At the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the spotlight turned to the media’s role in uncovering difficult truths, as Axios reporter Alex Thompson was celebrated for his groundbreaking work on former President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline. The event, which recognized Thompson with the Aldo Beckman Award for Overall Excellence, prompted a moment of reflection for Beltway journalists who faced criticism for initially overlooking Biden’s struggles, highlighting the challenges of reporting in a polarized era.
Thompson, known for his meticulous sourcing, used his acceptance speech to address both the Biden administration’s efforts to conceal the former president’s condition and the media’s own shortcomings.
“President Biden’s decline and its coverup by the people around him is a reminder that every White House, regardless of party, is capable of deception,” he said. His reporting, which detailed how Biden’s aides privately acknowledged the then-82-year-old’s slipping acuity while shielding it from public view, stood out at a time when many outlets hesitated to tackle the issue.
“But being truth tellers also means telling the truth about ourselves. We, myself included, missed a lot of this story. And some people trust us less because of it. We bear some responsibility for faith in the media being at such lows,” Thompson admitted.
His candid acknowledgment resonated as a call for accountability, especially after Biden’s faltering debate performance last June forced the press to confront the issue head-on. “I say this because acknowledging errors builds trust, and being defensive about them further erodes it,” he reflected. “We should have done better.”
A Commitment to Transparency
Thompson’s work, soon to be expanded in his forthcoming book with CNN’s Jake Tapper, “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,” set for release on May 20, underscores the importance of journalistic rigor.
“I believe our mission is vital in a world where people are struggling to figure out what’s true, and people with power are not telling the truth,” he added, emphasizing the media’s role in navigating a landscape of misinformation.
He also praised the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) as “critical to that mission,” reinforcing its enduring relevance.
The dinner itself marked a shift from tradition, forgoing a comedic headliner after late-night host Amber Ruffin’s proposed routine targeting the Trump administration as a “bunch of murderers” was deemed too divisive. The decision reflected the delicate balance the WHCA navigates in maintaining credibility amid heightened political sensitivities.
Navigating a Fractured Media Landscape
Tensions between the WHCA and the White House were palpable, with President Trump and his team absent from the event—a departure from the norm where sitting presidents typically attend.
The Trump administration’s influence over the selection of White House pool reporters, a process once solely managed by the WHCA, has further strained relations. WHCA President Eugene Daniels addressed these challenges directly, defending the role of journalists.
“We journalists are a lot of things. We are competitive and pushy. We are impatient and sometimes we think we know everything,” he said. “What we are not is the opposition. What we are not is the enemy of people. What we are not is the enemy of the state.”
The evening served as a reminder of journalism’s dual responsibility: to hold power accountable and to reflect on its own practices.
Thompson’s recognition and the broader discussions at the dinner highlighted the ongoing struggle to rebuild public trust in media, a mission that remains vital in an era of competing narratives and political friction.
