Donald Trump said he will attend the upcoming White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the first time he will do so as president after skipping the dinner during his first term and last year.
“The White House Correspondents Association has very kindly asked me to be the honoree at this year’s dinner, a long and recurring tradition since it began in 1924, under then-President Calvin Coolidge,” Trump wrote on his platform, Truth Social. “In honor of our nation’s 250th birthday, and the fact that these ‘correspondents’ now acknowledge that I am truly one of the greatest presidents in our country’s history, the GOAT, according to many, would be honored to accept their invitation, and work to make it the greatest, most colorful, most wonderful dinner of any kind ever!”
He added that he “boycotted” the event during his first term because of the “very bad” press coverage and “all the fake news, since the beginning of my first term.”
Trump’s decision comes after the WHCA selected mentalist Oz Perlman as this year’s featured artist, breaking with the frequent practice of having a comedian as the entertainer, which often includes an extended routine attacking the president.
Last year, the WHCA initially selected Amber Ruffin as the event’s featured artist, but she was forced to cancel her appearance in the wake of White House criticism.
Although Trump skipped WHCD when he was president, he attended several times before becoming president, most famously in 2011 when then-President Barack Obama and featured artist Seth Meyers mocked him while appearing unamused. An experience that some say may have inspired Trump’s decision to run for president for the first time in 2015.
The 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner is scheduled for April 25 in Washington.
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