The red-carpet arrival coverage begins an hour earlier, at 6 p.m. ET, and that’s where you can revel in the odd-couple pairings of Washington correspondents and their invited celebrity guests. The real action, however, begins at 7 ET, when the festivities begin. Cecily Strong from Saturday Night Live is this year’s host – and her opening act, as is customary at this event, is the President of the United States. Unlike many previous chief executives, however, President Barack Obama usually kills at this event. (And one year, regarding Osama bin Laden, shortly thereafter.)