Trump is the first president to skip the White House Correspondents' Dinner since Reagan

In the latest volley of his war on the press, President Trump tweeted Saturday evening that he will break with decades of tradition to skip the White House Correspondents' Dinner, which is scheduled for April 29.

The White House Correspondents' Association said in a statement it "takes note" of Trump's decision, but will not cancel this "celebration of the First Amendment and the important role played by an independent news media in a healthy republic." Several media outlets already canceled their pre- and after-parties in protest of Trump's behavior.

The last president to miss the dinner was Ronald Reagan in 1981; he skipped because he was recovering from being shot in an assassination attempt — but still phoned in a message.

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