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The Washington Hilton's past successful D.C. authorities
Washington — Inside the room astatine the Washington Hilton up of Saturday night's White House Correspondents' Dinner are frenetic meal preparations for astir 2,600 people.
"So, if it's a three-course, you multiply that by three, we could locomotion distant doing astir 10,000 plates successful the room arsenic a whole," Daniel Bennett, the hotel's enforcement chef, tells CBS News.
The correspondents' dinner has been an yearly contented since 1921, bringing unneurotic presidential comedy and the property corps, and the Hilton has been its location for 57 years.
The Washington Hilton is besides known for 1 of the darkest moments successful statesmanlike history. On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan had conscionable finished speaking astatine a national normal and was emerging from the edifice erstwhile helium was struck by a slug from would-be assassin John Hinckley Jr. .
Reagan survived and returned to the edifice little than six months later.
Now, determination is simply a plaque that commemorates the assassination attempt. Shortly thereafter, a store was constructed with a unafraid doorway truthful the statesmanlike limousine tin participate and exit with implicit security.
The store entranceway leads to a agelong hallway adorned with photos of each president and archetypal lady.
Every president since Lyndon Johnson has spoken here, often making respective trips a twelvemonth for fundraisers, conferences, and the National Prayer Breakfast.
President Trump speaks astatine the National Prayer Breakfast sponsored by the The Fellowship Foundation astatine the Washington Hilton connected Feb. 6, 2025, successful Washington, D.C. The National Prayer Breakfast brings unneurotic members of Congress and leaders successful fellowship and concern for supplication and discussion.
Andrew Harnik / Getty Images
President Richard Nixon attended an inaugural shot astatine the Hilton successful 1969, arsenic did President Barack Obama 40 years later.
When the edifice opened successful 1965, its double-arc plan was an architectural anomaly successful a staid superior city. Its 30,000-square-foot ballroom is 1 of the largest indoor gathering spaces successful D.C.
It's large capable to big concerts, including the likes of The Doors successful 1967 and Jimi Hendrix a twelvemonth later.
Saturday night's correspondents' meal volition look a spot different. There volition be nary featured comedian, and President Trump, who skipped each correspondents' meal successful his archetypal term, volition not attend. Writer and performer Amber Ruffin had been announced arsenic the night's amusement successful February. However, Ruffin who has been captious of Mr. Trump, was pulled from the lawsuit successful March.
Despite the controversy, for the Hilton, that doesn't alteration the imperative to serve.
"Pretty much, the time the lawsuit ends, we're already readying for the adjacent event," edifice wide manager Ken Jarka said.
And what volition specify a palmy correspondents' meal for the Hilton?
"No 1 is penning astir america the adjacent morning. How's that?" quipped Jarka.
Not an casual feat successful a roomful of journalists.
Major Garrett is CBS News' main Washington correspondent. He's besides the big of "The Takeout," a play multi-platform interrogation amusement connected politics, argumentation and popular culture.
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