Trump Says He Won't Attend White House Correspondents Dinner
by-
Trump has been critical of media in first month of his term
-
Journalists, politicians, celebrities mingle at ‘nerd prom’
President Donald Trump said he won’t attend this year’s White House Correspondents Association Dinner on April 29, following weeks of attacks on news organizations that included calling them “the enemy of the American people.”
“I will not be attending the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner this year. Please wish everyone well and have a great evening!” Trump said Saturday on Twitter.
In his first month in office, Trump has made attacks on the media a signature policy of his administration. On Friday, his spokesman Sean Spicer held a briefing for reporters that excluded news organizations including the New York Times and CNN that have written stories critical of the president. That followed a Conservative Political Action Conference speech in which Trump again lashed out at what he calls “fake news.”
The annual WHCA dinner -- dubbed “nerd prom” -- is a fundraising event where Washington’s journalists hobnob with politicians and celebrities. The correspondents association was founded in 1914 after President Woodrow Wilson threatened to do away with news conferences. The group started the annual dinner in 1921 and presidents have traditionally attended.
‘Healthy Republic’
“The WHCA takes note of President Donald Trump’s announcement on Twitter that he does not plan to attend the dinner, which has been and will continue to be a celebration of the First Amendment and the important role played by an independent news media in a healthy republic,” Jeff Mason, the group’s president, said in a statement. “We look forward to shining a spotlight at the dinner on some of the best political journalism of the past year and recognizing the promising students who represent the next generation of our profession.”
As it has grown in size and celebrity, the dinner has been criticized as illustrating a too-cozy relationship between journalists and politicians, undermining the news media’s role as a government watchdog.
Before entering politics, Trump attended in 2011 and was famously roasted by both then-President Barack Obama and comedian Seth Meyers.
Obama said Trump “would certainly bring some change to the White House,” showing an image of the residence with golden pillars and a sign that said “Hotel - Casino - Golf Course - Presidential Suite.”
Trump later said he “loved that evening” and that Obama did “a good job with it.”