The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner and its related parties are well underway in Washington — albeit with a bit less glitz and glamour than previous years.
President Trump opted against attending the annual bash amid a tense relationship with the press corps, who condemned the administration’s decision to bar the Associated Press from the Oval Office and take control of pool assignments.
Last month, the WHCA also abruptly cancelled Amber Ruffin’s expected headline performance at the dinner. The WHCA president, MSNBC’s Eugene Daniels, said the dinner at the Washington Hilton will instead primarily focus on uplifting and celebrating journalists.
“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 said in March about the decision to axe Ruffin’s set.
Trump has never attended the dinner while in office, bucking a tradition that goes back several administrations.
The red carpet for the bash kicked off at 5 p.m. while the official program begins at 9:30 p.m.
For all the latest updates, be sure to follow along below.