Trump to attend White House Correspondents' Dinner for first time as president
Trump announced Monday he will attend the April 25 event, ending a yearslong boycott that began during his first term.
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President Donald Trump announced Monday that he will attend this year's White House Correspondents' Association dinner on April 25, marking his first attendance at the event as president.
Trump made the announcement in a post on his Truth Social platform, stating that the White House Correspondents Association had invited him to be the honoree. He said he accepted "in honor of our Nation's 250th Birthday" and cited the press corps's acknowledgment of his presidency.
"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!" Trump wrote.
Trump boycotted the dinner throughout his first term and during the first year of his second term, which began in January 2025. Before Trump, every sitting president had attended the dinner at least once since the event's inception in 1921, according to sources. The tradition began under President Calvin Coolidge in 1924.
The annual event is a black-tie awards ceremony and fundraising dinner for journalism scholarships. Since 1983, the dinner has featured a roast-style format in which a comedian makes jokes about the administration. The sitting president typically delivers a humorous speech that often includes self-deprecating humor.
Trump previously attended the dinner as a guest in 2011, when then-President Barack Obama and host Seth Meyers made jokes about him and his presidential ambitions at the time.
The dinner is known for its tradition of poking fun at presidents and their policies. Trump's decision to attend represents a departure from his previous stance toward the event and the press corps, whom he has frequently criticized as "enemies of the people."