Amid escalating tensions between the White House and the press corps, President Donald Trump will maintain his practice of not attending the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner later this month. A White House official, who requested anonymity to discuss the president’s schedule, confirmed to POLITICO on Tuesday that Trump, who opted out of all dinners during his first term, plans to forgo the event again this year. This decision aligns with the ongoing discord between the administration and the White House Correspondents’ Association, particularly following the White House’s recent assumption of control over the press corps’ rotating pool of reporters covering the president, effectively ending decades of tradition. Furthermore, the administration has targeted specific media outlets, barring Associated Press reporters from attending pooled events. Trump’s decision to skip the dinner was first reported by Axios. The event on April 26 has already stirred controversy, as the correspondents’ association canceled comedian Amber Ruffin’s scheduled performance after she faced criticism from administration officials for her remarks about the president. As previously indicated by the White House, Trump will not participate in the evening’s activities. Some officials and conservative supporters have even proposed organizing a competing event on the same day, which coincidentally is also the birthday of First Lady Melania Trump. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, mentioned on former press secretary Sean Spicer’s podcast last month that she too plans to miss the dinner.
Celebrating the White House Correspondents’ Dinner for the Fifth Time
