Trump says he's skipping the White House Correspondents' Dinner again because 'I like positive things, okay?'

President Trump is sitting out the White House Correspondents' Dinner for the third year in a row.

Trump on Friday told reporters he once again won't be going to the yearly event, which he called "so boring" and "so negative." The president also said that on that night he will instead hold one of his rallies, at which he typically rails against his Democratic foes and members of the media.

"The Correspondents' Dinner is too negative," Trump said. "I like positive things, okay?"

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

Although Trump skipped the last two dinners, there was some question as to whether that might change this year. There's no comedian this time, and a historian will speak instead; Trump had called this a "good first step in comeback of a dying evening and tradition," adding, "Maybe I will go?" Axios also reported that after the release of Attorney General William Barr's summary of the Mueller report, Trump was feeling so "exuberant" that he was thinking of going to the dinner and making it part of his "victory lap."

Apparently, his thinking has since changed, and Trump promised the counterprogramming of his rally will be "very positive." Brendan Morrow