Hollywood Rallies Behind Biden (Again) After ‘Charlottesville Lie’

April marks the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner, where Beltway pundits break bread with the Hollywood elite.

The biggest stars descend on Washington, D.C., culminated by a dinner hosted by a political comic to the left of Sen. Bernie Sanders.

That ritual changes dramatically when a Republican dwells in the White House. Suddenly, the stars have better things to do during the WHCD.

We’re seeing a similar pattern now with the usual suspects.

The Committee on the Arts and the Humanities made its comeback earlier this week, co-chaired by Lady Gaga and ‘Silver Linings Playbook” producer Bruce Cohen. Other stars joining the group include Kerry Washington, producer Shonda Rhimes and George Clooney.

The group will purportedly counsel President Joe Biden on what The Hollywood Reporter calls “cultural issues,” which doesn’t mean standing up to gang leaders like Corn Pop or telling whoppers about your family history.

The committee disbanded five years ago in protest of President Donald Trump. 

Why? We all know the real reasons behind it, but the made-up version involved the “Charlottesville Lie.” That’s the 2017 moment when President Trump appeared in the Virginia hamlet to denounce a White Supremacy rally mixed with historical supporters of the local Civil War statues.

THR gets the facts wrong, on purpose, while recalling that event.

The media ran with a snippet of Trump’s speech that day, citing him celebrating the “very fine people” on both sides of the debate. That appeared to include the White Supremacists who gathered at a scene that left one person dead, or at least as it was framed by the corrupt press.

Except that isn’t all of what Trump said.

Here’s a fuller quote from that day.

“I’ve condemned neo-Nazis. I’ve condemned many different groups. But not all of those people were neo-Nazis, believe me. … And I’m not talking about the neo-Nazis and the white nationalists—because they should be condemned totally. But you had many people in that group other than neo-Nazis and white nationalists.” He also said, “You had some very bad people in that group, but you also had people that were very fine people, on both sides.”

When pressed on the subject, Trump elaborated further. 

"You’re changing history. You’re changing culture. And you had people — and I’m not talking about the neo-Nazis and the white nationalists — because they should be condemned totally. But you had many people in that group other than neo-Nazis and white nationalists."

The 17-member arts committee cited Trump’s “hateful rhetoric in disbanding. The group also criticized his administration for allegedly cutting funds for the arts and humanities. The latter may have merit, and it’s something the group could have worked to change while staying above the political fray. The starry group might have sought alternate funding, too, using their copious connections.

Pass the hat, guys and gals. The arts matter.

Instead, the group chose the political path based on a lie. Now, with a Democrat in the Oval Office, the assembled stars are back on the committee beat for a leader who appears unable to navigate his duties without the aide of cheat sheets and helpful rabbits.

Should a Republican re-take the White House in 2024, chances are the same arts committee will find a new excuse to take a four-year sabbatical. And, if need be, they’ll lie through their perfectly white teeth in doing so.