Trump Set To Skip The White House Correspondent’s Dinner For Fifth Time

President Donald Trump has once again announced that he will not participate in the upcoming White House Correspondents’ Dinner scheduled for April 26.

During his first term, Trump skipped the event annually, though that didn’t stop the White House Press Association from featuring outspoken anti-Trump personalities who often used the platform for politically charged commentary. In response, Trump famously hosted the “fake news awards,” spotlighting what he deemed the most egregious examples of media misinformation and fabricated narratives surrounding his administration.

Trump’s continued absence underscores the persistent friction between his administration and the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA).

Back in February, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed that the administration would assume control over the pool reporter rotation—effectively allowing the White House to decide which journalists would travel with the president and report on events limited to pooled press access.

Additionally, the White House suspended the Associated Press from the pool coverage following the outlet’s refusal to endorse Trump’s proposal to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.

In recent years, the Correspondents’ Dinner has come under fire from critics who argue it has devolved into “left-wing activism masquerading as comedy.”

Many observers trace a pivotal moment in Trump’s political journey back to the 2011 dinner, when then-President Barack Obama delivered a pointed monologue mocking Trump, who was in attendance. The segment concluded with a stinging declaration that Trump would “never get there,” referring to the presidency.

Trump’s boycott this year follows the removal of Amber Ruffin—a known anti-Trump comedian—from the headline spot. Ruffin reportedly intended to emulate Michelle Wolf’s infamous 2018 appearance. Her controversial approach often blurs the line between comedy and far-left rhetoric.

Ruffin sparked backlash in 2020 after Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted for shooting three individuals during the Kenosha riots. On her show, Ruffin criticized the jury and called the presiding judge “racist,” delivering her monologue through quivering emotion as she insisted on her “responsibility to say things that people need to know but aren’t being said.”

A Daily Beast report claimed that Ruffin had plans to accuse the government of being a “bunch of murderers.”

“This year’s @whca dinner will be hosted by a 2nd rate comedian who is previewing the event by calling this administration ‘murderers’ who want to ‘feel like human beings, but they shouldn’t get to feel that way, because you’re not,’” a Trump Administration official posted on social media. “What kind of responsible, sensible journalist would attend something like this? More importantly, what kind of company would sponsor such a hate-filled and violence-inspiring event?”

Several other senior Trump officials, including Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, have also opted out of attending the annual gala.

“This is a group of journalists who’ve been covering the White House for decades,” Leavitt told former press secretary Sean Spicer on his podcast. “They started this organization because the presidents at the time were not doing enough press conferences. I don’t think we have that problem anymore under this president.”

Meanwhile, new data presented by CNN’s political analyst Harry Enten shows a dramatic shift in voter alignment during Trump’s era.

On a Friday segment with anchor Kate Bolduan, Enten disclosed that polling data suggests the Republican Party now holds equal footing with Democrats when Americans are asked which party “cares more about the needs of people like you.”

“Throughout all of this, one big question has been and continues to be how much pain are Americans—will Americans have to endure in this trade war, and how much will they be OK enduring,” Bolduan introduced, before turning it over to Enten.

“This to me is one of the most shocking pieces of poll data that I truly truthfully have seen this year or maybe in any prior year,” Enten stated.

Looking at past data, Enten noted: “Democrats always lead on this question. Back in 2017, before the 2018 midterms, 13-point lead. Two thousand five, a 23-point lead for Democrats. In 1994, which was a big Republican year, a 19-point lead for Democrats.”

“And now all of a sudden, a tie. All of a sudden, the Democrats, who were the party of the people, no more — no more,” he said. “We get a tie on this question on a question that has traditionally overwhelmingly been a Democratic advantage — people for — party — which party cares more for the needs of people like you.”

He concluded, “It’s truly something I would not have expected to see, especially after this tariff war had begun.”