Celebrating the White House Correspondents’ Dinner for the Fifth Time

In the midst of increased hostilities between the White House and the press corps, President Donald Trump will continue his custom of skipping the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner later this month.

The White House official, who was given anonymity to discuss the president’s schedule, confirmed to POLITICO on Tuesday that the president, who declined to attend any of the dinners during his first administration, intends to skip the event once more this year.

Given that the White House has frequently attacked the press, Trump’s decision to skip the party coincides with an ongoing conflict between the administration and the White House Correspondents’ Association. Decades of tradition came to an end in February when the White House took over coordination of the press corps’ rotating pool of reporters covering the president. Additionally, the administration has singled out particular media, preventing Associated Press reporters from attending events that are pooled.

Trump’s intention to skip the dinner was initially reported by Axios.

The dinner on April 26 was already controversial because the correspondents’ association had canceled comedian Amber Ruffin’s scheduled headline performance after the comedian faced backlash from administration officials for disparaging the president.

Trump would not be attending the night’s events, as the White House had previously hinted. Some officials and conservative allies even suggested holding a rival party on the same day, which also happens to be first lady Melania Trump’s birthday.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, told former press secretary Sean Spicer on his podcast last month that she also intends to skip the dinner.