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In a notable shift, President Donald Trump has decided to end his hiatus from the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner. This Saturday, he will make his debut appearance at the event often referred to as “the nerd prom,” where journalists gather to celebrate their profession in a slightly less glamorous version of the Oscars.
Weijia Jiang, who leads the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), expressed her excitement on X, stating, “We’re pleased the president has accepted our invitation and eagerly await his presence.” President Trump’s attendance coincides with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and he will be accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump.
However, not everyone in the media is thrilled about this development. Some journalists are uncomfortable with the idea of a jovial evening with President Trump and are calling for a protest. The question is, what form will this protest take? Will there be chants declaring the essence of democracy, or perhaps a rendition of “Which side are you on?” Maybe they’ll even perform a choreographed routine in their formal wear.
A letter circulating among media circles, signed by 250 journalists, urges the WHCA to reconsider their decision. Notable signatories include Sam Donaldson, Dan Rather, and Jackie Judd, among others, expressing their discontent with the president’s participation.
The letter states, in part:
The letter reads, in part:
To the Officers, Board of Directors, and Members of the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA):
We, the undersigned, call upon the White House Correspondents’ Association to use the occasion of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, to forcefully demonstrate opposition to President Trump’s efforts to trample freedom of the press.
The dinner has long served as a symbol of the vital and irreplaceable role of a free press in American democracy and a celebration of the First Amendment and the journalists who uphold it. President Trump’s systematic, sustained, and unprecedented attacks on the free press (detailed below) render his presence at such an event a profound contradiction of its purpose.
The collective weight of the administration’s actions — retaliatory access bands, coercive regulatory investigations, frivolous lawsuits against the press, defunding of public broadcasting, dismantling of international broadcasting, physical restrictions on journalists, personal verbal attacks on reporters, assaults on the media in official White House press releases and social media posts, the arrests of journalists, and the pardoning of those who committed violence against the press — represent the most systematic and comprehensive assault on freedom of the press by a sitting American president.
Already Terrible WHCA Appoints a New Head, and Somehow Manages to Get Comically Worse
So, President Joe Biden called lids at 11 a.m., rescinded press access to 440 media outlets, and limited press to selected outlets and pre-programmed questions. But President Donald Trump holds press scrums on the tarmac of Joint Base Andrews on the regular, and answers questions unscripted and off-the-cuff, wherever he goes. Trump also responds to journalists’ calls to his cell phone at all hours.
NEWS: President Trump just told me over the phone that he disagrees with Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s assessment that gas prices may not drop until next year.
“No, I think he’s wrong on that. Totally wrong,” Trump said.
— Julia Manchester (@JuliaManch) April 20, 2026
So, who, exactly, is a threat to the First Amendment?
Take all the seats, whiners.
There is a long tradition of presidents attending the White House Correspondents Association Dinner. But these are not normal times, and this cannot be business as usual with the press standing up to applaud the man who attacks them on a daily basis.
We understand that some journalists plan to wear pocket handkerchiefs or lapel pins with the words the First Amendment. And continuing in that spirit, we believe the White House Correspondents Association should take stronger action by issuing — from the podium — a forceful defense of freedom of the press and condemnation of those who threaten that freedom, followed by a standing toast to the First Amendment and a pledge to continue upholding such a critical cornerstone of our democracy. Speak forcefully, in front of the man who seeks to undermine our country’s long tradition of an independent, strong, and free press.
Yeah, this is gonna be brutal. Trump takes down these folks’ gotcha questions and poorly framed logic with precision. Trust me, whatever they have planned, he’ll be loaded for bear.
We also urge the WHCA to reaffirm, without equivocation, that freedom of the press is not a partisan issue and that the Association will not normalize this behavior but instead fight back against any officeholder who has waged systemic war against the journalists whose work the dinner celebrates.
The letter ends with a two-and-a-half-page laundry list of “Trump Administration’s Attack on the Free Press,” along with the 250 signatories listed alphabetically.
Here is where these fauxnalists tank their entire argument. This screed is nothing BUT partisan. Where were their protests when President Barack Obama spied on then-Fox News correspondent James Rosen and then-CBS News investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson? Non-existent. They gladly toasted and took photos with the “first Black President” because he represented their values and the correct political leanings.
The fact that the people who signed on to this letter, and those who will attend the dinner, are still publishing under their bylines or trotting on to whatever news outlet finds them interesting to spout about how terrible Trump is, is proof that the First Amendment is alive and well, and their protests are merely performative theater. The legacy media loses credibility by the day, especially when they cannot even distinguish NAFTA from NATO.
New York Times mocked for bungling meaning of NATO: ‘How embarrassing and sad’ pic.twitter.com/UkNfVkTc7Q
— New York Post (@nypost) April 3, 2026
There is real suppression of the First Amendment happening, though: look no further than California and the so-called “Stop Nick Shirley” Act that is designed to suppress independent journalism and free speech. That same Nick Shirley has done the work of helping to expose corruption and further the First Amendment, yet he has to hire personal security because he’s getting death threats. This bunch thinks they’re being targeted if their Starbucks order is wrong.
This dinner is the most vain-glorious event ever put on in DC – and that’s saying a lot.
I don’t know why any Republican would go. The press will toast itself, brag about how they are saving the republic, and only Democrats will agree.
The biggest threat to the press is the press. They’re the ones who lost their customers trust long ago.
This dinner is the most vain-glorious event ever put on in DC – and that’s saying a lot.
I don’t know why any Republican would go. The press will toast itself, brag about how they are saving the republic, and only Democrats will agree.
The biggest threat to the press is the… https://t.co/46UG4VfMm9
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) April 20, 2026
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