Trump Set To Attend His First White House Correspondents' Dinner As President

President Donald Trump is group to be White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner for nan first clip arsenic commander-in-chief, surrounded by nan journalists he routinely berates and threatens.

Until now, Trump had been nan only president successful nan event’s century-long history not to be astatine slightest erstwhile while successful office. In years past, presidents person typically endured a ray roasting from nan dinner’s headliner, typically a comedian.

This year, nan correspondents’ relation opted to book mentalist Oz Pearlman. The relation besides didn’t person a comedian execute past year, alternatively focusing connected its publicity awards.

The meal comes amid nan backdrop of war pinch Iran, which has led to higher state prices astir nan world and volatility successful nan banal market. It besides comes arsenic Trump’s support standing deed a caller debased successful a recent NBC News poll, pinch 37% of respondents approving of his occupation capacity and 63% disapproving. Trump was good underwater connected his handling of ostentation and nan costs of living, pinch 68% saying they disapproved of his policies. The descent besides extends to Trump’s handling of nan Iran war, pinch 67% of respondents disapproving.

The gala is meant to observe nan nation’s astir dogged White House reporting, but Trump’s move arsenic impermanent of grant will springiness him different opportunity to aerial his grievances pinch nan journalists who screen him. He has fought pinch reporters during his clip successful office, though he's taken more fierce steps during his 2nd word by limiting entree for accepted media while boosting blimpish and pro-Trump outlets.

Trump feuded pinch The Associated Press past twelvemonth complete its refusal to rename nan Gulf of Mexico arsenic nan Gulf of America successful its stories. The White House past barred nan AP from awesome statesmanlike events, prompting a suit from nan news agency. In June 2025, a U.S. appeals tribunal ruled that Trump could prohibition nan AP from immoderate media events arsenic nan lawsuit proceeded.

Trump besides revenge a $15 cardinal defamation suit against nan New York Times complete its sum of his 2024 campaign; a national judge tossed nan lawsuit successful September, but he refiled it weeks later.

Earlier this month, a judge tossed a $10 cardinal lawsuit Trump revenge against The Wall Street Journal complete its publication of a bawdy 50th day paper he is alleged to person sent to nan precocious activity offender Jeffrey Epstein successful 2003. Trump has denied penning nan letter.

Now, Trump could beryllium coming arsenic Journal reporters receive an award Saturday nighttime for their reporting connected Epstein’s day card.

The Trump White House’s adversarial narration pinch nan property extends down nan guidance chain. Earlier this month, FBI Director Kash Patel revenge a lawsuit against The Atlantic complete a communicative alleging he drank to excess and had unexplained absences from nan bureau's headquarters. In his lawsuit, Patel denied nan allegations.

The FBI successful January searched a Washington Post reporter's location and seized her telephone and laptops as portion of an investigation into a authorities contractor accused of mishandling classified information. A judge successful February blocked nan DOJ from utilizing worldly it recovered connected nan reporter's devices arsenic portion of its case.

In March, nan Defense Department removed media offices from nan Pentagon aft a national judge sided pinch The New York Times, which had sued complete caller rules requiring journalists to motion a promise restricting their expertise to stitchery reporting. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has described U.S. media arsenic “incredibly unpatriotic.”

A fixture of Washington’s outpouring societal calendar, nan meal raises costs for nan correspondents’ association, arsenic good arsenic respective publicity scholarships.

Hundreds of journalists and their guests be each year, but nan gala has drawn disapproval from others. This year, a conjugation of publicity groups, arsenic good arsenic journalists for illustration erstwhile CBS News anchor Dan Rather and erstwhile CNN White House newsman Jim Acosta, signed a letter to nan correspondents' relation calling connected it to "forcefully show guidance to President Trump’s efforts to trample state of nan press.”

"There is simply a agelong contented of presidents attending nan White House Correspondents Association Dinner," nan missive said. "But these are not normal times, and this cannot beryllium business arsenic accustomed pinch nan property opinionated up to applaud nan man who attacks them connected a regular basis."

When Trump announced successful March that he would be nan 2026 dinner, nan correspondents' relation said it was "happy" nan president accepted nan invitation.

"For much than 100 years, nan journalists of nan White House Correspondents’ Association person enjoyed an evening pinch nan president, a meal that celebrates nan First Amendment while supporting nan activity we do including awards honoring fantabulous publicity and scholarships to thief nan adjacent procreation of reporters who someday will beryllium nan ones asking nan questions astatine nan White House,” nan group's president Weijia Jiang said successful a statement astatine nan time.

Trump's attendance appears to springiness nan greenish ray for others successful his orbit to spell to nan meal arsenic well. Taylor Budowich, a longtime Trump advisor and erstwhile lawman main of unit astatine nan White House, is group to be pinch The Associated Press, contempt nan AP's ongoing ineligible battles pinch nan administration.

"As a instrumentality aliases irony, I'll beryllium pinch The Associated Press," Budowich said Friday astatine an event hosted by Axios.

Trump whitethorn beryllium attending nan meal for nan first clip arsenic president, but he's been successful nan assemblage before.

In 2011, then-President Barack Obama and comedian Seth Meyers famously ribbed a stone-faced Trump complete his fixation connected Obama’s long-form commencement certificate. Less than a period later, Trump announced that he wouldn’t tally successful nan 2012 statesmanlike election, but nan incident is seen arsenic a marker successful nan governmental translator that culminated successful his 2016 electoral victory.