WASHINGTON – For the first time in his presidency, Donald Trump will break his pattern of avoiding the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, attending Saturday’s black-tie gathering that celebrates press freedom.
The annual event has traditionally welcomed every sitting president since the WHCA’s founding, making Trump’s previous absences notable departures from presidential custom. His decision to skip the dinner during his first administration and again in 2025 had marked a significant break with tradition.
Trump’s attendance this year has generated considerable buzz throughout Washington’s political circles, especially considering his ongoing tensions with news organizations. His presidency has been marked by legal battles against media companies, frequent dismissals of reporting as “fake news,” and direct confrontations with individual journalists.
His administration has taken concrete steps to limit media access, including removing the Associated Press from the White House press pool and implementing new restrictions on Pentagon reporting. Despite these conflicts, Trump has simultaneously offered journalists unprecedented access through impromptu phone conversations and frequent impromptu press encounters.
The president’s planned appearance has divided members of the Washington press community.
“Trump’s entire presidency is, of course, an affront to a free press,” stated HuffPost Editor-in-Chief Whitney Snyder in explaining her publication’s decision to boycott Saturday’s event.
More than 350 current and former media professionals, including veteran broadcaster Dan Rather, along with organizations like the Society of Professional Journalists, have signed correspondence urging the WHCA to use the occasion to “forcefully demonstrate opposition to President Trump’s efforts to trample freedom of the press.”
The correspondence mentioned plans by some attendees to display pocket squares or pins bearing First Amendment text as symbols of constitutional speech protections.
WHCA leadership defends the dinner’s mission of promoting press freedom. “As we mark America’s 250th birthday, our choice to gather as journalists, newsmakers and the president in the same room is a reminder of what a free press means to this country and why it must endure,” explained WHCA President Weijia Jiang.
“Not for the media or the president, but for the people who depend on it.”
White House officials pointed to Trump’s March 2 social media statement explaining his change of heart, where he acknowledged previously avoiding the event because the press treated him “extraordinarily bad” but decided to accept this year’s invitation.
“In honor of our Nation’s 250th Birthday,” Trump posted, “and the fact that these ‘Correspondents’ now admit that I am truly one of the Greatest Presidents in the History of our Country, the G.O.A.T., according to many, it will be my Honor to accept their invitation, and work to make it the GREATEST, HOTTEST, and MOST SPECTACULAR DINNER, OF ANY KIND, EVER!”
The dinner carries particular significance in Trump’s political narrative. His 2011 attendance as a private citizen, when then-President Barack Obama delivered pointed jokes at Trump’s expense, has become legendary among political observers. Trump’s apparent discomfort during that roasting has fueled speculation that the experience motivated his 2016 presidential campaign, though Trump has rejected this interpretation.
Saturday’s program allocates approximately 40 minutes for Trump’s address, during which he will likely address the assembled media representatives and Washington’s political establishment.
His appearance comes amid escalating disputes with news organizations. Trump’s FCC Chairman Brendan Carr recently threatened investigations against ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel over broadcast comments and suggested stations could face penalties for airing his program.
Recent reports indicate the FBI launched an investigation into a New York Times journalist following her critical coverage of the bureau’s director, though the FBI disputes the accuracy of that reporting.
Trump has pursued and resolved legal disputes with ABC and CBS’s parent company regarding their coverage, while maintaining an active lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal over reporting about a birthday message to deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein that allegedly bore Trump’s signature. A federal judge recently dismissed that defamation case.
Ironically, the Journal’s reporting on that birthday card story is among the work being recognized at Saturday’s ceremony.
The evening begins with red carpet arrivals at 5 p.m. Eastern time, with Trump’s remarks scheduled for after 10 p.m.
