The White House Correspondents' Dinner has been an annual tradition for years as the media and the White House get together to roast one another and have a few laughs. However, due to Donald Trump's feud with the press, the president will once again be skipping the event.
Trump skipping White House Correspondents’ Dinner https://t.co/VWCt9tkrEc pic.twitter.com/9nUn9SvGNl
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) April 6, 2018
Trump on media
It started the day Donald Trump announced his plan to run for president back in June 2015. After insulting illegal immigrants from Mexico by labeling them "rapists" and "murderers," Trump found himself in a constant clash with the majority of the mainstream media.
With the exception of the conservative-leaning Fox News, the former host of "The Apprentice" has made it a routine to bash the press, often lashing out on his Twitter feed. With the White House Correspondents' Dinner taking place later this month, many wondered if Trump would show up after skipping last year's event.
Sarah Sanders will represent Trump at White House Correspondents' Dinner https://t.co/522UWxxAmU pic.twitter.com/6vxOZnXgMN
— The Hill (@thehill) April 6, 2018
According to the Washington Examiner, Donald Trump said that he would not be in attendance after doing an interview on the April 6 broadcast of the "Bernie & Sid in the Morning" radio show. "I probably won’t do it," Trump said, referring to the press and the dinner as "so bad" and "so fake." "In many cases they literally make up sources," he added, before comparing reporters to "novelists" who create their own stories.
Sanders filling in
The White House Correspondents' Association confirmed the news in a statement by their president Margaret Talev. "The White House has informed us that the president does not plan to participate in this year's dinner," the statement read. "In keeping with tradition, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders will represent the administration at the head table," Talev noted.
While the news doesn't come as a major surprise, it only highlights the wide political divide in the country, as well as between the press and the president.
Do you believe that the Fake News Media is pushing hard on a story that I am going to replace A.G. Jeff Sessions with EPA Chief Scott Pruitt, who is doing a great job but is TOTALLY under siege? Do people really believe this stuff? So much of the media is dishonest and corrupt!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 6, 2018
Trump's media attack
Not long after the news broke about the dinner, Donald Trump returned to Twitter to double down on his attack on the media.
"Do you believe that the Fake News Media is pushing hard on a story that I am going to replace A.G. Jeff Sessions with EPA Chief Scott Pruitt, who is doing a great job but is TOTALLY under siege?" Trump tweeted, before adding, "Do people really believe this stuff? So much of the media is dishonest and corrupt!" Trump's anger and frustration at the media has only increased in the year that he's been president and doesn't look to be coming to an end anytime soon.