White House Correspondents' Dinner names mentalist Oz Pearlman as 2026 host

The White House Correspondents' Dinner has chosen mentalist Oz Pearlman to serve as the 2026 host, shifting from the event's usual practice of naming a comedian. The White House Correspondents Association said Pearlman will offer an interactive, magic-focused evening.

The White House Correspondents' Dinner has tapped mentalist Oz Pearlman as its host for 2026. The event customarily names a comedian as master of ceremonies, but organizers said this year will lean toward a performance centered on mentalism and interactive magic. The White House Correspondents Association highlighted the evening as a celebration of the First Amendment and Washington news coverage. The announcement comes as the dinner’s atmosphere in recent years has shifted amid changing relationships between politicians and entertainers. Key details: - Oz Pearlman, described by organizers as a leading mentalist, will be the featured entertainer at the 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner. - The association said Pearlman’s act will focus more on magic and interactive elements than the sharp comedic monologue that has often been part of the dinner. - Pearlman is an Emmy Award winner and a New York Times best-selling author, and he has compared the event to performances by past entertainers. - The dinner frequently selects a comedian for the master of ceremonies; past performers and hosts cited in announcements include figures such as Seth Meyers and Trevor Noah. - Organizers noted the choice comes amid a different tenor in Washington, including the fact that President Donald Trump has regularly skipped the dinner since his first term. Summary: The selection of a mentalist marks a notable departure from the dinner’s recent practice of choosing comedians and reflects a different tone for the event this year. Undetermined at this time.