Every year the country’s best journalists and reporters gather in the heart of Washington D.C. for the annual White House Correspondent’s Dinner. The event, ran by the White House Corespondent’s Association, an organization that represents the White House press corps features a prominent comedian who roasts the president, his administration and the press.
President Trump will not be attending this year’s gala, “continuing a boycott that began his first year in office,” according to The New York Times. However, he is actively encouraging his administration to attend.
NEW: Pres. Trump will not attend this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, WHCA says, but will “actively encourage members of the executive branch to attend.”
Press Sec. Sarah Sanders “will represent the administration at the head table.” https://t.co/w0q39QKnn6 pic.twitter.com/0nO8DiWlc0
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) April 6, 2018
White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders will be representing the Trump administration this year, and will be sitting at the head table, where presidents and first ladies have sat in years past.
Last year’s event featured Hasan Minhaj, a stand-up comedian and correspondent for, “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.” The year before that, President Obama attended his final correspondent’s dinner as president and even took the mic to make a few mocking remarks towards Donald Trump himself.
The event, which honors and celebrates the First Amendment is a stunning reminder of how powerful and important a free press is. And without a free press a democracy cannot thrive.
This year, Michelle Wolf, a regular contributor to, “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” will be the featured comedian.