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

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

published 5 April 2019

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.

Subscribe to The Week

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

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

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."

Explore More

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.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox