Thomson Reuters
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he will not attend the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner, a high-profile event that draws celebrities, politicians and journalists.
“I will not be attending the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner this year. Please wish everyone well and have a great evening!”, Trump wrote on Twitter.
Traditionally US presidents are guests of honour at the event and are subject to mockery during a “roast” by an invited comedian.
However, Trump has a strained relationship with the press calling journalists “the enemy of the people” and frequently criticizing outlets and individual reporters whose coverage he does not like.
His decision to shun the event led to immediate calls for actor Alec Baldwin, who regularly imitates the president on the satirical show Saturday Night Live, to replace him.
“Time to suit up,” Scrubs actor Zach Braff tweeted at Baldwin, while songwriter Diane Warren added: “Oh pleeeeeez Alec Baldwin go as trump at Correspondents Dinner!!!!”
The annual dinner will be held on April 29 in Washington.
Some news outlets such as Bloomberg News and the New Yorker that typically host lavish after-parties have said they are backing out this year.
On Friday, the White House excluded several major U.S. news organizations, including some it has criticized, from an off-camera briefing held by the White House press secretary.
Reporters for CNN, The New York Times, Politico, The Los Angeles Times and BuzzFeed were not allowed into the session in the office of press secretary Sean Spicer, a decision that drew strong protests.
(Reporting by Mike Stone and Andy Sullivan in Washington; Editing by Mary Milliken)
