Oz Pearlman, the entertainer at this year’s White House Correspondents Association dinner, said he never had any doubt that Donald Trump would attend the annual gala scheduled for this Saturday – the first in either of the president’s terms to which he accepted an invitation.
“When I was booked, … they said to me, ‘It’s unprecedented. President Trump has never attended one of these while in office, so he probably won’t,’” Pearlman said during an April 19 interview with ABC’s “This Week.”
“And I, at that first call, said he absolutely will,” Pearlman said.
When asked how he could be so sure, Pearlman replied, “You know what I do for a living, right? I get people to do certain things.”
The correspondents association announced “Oz the Mentalist” as the entertainer in February. The selection marks a continued break from a tradition of featuring a comedian at the black-tie dinner that brings Washington journalists and politicians together for a night. The association last year canceled the scheduled appearance of a comedian, insisting that – during a time of heightened political tensions – it wanted to ensure the focus of the event remained on journalism. The choice of a mentalist this year extends that practice.
“I think it’s an incredible opportunity just in terms of being in a room full of skeptical journalists. That is my bread and butter – to amaze people that like getting to the bottom of things,” Pearlman said.
Who Is ‘Oz the Mentalist?’
Pearlman, 43, is a man of many trades. A performer, an Emmy Award winner and a New York Times best-selling author, he describes himself as a “magician of the mind.”
His love for magic began at 13, when a magician’s performance on a bar mitzvah cruise captivated him. After that experience, Pearlman sought to learn everything there was to know about magic. He attended the University of Michigan at 16 and studied electrical engineering, but he continued to practice his craft at kids’ parties and private shows.
“A lot of the skill set is very similar to engineering,” Pearlman said in a 2015 interview. “It’s about defining a problem and solving it. And most of the problems involve getting inside of people’s heads and asking, ‘How do they think?’”
After graduation, he worked as a project manager on Wall Street but kept his love for magic alive by performing for his coworkers and at corporate events. He then decided to make the switch pursuing magic full time.
He landed on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” with a performance of mentalist routines that awed the celebrity judges. Since then, Pearlman’s audience has only grown.
He accumulated over 200 television and media appearances, including on “60 Minutes,” the NFL Network and the “Today” show. Pearlman headlined an Emmy award-winning network special called “Oz Knows.”
Sign Up for U.S. News Decision Points
Your trusted source for breaking down the latest news from Washington and beyond, delivered weekdays.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you will receive the latest updates, including emails, from U.S. News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors, and you agree to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy.
Beyond the Magic
Pearlman lives in New York City with his wife and five children.
Beyond bending minds with his magic, he likes to push himself to extreme physical limits.
Pearlman was featured in The New York Times in 2022 for running 116 miles around Central Park. The same year, he broke the record for fastest crossing of Long Island on foot, running 21 hours from Montauk to Manhattan.
He’s completed several strenuous foot races, including the Badwater 135, the Hawaii Ironman World Championships, the Western States 100 and Spartathlon. His success led him to write a New York Times best seller: “Read Your Mind: Proven Habits for Success from the World’s Greatest Mentalist and an Elite Endurance Athlete.”