Trump Ends Boycott, Will Attend White House Correspondents’ Dinner For First Time As President

Last Updated:March 03, 2026, 09:44 IST

White House Correspondents’ Association president Weijia Jiang welcomed Trump’s decision, saying the organisation was happy he had accepted the invitation.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he will attend the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner for the first time as president. Writing on social media, Trump said he accepted the invitation in honour of the nation’s 250th birthday and described the event as a long-standing tradition. He said it would be his honour to attend and promised to help make it “the greatest, hottest, and most spectacular dinner" ever.

End of boycott?

Trump boycotted the dinner beginning in 2017 and did not attend during either of his presidential terms until now. Before him, every president had attended the event at least once since it began in 1921. Trump had often criticised the media and previously called journalists “the enemy of the American people", citing negative coverage as the reason for his boycott. In his latest message, he said he now looked forward to attending.

Trump previously attended the dinner as a guest in 2011, when then-president Barack Obama and host Seth Meyers mocked his presidential ambitions. This year, there will be no comedian roasting the president. Instead, the White House Correspondents’ Association has invited mentalist Oz Pearlman to entertain guests.

Journalists’ association responds

White House Correspondents’ Association president Weijia Jiang welcomed Trump’s decision, saying the organisation was happy he had accepted the invitation. She highlighted the dinner’s tradition of celebrating the First Amendment and awarding scholarships to students.

Relations between the White House and the correspondents’ association have remained strained since Trump returned to office in 2025. The administration has changed long-standing press access arrangements, including management of the White House press pool and access to the press secretary’s office.

Since Trump’s return to the presidency, his allies have bought major media companies. David Ellison acquired Paramount, the parent company of CBS News, and Paramount recently made a successful bid to acquire Warner Bros Discovery, which operates CNN.

When is the dinner?

The dinner is scheduled for April 25 at the Washington Hilton. Known for humour and light moments, the event has traditionally featured a comedian, though organisers recently shifted focus towards celebrating the First Amendment and the role of a free press.

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