( CNN ) -- President Barack Obama poked fun at everyone -- from his wife to Donald Trump -- during the annual White House Correspondents dinner , before ending his speech with a tribute to journalists who brave deadly conditions to get a story . No one was safe from the president 's zings on Saturday night , including Republican presidential challengers . Days after releasing his long-form birth certificate to refute claims he was n't born in the United States , the president began his address by showing what he called his birth video . But rather than footage of a baby Barack being born in Hawaii , the clip was from Disney 's `` The Lion King , '' showing the grand unveiling of the baby Simba in Africa . The speech was before a crowd of about 2,600 at the packed Washington Hilton ballroom . In addition to journalists , other attendees included Chief of Staff Bill Daley , Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Speaker of the House John Boehner . Actors , fashion icons and musicians also attended , helping set the event apart from a typical late-night dinner among politicos in Georgetown . Hollywood was represented by the likes of `` Hangover '' star Zach Galifianakis , `` Glee '' standout Jane Lynch , Jon Hamm of `` Mad Men '' fame , among others . Steven Tyler and Michael Stipe , frontmen for legendary rock groups Aerosmith and R.E.M . respectively , also mingled with the guests , as did fashion designers Diane von Furstenberg and Michael Kors . Obama then singled out an unsmiling Trump and credited him with making hard decisions -- such as firing Gary Busey over Meatloaf on an episode of `` The Celebrity Apprentice '' -- and succeeding in his push for the president to release his long-form birth certificate . `` Now , he can focus on more important matters like , did we fake the moon landing ? What really happened in Roswell ? And where are Biggie and Tupac ? '' Obama said , referring to Neil Armstrong 's 1969 walk on the moon , the alleged UFO crash in New Mexico and the deaths of rappers Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur . The president also jokingly suggested several Republicans who have signalled they might challenge him in 2012 were not born in America . He revealed that Rep. Michele Bachmann came from Canada , talked about the full name of Minnesota Gov . Tim `` Hosni '' Pawlenty , and hinted that the first language of former Utah governor , Jon Huntsman , is Chinese . Huntsman ended his tenure as Obama 's appointed ambassador to China on Saturday . `` And then there 's a vicious rumor floating around that could really hurt Mitt Romney , '' Obama said . `` I hear he passed universal health care when he was governor of Massachusetts . '' Not even his wife , first lady Michelle Obama , was immune to ribbing . Alluding to her push to promote healthy eating , the president said the two of them made a great team at the recent Easter egg roll : `` I 'd give candy ... to the kids , and she 'd snatch them right back out of their hands . '' The president concluded his presentation on a serious note with a tribute to the tornado-ravaged areas in the Southeast and to journalists who have been `` threatened , arrested , beaten , attacked and in some cases even killed '' on the job . `` No one should be silenced , '' Obama said . `` That 's what you do . And at its best , that 's what journalism is . '' The president was followed on stage by Seth Meyers , the head writer and `` Weekend Update '' anchor for `` Saturday Night Live . '' Meyers poked fun at news outlets such as C-SPAN , MSNBC , Fox News , CNN and The New York Times . He also . focused on the 2012 Republican presidential field -- a roster he said `` sounds like season 13 of 'Dancing With the Stars , ' and not the stars ( but ) the dancers . '' As is tradition , the dinner 's featured speaker did n't let the commander-in-chief off unscathed . Meyers said the one candidate who could `` definitely beat '' the incumbent was the `` 2008 Barack Obama . You would have loved him . '' The White House Correspondents ' Association dinner was Obama 's third as president . It has been a ritual in Washington since 1920 , when it was first held to boost communication between the press and the president , according to the association 's website . It was only open to men until 1962 , when President John F. Kennedy said he would not attend unless women were invited .
White House leaders ' dinner is held Saturday in October . Obama shows a clip from ` ` The Lion King , '' saying it is his ` ` birth video '' He also pokes fun at Donald Trump and Republican challengers . Speaker Bill Meyers says the ` ` of President Obama '' could beat the current edition .