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President Obama Has Last Laughs At White House Correspondents' Dinner

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

The White House Correspondents' Dinner was last night. It's a big evening in Washington when journalists mingle with Hollywood stars and politicians. And there's a whole lot of selfie-snapping going on. But the guy who stole the show is an aspiring comedian on his way to a new job.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BARACK OBAMA: Good evening, everybody.

MARTIN: President Obama took the stage here in D.C. for his final speech at the dinner. He was unsparing in his roasting of everyone from Kendall Jenner to his potential successors.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

OBAMA: Hillary trying to appeal to voters is a little bit like your relative who just signed up for Facebook.

(LAUGHTER)

OBAMA: Dear America, did you get my poke?

(LAUGHTER)

OBAMA: Is it appearing on your wall?

(LAUGHTER)

OBAMA: I'm not sure I'm using this right. Love, Aunt Hillary.

(LAUGHTER)

MARTIN: Sen. Sanders, your turn.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

OBAMA: I am hurt though, Bernie, that you've been distancing yourself a little from me. I mean, that's just not something that you do to your comrade.

(LAUGHTER)

MARTIN: President Obama also reached across the aisle to welcome GOP chair Reince Priebus.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

OBAMA: Glad to see that you feel that you've earned a night off. Congratulations on all your success - the Republican Party, the nomination process. It's all going great. Keep it up.

MARTIN: Brutal. Then the president moved on to the serious stuff.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

OBAMA: You know, the free press is central to our democracy. And - nah, I'm just kidding.

(LAUGHTER)

OBAMA: You know I'm going to talk about Trump.

(LAUGHTER)

OBAMA: Come on.

MARTIN: Although Trump wasn't there last night.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

OBAMA: You got a room full of reporters, celebrities, cameras, and he says no. Is this dinner too tacky for The Donald?

(LAUGHTER)

OBAMA: What could he possibly be doing instead? Is he at home eating a Trump steak, tweeting out insults to Angela Merkel? What's he doing?

MARTIN: The president did close his speech on a serious note with an impassioned defense of democracy.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

OBAMA: And with that, I just have two more words to say - Obama out.

(APPLAUSE)

(SOUNDBITE OF MICROPHONE DROP)

(SOUNDBITE OF MICROPHONE DROP)

MARTIN: And yes, that was the sound of President Obama dropping the mic. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.