Gridiron Dinner: Trump Mocks Media And Himself

President Trump engaged in a good-natured duel of one-liners with political rivals and the press at the annual Gridiron Dinner this weekend, largely putting aside his ongoing criticism of the media for a night.

CBS News reports Trump dished out sharp one-liners throughout his comments Saturday night, occasionally lapsing into recurring themes about the 2016 election and media bias.

"Nobody does self-deprecating humor better than I do. It's not even close," said Mr. Trump, who skipped last year's dinner. He also said: "I was very excited to receive this invitation and ruin your evening in person. That's why I accepted."

The annual dinner of the Gridiron Club and Foundation, now in its 133rd year, traced its history to 1885, the year President Grover Cleveland refused to attend. Every president since has come to at least one Gridiron.

 Mr. Trump's speech lasted more than a half hour and included plenty of one-liners. A sampling:

• On his son-in-law: "We were late tonight because Jared could not get through security."
• On Vice President Mike Pence: "He is one of the best straight men you're ever going to meet ... he is straight. Man." Mr. Trump also said, "I really am proud to call him the apprentice." Mr. Trump joked that Pence wakes up every day and asks "Is he impeached yet?"
• On Attorney General Jeff Sessions: "I offered him a ride over and he recused himself. What are you going to do?"
• On The New York Times: "I'm a New York icon. You're a New York icon. And the only difference is I still own my buildings."
• On former chief strategist Steve Bannon: "That guy leaked more than the Titanic."
• On the first lady: Mr. Trump said he doesn't understand why everyone says #freemelania. He said she's actually having a great time.
• Saying he was once asked how he could deal with a “madman” like North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, Trump said: “That’s his problem, not mine.”

Toward the end of his comments, Mr. Trump couldn't resist some of his favorite themes, revisiting his election night victory and chiding reporters to be fair.

He closed by saying: "I just want to say this, this is one of the best times I've had with the media -- this might be the most fun I've had since watching your faces on election night."

A charitable organization, the Gridiron Club and Foundation contributes to college scholarships and journalistic organizations. Active membership is limited to 65 Washington-based journalists.