Ron Chernow: Speaker at the 2019 White House Correspondents’ Dinner

When historian, journalist, and biographer Ron Chernow was invited to be the featured speaker at the 2019 White House Correspondents’ Dinner toward the end of April, it was a marked departure from the usual selection of a stand-up comedian. The 70-year-old Chernow would follow 2018 dinner speaker Michelle Wolf, whose edgy — many thought tasteless — presentation met with decidedly mixed reviews. Even though Chernow doesn’t do stand-up, his speech to the assembled journalism glitterati was quite amusing in addition to being enlightening.
 
Quote: “I’m delighted to make a spirited case tonight for the First Amendment. We now have to fight hard for basic truths we once took for granted. We gather here in perfect security because of a little piece of parchment called the Bill of Rights that has acquired the status of American scripture. In the last analysis, that paper barrier stands between a free press and executive tyranny.” — Ron Chernow at the 2019 White House Correspondents’ Dinner
 
Sources: Wikipedia, YouTube
 
Ron Chernow’s work has garnered many awards — including a Pulitzer Prize — and has included a number of bestselling books. Learn more on Wikipedia. >>
 
Watch Ron Chernow’s speech at the 2019 White House Correspondents’ Dinner [31:30]. >>
 
Photo: thisisinsider.com