White House Correspondents Cancel Comedian Booked for Annual Dinner
Here is another thing that is cut in Washington: comedy.
The association of the correspondents of the White House declared on Saturday that he had canceled a planned performance by Amber Ruffin, the actress and conductor of talk-show, at her annual black tie dinner on April 26.
A monologue of a comedian in the foreground is usually the highlight of the evening of journalists. Memorable performance of Stephen Colbert AND Seth MeyersAmong the other stars, they have turned into milestones of political satire.
But among the rock relations between President Trump and the body of the press of the White House – and numerous efforts by the Administration to undermine the media – the group of correspondents has decided to go in a different direction.
“The Board of Directors WHCA has unanimously decided to no longer present a comic performance this year,” wrote the president of the association, Eugene Daniels, to the members. “In this consequent moment for journalism, I want to guarantee that attention is not on the policy of the division, but entirely on the assignment of our colleagues for their exceptional work and providing scholarships and tutoring to the next generation of journalists.”
Mrs. Ruffin’s representatives did not immediately respond to a commentary request.
The announcement was a strong break from the position of the group in early February, when it is fuck The comic style of Mrs. Ruffin as “the ideal solution for this current political and cultural climate”.
“He has the ability to travel the border between comments and blistering humor, causing his audience to think about the important issues of the day,” Daniels said in a press release. “I am electrified and honored that he said yes.”
In the following weeks, Mr. Daniels and his colleagues members of the correspondent association were involved in various stalls with the administration. The White House Burred Associated Press Journalists to participate in certain official events and started choosing and choosing which stores have been authorized to participate In the presidential print pool, breaking for decades of the previous one.
Thursday, Mrs. Ruffin made critical comments on Trump’s White House during an apparition A daily podcast beastAt a certain point, referring to the administration as “a kind of assassin group”. He also said that the association of the correspondents had encouraged him to be fair in his satire. “They were like,” you have to be the same and make sure to give both sides “,” said Mrs. Ruffin, “and I was like,” there is no way to drive him crazy, friend. In no case. “”
His comments triggered an angry response by a deputy chief of the White House staff, Taylor Budowich, who written on x“What kind of responsible and sensitive journalist would you participate in something like that?” Saturday, after Mrs. Ruffin was dropped, Mr. Budowich report to the declaration of the association as “pathetic”.
In 2017, Trump became the first president a Jump the dinner Since 1981, when Ronald Reagan was incapacitated after an assassination attempt (although Mr. Reagan called the event from his hospital room). Mr. Trump never participated in the dinner during his first term.
In 2019, the association of correspondents opted for the first time against a comedian in 15 years and instead Booked Ron ChernowA historian and biographer, who spoke of the first amendment.
Saturday, Mr. Daniels, who recently He joined Msnbc As a correspondent, he said he spent the last two weeks “planning a reinterpretation of our dinner tradition for this year”. He has not announced an alternative speaker, but promised an evening focused on honor “journalistic excellence and an independent solid average that covers the most powerful office in the world”.
Julia Jacobs Contributed relationships.
