Special Poll
The upcoming White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner will no longer include a headlining comedic performance, as tensions between the press corps and the White House continue to escalate ahead of the high-profile annual event.
In an email sent to WHCA members on Saturday, Association President Eugene Daniels announced that the board had unanimously agreed to scrap the traditional comedic segment, stating that this year’s dinner would take a more serious tone.
“At this consequential moment for journalism, I want to ensure the focus is not on the politics of division but entirely on awarding our colleagues for their outstanding work and providing scholarship and mentorship to the next generation of journalists,” Daniels wrote.
He added that he had been “re-envisioning” the dinner tradition over the past few weeks and would reveal additional details soon. His aim, he said, is to center the evening on honoring journalistic excellence and reinforcing the importance of a free and independent media, especially one tasked with holding the most powerful office in the world accountable.
The decision comes after the dinner’s previously announced entertainer, comedian Amber Ruffin, stirred controversy with remarks about President Trump. Ruffin, a writer and performer known for her work on “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” was named the dinner’s headliner in early February. But just days later, during an appearance on CNN, she openly criticized Trump, saying “no one” wants him at the event.
“He’s missing out on one of the cool things about being the president of the United States. But I don’t know that anyone’s looking forward to being in the same room as him,” Ruffin said during her interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper.
Her comments, while in line with her comedic persona, reportedly heightened existing tensions between the press and Trump’s inner circle. In the past, Trump has skipped the WHCA dinner altogether, citing what he calls media bias and unfair treatment, and has shown little interest in mending relations with journalists or participating in the event’s traditional satire.
The WHCA dinner has long walked a fine line between levity and gravity serving both as a celebration of the First Amendment and a chance for the political and media elite to share a rare lighthearted evening. But this year’s shift suggests that the stakes around journalism and press freedom are being taken more seriously in the current political climate.
For now, the focus will return to the core mission of the dinner: recognizing the work of journalists, supporting scholarships, and showcasing the press’s essential role in a democracy. But the absence of comedy, a hallmark of the event, leaves an open question about whether the dinner will retain its unique character or whether political pressure and deepening divides are reshaping even Washington’s most iconic traditions.