Trump might actually go to the White House Correspondents' Dinner this year


Is President Trump looking to turn this year's White House Correspondents' Dinner into an extended "I told you so"?
After he skipped the annual event two years in a row, Axios reports an "exuberant" Trump is considering attending next month. It's unclear "how serious" Trump is about going, Axios writes, but this could be the next step on what has been called Trump's "victory lap" following Attorney General William Barr release of his summary of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report. Barr said Mueller found no evidence of collusion with Russia and did not make a conclusion about whether Trump obstructed justice, while not exonerating the president on that front. The full report has not yet been made public.
Trump bucked tradition in 2017 by skipping the Correspondents' Dinner, a yearly event attended by press during which a comedian and the president deliver monologues. He was the first sitting president since Ronald Reagan not to go — and Reagan only skipped it because he had recently been shot.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump once again skipped the dinner in 2018 and subsequently complained about comedian Michelle Wolf's scathing jokes. At this year's dinner on April 27, the featured speaker will be a historian instead of a comedian, and Trump had previously suggested this might make him change his tune, tweeting in November that the change is a "good first step in comeback of a dying evening and tradition," adding, "Maybe I will go?"
Of course, the fact that he's now feeling vindicated over the Mueller report might guide the decision, too, with Trump on Tuesday declaring the media has "lost tremendous credibility" with its "corrupt coverage of the illegal Democrat witch hunt of your all time favorite duly elected president, me!"
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
The Week Unwrapped: Could AI replace catwalk models?
Podcast Plus, should countries sue each other for climate damage? And what does Grand Theft Auto 6 tell us about the video game industry?
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures Robot kickboxing, milk for a god, and more
-
Gazer: 'paranoid noir chiller' is a gripping watch
The Week Recommends Ryan J. Sloan's debut film is haunted with 'skin-crawling unease'
-
Harris rules out run for California governor
Speed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest
-
Trump sets new tariff rates as deadline nears
Speed Read New tariff rates for South Korea, Brazil and India announced
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardon
Talking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
Senate confirms Trump loyalist Bove to top court
Speed Read The president's former criminal defense lawyer was narrowly approved to earn a lifetime seat
-
Ghislaine Maxwell offers testimony for immunity
Speed Read The convicted sex trafficker offered to testify to Congress about her relationship with late boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein
-
Judge halts GOP defunding of Planned Parenthood
Speed Read The Trump administration can't withhold Medicaid funds from Planned Parenthood, said the ruling
-
Trump contradicts Israel, says 'starvation' in Gaza
Speed Read The president suggests Israel could be doing more to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians
-
Trump executive order targets homeless
Speed Read It will now be easier for states and cities to remove homeless people from the streets