The Washington, D.C. crowd has been on pins and needles for quite a while now regarding the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, also known as #NerdProm. Any other year, of course, journalists would be giddy over the idea of attending the fundraiser with their celebrity guests, but with Donald Trump in office and calling out media outlets over fake news, no one quite knew what to do.
On Friday, it was reported that CNN was “discussing internally” whether to attend. And just a week before that, ABC News’ chief political analyst floated the idea that the dinner be canceled altogether.
Cancel the dinner, boycott it, disinvite the president … what to do? Much of that hand-wringing came after Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and Bloomberg had canceled their pre- and post-dinner parties.
All press outlets should boycott the WHCA dinner until the White House's abhorrent behavior towards members of the press stops. https://t.co/w2HYO28V7X
— Mika Brzezinski (@morningmika) February 25, 2017
Speaking of hand-wringing, President Trump wasn’t doing any Saturday, using his thumbs instead to send his regrets.
I will not be attending the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner this year. Please wish everyone well and have a great evening!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 25, 2017
So, can the show go on without all the drama now? Is the question of attending no longer a moral dilemma?
WHCA statement on 2017 White House Correspondents' Dinner pic.twitter.com/mMOXaozwHj
— Jeff Mason (@jeffmason1) February 25, 2017
Trump boycotting the correspondents dinner is the biggest favor he's ever done for the media
— Matt Pearce ? (@mattdpearce) February 25, 2017
Prez just deflated the WHCD tantrum. who's gunna carry that horrible event, if he isn't there? U can have it.
— GregGutfeld (@greggutfeld) February 25, 2017
rent that tux. tell your jokes. somewhere in America, Trump's gunna do a veteran's benefit and make you look even more irrelevant. ?
— GregGutfeld (@greggutfeld) February 25, 2017
So now do all you people go to the dinner or you don't go or what who cares
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) February 25, 2017
Journalists began digging to see just how long it had been since a president had taken a pass on this long-ignored beltway tradition.
Every president has attended the dinner AT LEAST since 1981 that I can find. https://t.co/SUkbvgI45h
— Domenico Montanaro (@DomenicoNPR) February 25, 2017
President Reagan skipped the dinner, but he had a good excuse, seeing as he’d been shot in an assassination attempt.
Has a president previously skipped the correspondents dinner? After assassination attempt, Reagan still phoned in to the 1981 event https://t.co/e4yPhRPRcN
— Rebecca Buck (@RebeccaBuck) February 25, 2017
How would anyone feel about a fake president attending in honor the great work being done in the field of fake news?
My suggestion, let @AlecBaldwin play @POTUS at the dinner. Now that could work.
— AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan) February 25, 2017
Suggestion: Maybe Alec Baldwin could sub for #Trump at @WHCADinner.
— PETER MAER (@petermaer) February 25, 2017
Email from a viewer: "PLEASE, please, have Alec Baldwin invited to the White House Correspondents dinner since Trump is not going…"
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) February 25, 2017
No.
James Fallows, who blocks me, is apparently suggesting the WHCD go on with Hillary Clinton, David Souter, Alec Baldwin and Michael Dukakis!
— James Taranto (@jamestaranto) February 25, 2017
Trump blowing off the WH Correspondents Dinner. Will many guests & companies bail now? Top parties already canceled, now no big draw
— HowardKurtz (@HowardKurtz) February 25, 2017
And so endeth the White House Correspondents Dinner https://t.co/meYGeS0Bcu
— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) February 25, 2017
Death blow for embarrassing event? Pres Trump passes on White House Corresp Dinner https://t.co/nbSgeAn0J6
— Andrew Malcolm (@AHMalcolm) February 25, 2017
The WHCA dinner is from a different time, a lost time. For better–and for worse–a dead time.
— Terry Moran (@TerryMoran) February 25, 2017
Democracy dines in darkness.
The question now is whether Trump will send Pence to the dinner in his place, and if the WHCA will allow it.
— Erin McPike (@ErinMcPike) February 25, 2017
That’s odd: We’d thought the question was: “Who cares?”
The point of the White House Correspondents Association dinner isn't to honor the president. It honors journalism and the 1st amendment.
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) February 25, 2017
That would explain the president doing a stand-up act and those red carpet arrivals of Hollywood celebs, right?
I always enjoyed going to the WHCorrespondents Dinner. Would actually be far better with no president there
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) February 25, 2017
I can't quite figure out why news orgs didn't cancel weeks ago. The thing has been indefensible for years. Now look like jilted prom dates https://t.co/ToLjXDN8sz
— michael viqueira (@mikeviqueira) February 25, 2017
Isn't raising money for scholarships a defense?
— StevenHerbert (@StevenHerbert) February 25, 2017
. @StevenHerbert Sure. They should have started having (and now CAN have) the dinner w/o POTUS and movie stars.
— michael viqueira (@mikeviqueira) February 25, 2017
* * *
Update:
CBS News’ Mark Knoller drops the mic more often than he gets credit for, so it’s his turn:
Been to about 35 #WHCADinners over the years. Dont remember any speeches on 1st Amendment. Remember parking or getting a taxi were a bitch.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) February 25, 2017
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