President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he accepted an invitation to this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner. It would mark the first time Trump has attended the dinner, in either term, since he’s been president.
Trump announced the decision in a social media post to his Truth Social account on Monday evening. He mentioned the country’s 250th celebration in explaining his choice to attend the dinner.
“The White House Correspondents Association has asked me, very nicely, to be the Honoree at this year’s Dinner, a long and storied tradition since it began in 1924, under then President Calvin Coolidge,” said Trump. “In honor of our Nation’s 250th Birthday, 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 White House Correspondents’ Association was founded by journalists on Feb. 25, 1914, according to its website. The first-ever White House Correspondents’ Dinner was held in 1921 and is known for its light-hearted, jovial nature, self-deprecating humor, comical jabs, and an evening “full of satire and poking fun at the White House and Congress.” President Calvin Coolidge was the first president to attend the event in 1924, establishing an annual tradition.
Trump was the first president not to attend since Coolidge. He has claimed the media has been consistently biased against him since he’s entered politics. He has regularly labeled media outlets and reports as “fake news” during his press conferences and interviews. He cited the media’s treatment of him as the reason for not attending previous dinners.
“Because the Press was extraordinarily bad to me, FAKE NEWS ALL, right from the beginning of my First Term, I boycotted the event, and never went as Honoree. However, I look forward to being with everyone this year. Hopefully, it will be something very Special.”
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This year’s dinner is scheduled for April 25 at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, said she was glad Trump has decided to attend this year’s event.
“For more than 100 years, the journalists of the White House Correspondents’ Association have enjoyed an evening with the president, a dinner that celebrates the First Amendment while supporting the work we do, including awards honoring excellent journalism and scholarships to help the next generation of reporters who someday will be the ones asking the questions at the White House, Jiang said in a statement. “We’re happy the president has accepted our invitation and look forward to hosting him.”
