Donald Trump to not attend annual White House press dinner
WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he will not attend the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner, a high-profile event that draws celebrities, politicians and journalists.
"I will not be attending the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner this year. Please wish everyone well and have a great evening!", Trump wrote on Twitter.
Trump has had a strained relationship with the press calling journalists "the enemy of the people" and frequently criticising outlets and individual reporters whose coverage he does not like.
The annual dinner will be held on April 29 in Washington.
Some news outlets such as Bloomberg News and the New Yorker that typically host lavish after-parties have said they are backing out this year.
On Friday, the White House excluded several major U.S. news organisations, including some it has criticised, from an off-camera briefing held by the White House press secretary.
Reporters for CNN, The New York Times, Politico, The Los Angeles Times and BuzzFeed were not allowed into the session in the office of press secretary Sean Spicer, a decision that drew strong protests.
"I will not be attending the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner this year. Please wish everyone well and have a great evening!", Trump wrote on Twitter.
I will not be attending the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner this year. Please wish everyone well and have a great evening!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 25, 2017
Trump has had a strained relationship with the press calling journalists "the enemy of the people" and frequently criticising outlets and individual reporters whose coverage he does not like.
The annual dinner will be held on April 29 in Washington.
Some news outlets such as Bloomberg News and the New Yorker that typically host lavish after-parties have said they are backing out this year.
On Friday, the White House excluded several major U.S. news organisations, including some it has criticised, from an off-camera briefing held by the White House press secretary.
Reporters for CNN, The New York Times, Politico, The Los Angeles Times and BuzzFeed were not allowed into the session in the office of press secretary Sean Spicer, a decision that drew strong protests.
