Trump avoids Correspondents’ dinner hosted by Hasan Minhaj
President Trump will not be making an appearance at one of the biggest events of the year, the White House Correspondents’ dinner.
The event, which is packed with comedy and often targets the head political figure with brilliantly harsh satire, will not see the newly inaugurated President’s attendance.
Trump announced his intentions to not attend the dinner, which is due to take place on Saturday evening, in late February.
“I will not be attending the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner this year. Please wish everyone well and have a great evening!” he wrote in a tweet at the time.
The president will instead be in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania rallying with supporters of the administration.
White House staff will also skip the event in a “show of solidarity” with Trump.
It is believed that the President’s lack of attendance will alter the atmosphere of the dinner entirely, as attendees put a spotlight on current press and politician relationships.
The event, which is set to be hosted by The Daily Show’s Hasan Minhaj, allows media outlets to hose celebrities and politicians alike and usually targets the current political climate.
This year the dinner will focussed on the First Amendment and the role of press within democracy.
The last time a president declined to attend the dinner was in 1981, when Ronald Reagan was recovering from an assassination attempt.
Hasan Minhaj is a championed LGBT rights advocate and has been a passionate Trump critic, as he himself is a child of Muslim-Indian immigrants.
