Transcript
A (0:00)
To realize the future America needs. We understand what's needed from us to face each threat head on. We've earned our place in the fight for our nation's future. We are Marines. We were made for this.
B (0:15)
At Strayer University, we help students like you. Go from Will I To why not? For over 130 years, we've been innovating higher education to make it more affordable, accessible and attainable so you can reach your goals. Go from thinking can I? To Yes, I Can and keep striving. Visit strayer.edu to learn more. Strayer University is certified to operate in Virginia by CHEV and its many campuses, including at 2121 15th Street north in Arlington, Virginia.
C (0:47)
Everybody, welcome to NextUp. I am Mark Calperin, Editor in chief of the live interactive video platform two way, your host to everything NextUp. Very happy to have all you nexters and newbie nexters here to hang out together to talk about what is happening now and again, what's going to happen next. We have a great show today. Ben Ferguson is back. He's the host of the Ben Ferguson Podcast, co host of the Verdict with Ted Cruz. We love having him on. And he and I are going to walk through some of the current politics with Iran and the midterms and everything else, excited always to have been on. And then someone who hasn't been with us before, very knowledgeable on the story of the moment on Iran. Dr. Waleed Fares is here, author of a book called Iran An Imperialist Republic and US Policy. He's a longtime foreign policy advisor to people like Donald Trump and Mitt Romney. We're going to talk to him about the latest news there and whether peace could be at hand or whether we're looking at more war. Before our two guests, though, in just a moment, my reported monologue, a special deep dive on the big event coming up in Washington this weekend, the White House Correspondents association dinner where Donald Trump will be making his debut. I am, I would say, borderline obsessed with what kind of comedy the president plans to bring to the dinner, what kind of game he has. My reported monologue on Donald Trump and humor. The history of the White House Correspondents association dinner. That's all. Next up. Hey, let me ask you something. Do you own physical gold? Most people do not, but given the current state of the world, that's worth thinking about. Acre Gold. They make it simple. You pick a plan that fits your budget, then make monthly payments and when you've accumulated enough, they ship you a beautifully designed 24 karat Swiss gold bar gold is up 70% year over year and central banks are still buying at record levels. Smart money has been moving into hard assets for a good reason. Acre Gold has had subscribers stacking consistently now for six years because once you hold gold in your hand, you understand the difference between owning something real and versus a number on a computer screen. Right now, they're giving away over 18 grams of gold in their Acre declassified sweepstakes. You can enter for free and subscribe to Gold@getacregold.com Mark Right now, go to getacregold.com Mark all right, next up, my reported monologue. This one. I've done a lot of reporting this week in Washington, but I've been reporting on it my whole career. The White House Correspondents Dinner has been around for a long time and it's become a rite of passage for presidents who have until Donald Trump, they've always gone and tip the typical format of the dinner. The president does a comedy routine, a comedian does a routine and it's a huge ballroom. It's a Washington hill biggest ballroom in Washington. And lots of muckety mucks go. Bureau chiefs. People come down from New York based news organizations. It's supposed to be for the White House correspondence. It's sponsored by the White House Correspondents association. And a lot of reporters and producers and others who cover the White House go. But particularly in the Clinton years, it became the Washington weekend of social activity. And part of what made it into this mega event, two things. One is the after parties, places like Vanity Fair would get like an embassy, a really nice embassy as a location. And after the dinner, there'd be a very exclusive party. Those parties became more opulent, they became more extravagant and people really wanted to go to them. Not just the reporters and the government officials, members of Congress, members of the White House cabinet, but business people, celebrities. And that's the other thing that happened very famously. One year, a guy named Michael Kelly, who since passed away, wrote for the New York Times, wrote for the New Yorker. He invited Vaughn hall, who was a Washington celebrity. She was Oliver North's secretary during Iran Contra. And then people started fighting Hollywood celebrities and particularly the TV networks, right? The White House corresponds association. You got what we used to call print reporters. And then the TV networks, the TV networks have their entertainment divisions, right? ABC has got ABC primetime shows. So the network said, well, let's start inviting all the celebrities. And in the Clinton years, there hadn't been a Democrat in the White House for a while. Clinton's and the Clinton Culture was really into Hollywood celebrity. A lot of celebrities started going. The very first year I went to the White house Correspondence Dinner, 1993,
