Guests trickled into the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., for its annual pre-White House Correspondents’ Dinner celebration Friday night.
As if on cue, a light rain fell on guests dressed in suits and cocktail dresses as they walked into the brick palace decorated with coats of arms and portraits of King Charles and Queen Elizabeth II. Many hopped into a red phone booth at the entrance for a photo op.
President Donald Trump’s lawsuits against the numerous news outlets represented at the dinner hung over the event. Trump—who is boycotting the event along with most of his administration—and Paramount are currently in mediation over a $20 billion lawsuit against CBS News. And, earlier this month, a federal judge ordered the White House to restore the Associated Press’ access to presidential events.
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The dinner is also a lot less festive considering that there will be no comedian. The White House blocked Amber Ruffin, who was tapped to perform, after she made digs at MAGA on a Daily Beast podcast.
Unlike other White House Correspondents’ Dinners parties, which are sponsored by left-leaning or mainstream news outlets, this one was co-sponsored by the Daily Mail, a newcomer to the party scene. It was notable in that it actually had some Republicans in attendance.
Mehmet Oz, who is running Medicare and Medicaid services for the Trump administration, mingled on the patio alongside senior staffers from the Senate offices of John Thune, Mitch McConnell, and Josh Hawley. Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer ran around—at least one guest commented on how short he is in real life—as did Jake Denton, chief technology officer at the Federal Trade Commission.
Savannah Chrisley, a podcaster who uses her platform and blonde looks to try and get her parents, who are currently in jail for bank fraud and tax evasion, pardoned, was parting crowds with a poofy pink dress that had a long trail. One guest remarked that, despite this being a professional event, many of the women in attendance looked in line with Trump’s preferred aesthetics: overdone bridesmaids.
The right-leaning crowd was also not surprising given that Great Britain’s new ambassador, Peter Mandelson, is rumored to be in the social circles of MAGA-lyte and PayPal CEO Peter Thiel. He took up his post in February.
Mandelson, who said he is “not a proper diplomat” in a speech he delivered that evening, was a member of Parliament and life peer in the House of Lords before co-founding Global Counsel a lobbying firm that counted Thiel’s company, Palantir, as a client (along with Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska).
Unlike his predecessor, Dame Karen Pierce, who was known as an enthusiastic hostess, Mandelson is said to dislike huge bashes, preferring smaller, more intimate dinner parties instead. One of his early moves as ambassador was to part ways with the embassy’s social secretary (there is an advertisement on LinkedIn for a new one, who will report directly to the ambassador’s chief of staff).
Party guests remarked that the affair seemed bare-bones compared to other years, when it was the pinnacle of Washington events during the weekend. Unlike the iconic British dishes—mini beef Wellingtons and fish and chips, which are usually passed around, there were tiny mini tacos and toasts with mushrooms. Two main bars, one outside and one inside, were packed with thirsty guests. Unlike the elaborate light and flower displays of the past, the venue was hardly adorned with special decorations.
One guest said she asked for champagne and was told there was nothing sparkling—not even prosecco—on offer.
