Well, that was odd. Cockburn spent Saturday evening at the Substack party, hosted at the Renwick Gallery next door to the White House. Non-alcoholic cocktails were handed out upon arrival. Great.

Leading lights of the “alternative” (read: once mainstream) media were dotted throughout the room. Cockburn spotted Jim Acosta and Michael Tracey before their now infamous clash over Tracey’s haranguing of investigative Epstein journalist Julie K. Brown. Things appeared to be shaping up for a salient White House Correspondents’ Dinner, with President Trump in attendance across town at the Washington Hilton with 2,600 journalists.

A gunman had other ideas. The Vice President, President and other top government officials were whisked away. Journalists and their guests hit the deck – and started recording. The dinner did not resume.

At the Substack party, Steve Clemons seemed to be the first to get the news. Chatter and rumors spread throughout the room. CEO Chris Best got on the microphone to tell the guests what had happened, to assure us that we were safe in the gallery and to say that no one was allowed to leave or enter. Our best course of action, he advised, was to “continue the party.” Most attendees obliged. A few took part in a macabre Cupid Shuffle in the center of the hall. Various journalists around the room were on their phones – texting friends in the Hilton, filing, editing, pretending that they had some valuable role to........

© The Spectator