The Conversation (0)
Donald Trump is set to attend this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on 25 April, marking his first appearance at the event as commander-in-chief.
The president announced his decision on his social media platform on Monday evening, stating: "The White House Correspondents Association has asked me, very nicely, to be the Honoree at this year’s Dinner, a long and storied tradition since it began in 1924, under then President Calvin Coolidge." He added that it would be his "Honour to accept their invitation," noting the event coincides with America’s 250th birthday celebrations.
Despite annual invitations, Mr Trump had consistently boycotted the dinner throughout his first term and skipped last year’s gathering. Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, welcomed the news, saying: "For more than 100 years, the journalists of the White House Correspondents’ Association have enjoyed an evening with the president. We’re happy the president has accepted our invitation and look forward to hosting him."
The event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but President Joe Biden attended each of the dinners during his term’s final three years. Until now, Mr Trump was the sole president since Coolidge not to attend at least once. Explaining his previous absence, Mr Trump wrote that "Because the Press was extraordinarily bad to me" he had "boycotted the event, and never went," but concluded: "However, I look forward to being with everyone this year. Hopefully, it will be something very Special."
The correspondents’ dinner first took place in 1921, with Coolidge becoming the first president to attend three years later. While most presidents have attended, not all did so every year of their terms. Jimmy Carter and Richard Nixon both opted out of some events, and Ronald Reagan, recovering from an assassination attempt, missed the 1981 dinner but called in from Camp David.
Before his presidency, Mr Trump was a guest at the dinner and became the subject of a memorable jest by then-President Barack Obama in 2011. Mr Obama quipped: "Say what you will about Mr. Trump, he certainly would bring some change to the White House. Let’s see what we’ve got up there."
Screens then displayed a mock White House featuring a colossal neon sign: "Trump White House Hotel Casino Golf Course," complete with golden columns and a massive chandelier obstructing the main entrance. Made years before Mr Trump entered politics, this joke has since been described as prophetic, given his extensive remodelling of the White House during his second term, drawing on his construction background.
Alterations include paving over the Rose Garden lawn for a patio reminiscent of his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. He has also affixed partisan plaques to presidential portraits along a Walk of Fame, embellished the Oval Office with copious gold decorations, and demolished the East Wing for a vast ballroom.
Upon returning from a weekend at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, Mr Trump paused to admire two new additions to the Rose Garden area: statues of Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin, erected during his absence. "Unbelievable statues. Come and look at them," he told reporters nearby.