio and TV Correspondents Dinner.

“I am thrilled that Hasan will serve as our featured entertainer at this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner,” WHCA president and Reuters White House correspondent Jeff Mason said in a statement. “Hasan’s smarts, big heart and passion for press freedom make him the perfect fit for our event, which will be focused on the First Amendment and the importance of a robust and independent media.”

There will be another Daily Show alum presiding over “Not The White House Correspondents Dinner” that night — April 29, 2017 — with Samantha Bee hosting a TBS special in Washington, D.C., too.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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