WASHINGTON – Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner brought Ke Huy Quan, Gayle King, Winnie Harlow, Justin Hartley and Brittney Griner together in one massive dining room, but host Roy Wood Jr. had his sights on two media figures that were absent from one of D.C.’s biggest nights: Don Lemon and Tucker Carlson.
The comedian, who plays a reporter on “The Daily Show,” reminded journalists, politicians and celebrities of what bonds them.
“Tonight, we are all unified by one thing, and that’s scandal,” Wood quipped. “Scandals have been devouring careers this year. The untouchable Tucker Carlson is out of a job.”
On Monday, Fox News and Carlson, the top-rated cable news host, announced they were “parting ways.”
Carlson had last hosted his prime-time conservative opinion show, “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” the previous Friday. Fox did not give him the opportunity to address viewers.
A seismic cable shift:Everything to know about top-rated Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s exit
Wood, who also has recently served as a guest host for “The Daily Show,” wanted Carlson’s colleagues to know that he relates to how they must be feeling.
“I work at ‘The Daily Show’ so I, too, have been blindsided by the sudden departure of the host of a fake news program,” Wood joked, referencing Trevor Noah’s departure from Comedy Central late last year after a seven-year stint as host.
The comedian remarked that Carlson needs to get back on the air because “right now there’s millions of Americans that don’t even know why they hate you (Biden).”
Wood did want to give credit where credit was due, though, and applauded Fox News for being progressive.
“Tucker Carlson is the first host to get fired from Fox News for something that’s only partially about how he treats women. That’s progress,” Wood joked before digging into Don Lemon, who shared on Twitter that he had been fired from CNN, the same day Carlson was let go.
“I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned,” Lemon wrote.
CNN disputed Lemon’s characterization of his termination. “Don Lemon’s statement about this morning’s events is inaccurate,” CNN tweeted. “He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter.”
Wood referenced the back and forth with the “CNN This Morning” anchor, joking that the cable news network “had to part ways because Don Lemon can’t even accurately report a story about Don Lemon.”
He added that CNN let Lemon go too soon and that “you don’t fire your host after the first couple of scandals. The scandals got to stack up” for the ratings.
“Yes, Don Lemon was a diva and he said a couple of women were raggedy in the face, but that’s a promotion at Fox News,” Wood Jr. quipped.
The news of Lemon’s termination comes on the heels of reports of alleged misogyny in a lengthy Variety report.
Contributing: Bryan Alexander and Morgan Hines
