The Radio & TV Correspondents’ Dinner has slated White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough to speak at their 70th annual dinner on June 12.
McDonough, 44, has been chief of staff since February, 2013. Before that, he was deputy national security advisor and was previously foreign policy advisor to then-Sen. Democratic Leader Tom Daschle.
Hopefully this thing won’t be a snoozefest. But let’s give him the benefit of the doubt that he can give a good dinner speech. Some fun facts about him: According to The Daily Beast he has been known to be “ornery” and “caustic” with journalists, he taught high school in Belize, he’s one of 11 kids, and he was born in Stillwater, Minn. He was also in the monitoring room when the Navy SEALS were taking out Osama Bin Laden.
The other thing? He really bizarrely looks just like TV’s Herman Munster.
The Mirror has learned that McDonough has been asked to include jokes as well as substance. So not just roasting the press, as has been the norm, but some real meaty morsels, too.
“We really are excited,” said dinner chairwoman and CNN reporter Lisa Desjardins. “It’s one of those things that at first you may think, huh, that’s different. Then you say, wait, that’s really cool. This is a key voice we don’t get to hear like this often. And for our dinner, we love that McDonough is substantive, as well as significant on the Hill. And he actually may be the funniest guy at the WH.”
The dinner will also include comedian Nick Offerman from Parks and Recreation and music from Washington, D.C.’s Go-Go Symphony.
Tickets are a steep $250 each or $2500 for a table of 10.
To purchase tickets, get in touch with Ivan Goldberg at rtcadinner@comcast.net.