Tonight is the annual White House Correspondents’ Association’s annual dinner — aka “Nerd Prom” — and once again, President Donald Trump will not be attending; instead, he’ll be at a campaign rally in Michigan.
Last year, journalists were arguing whether to disinvite the president or just cancel the whole dinner were he to RSVP. Instead, he bowed out and the show went on without him.
Is that really such a big deal? CNN’s Brian Stelter says yes, because, he just knows that while Trump skips out on the dinner he’ll be in Michigan “waging war” on the media that covers him.
"He's going to mock us for celebrating ourselves while he's celebrating himself." https://t.co/cuD2q6qV7p
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) April 28, 2018
So congrats on being just as egotistical and hypocritical as Trump. That’s a real award to carry with pride https://t.co/4pbiXyMbfr
— Orange Muppet Energy (@sunnyright) April 28, 2018
For a second straight year, President Trump is using the White House Correspondents’ Association’s annual dinner to wage his war on the reporters who cover him.
It would be one thing if he skipped the dinner to oversee crisis response or host a community service event. But instead he is counter-programming the dinner by holding a campaign rally in Washington Township, Michigan. If it’s anything like last year’s rally during the dinner, more media attacks are sure to come.
It means the black tie dinner — billed as a celebration of the First Amendment — will have a slightly different feel.
As one White House correspondent quipped at a Friday evening event, “He’s going to mock us for celebrating ourselves while he’s celebrating himself.”
The black-tie dinner might be billed as a celebration of the First Amendment, but anyone who’s watched it knows it’s a celebration of the White House correspondents in attendance and their chance to show off their celebrity guests on the red carpet.
Stelter continues:
Trump evidently believes it’s politically advantageous to snub the affair and hold a rally instead. “Big crowd tonight, will be live on T.V.,” he tweeted on Saturday morning.
He likes the contrast — pictures of journalists at a fancy party on one side, pictures of his supporters cheering for him on the other side.
So Stelter seems concerned that Trump is going to skip out on a dinner for a hostile press and then “wage war” on journalists at a campaign rally as those journalists walk the red carpet in prom wear.
Poor thing.
— JWF (@JammieWF) April 28, 2018
Boo-hoo. Have a nice dinner and get over yourselves. You, too, Don. https://t.co/Yfz6mMnbZH
— Jim Clancy (@ClancyReports) April 28, 2018
https://twitter.com/WilliamTeach/status/990328428036526080
at least you’re not mad about it, Stelter https://t.co/L63peGNceR
— LB (@beyondreasdoubt) April 28, 2018
https://twitter.com/Mkc20165Michael/status/990329176988307456
To be fair, he's the president and you are you https://t.co/YfrjskZcsj
— Robert Kroese (@robkroese) April 28, 2018
Maybe people wouldn’t dislike the media so much if it wasn’t so full of itself. https://t.co/aAOgHZLK2M
— Rᴏɢɪғᴀɴ ☔️ (@rogifan) April 28, 2018
Celebrating yourselves, as you wrote, lifting yourselves up on the level of a crisis response or a community service event as the only reason he could possibly not come to your party. So self-important, but only to yourselves. Wake up. Come down to earth, guys. Geez
— D (@Becurfur) April 28, 2018
Like Trump, I also wouldn't be interested in 'breaking bread' with people who have done nothing but denigrate me and my family and continually propagate #FakeNews about me. Stelter, you should stop feigning ignorance & innocence in this regard.
— President Covfefe (@JTPaar) April 28, 2018
Our republic's foundations literally collapsing because of the WHCD snubbing. https://t.co/uCvnfho5Z3
— Anthony Abides (@AnthonyAbides) April 28, 2018
You all are not supposed to be the story
You are supposed to find & honestly report the stories
Generally what a POTUS does is a story
Can you truly not see the difference?
— IT Guy (@ITGuy1959) April 28, 2018
Guys, really and truly, your industry convention should not include the POTUS. It looks incestuous & swampy. This tradition can end & nobody will care. Have a lovely evening.
— Jane Thurber (@ThurberTeam) April 28, 2018
Wow, it’s too bad Trump is going to miss out on seeing Kathy Griffin, who held up his bloody, disembodied head for a photo shoot, in Oscar de la Renta.
Nerd Prom is going to be like my high school prom. I wasn’t a virgin then, I’m certainly not a virgin now. One difference….this time I’ll be in vintage @OscardelaRenta instead of pink taffeta! https://t.co/NWWT7mkste
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) April 28, 2018
Related:
Journalists call for White House Correspondents' Association to send Trump to his room without dinner https://t.co/3Vl7ocyhfv
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) February 19, 2017
Join the conversation as a VIP Member