Washington’s annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner—often marketed as a springtime fixture with journalists in formalwear—has become a flashpoint after President Donald Trump was expected to attend the event this weekend, adding a new layer of scrutiny to what many reporters call the industry’s “nerd prom.”
The pressure around the dinner comes as Trump’s administration continues to face criticism from major outlets over access and accountability, following a second term marked by court fights involving The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Associated Press, along with restrictions on press access to the Pentagon, according to the Associated Press report. In that context, the possibility of reporters toasting and laughing alongside the president has raised questions about whether attendance undermines the press’s role or instead creates an opening for direct confrontation.
Lisa Stark, a former ABC News reporter, said the moment around the correspondents’ dinner is unusually consequential. She said: “This is sort of a critical moment for these dinners and it will be interesting to see what happens going forward,” according to the Associated Press story.
The scrutiny has also turned into organized pressure. Stark and longtime colleague Ian Cameron have circulated a petition urging journalists who attend Saturday to “speak forcefully” in defense of the press with Trump in attendance. Dan Rather and former ABC White House reporter Sam Donaldson are among more than 350 former journalists listed as signing the petition, and reporters have discussed the possibility of visible protest symbols such as lapel pins touting the First Amendment.
The dinner’s optics are not entirely new. The AP report noted that Calvin Coolidge was the first president to attend in 1924, and that presidents and chief executives often appear because they are expected to handle the jokes that the event’s comedians deliver. Trump attended in 2011, the report said, when he sat in the audience as President Barack Obama’s barbs played out. This would be Trump’s first attendance as president, according to the report.
Kelly McBride, NPR ombudsman and head of the Poynter Institute’s ethics and leadership center, said the decision to attend should be read as part of a broader insult cycle for journalists. McBride wrote last week that “The only thing more insulting for the press than Trump not coming is Trump coming,” the AP report said, reflecting a concern about how participation could be interpreted by audiences at home.
Other former journalists have argued that attending alongside Trump risks undercutting the press’s credibility. Former AP White House reporter Ron Fournier wrote on Substack that “This man mocks you, sues you, and targets you for prosecution,” and he added at the end of his post: “and you’re having dinner with him?” The AP report also said HuffPost’s top editor wrote that HuffPost journalists would not attend Saturday as a protest, while WHCA President Weijia Jiang, CBS News’ correspondent, had no immediate comment, according to the Associated Press.
For those less concerned about the optics, Todd Gillman offered a different rationale. Gillman, now a journalism professor at Arizona State University, told the AP report that it was not the press’s job to make news itself by snubbing Trump, saying the president “will make news either way depending on what he says there.” Gillman also pushed back against a “misperception” that correspondents are honoring Trump simply by attending the dinner with him.
Beyond the debate over symbolism, the AP report described possible awkward moments tied to awards and scheduling. The correspondents’ dinner includes recognition for journalists and news organizations, some of which Trump has criticized; the report pointed to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, and noted the Wall Street Journal is being honored for a story about Trump’s birthday message to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein—about which Trump sued the newspaper. The AP, which is battling Trump in court over access, is also expected to attend, according to the report.
The AP story further said CBS owners Paramount are reportedly hosting a separate dinner Thursday honoring Trump at an Institute of Peace that was renamed for Trump last year. The report said Paramount is awaiting government approval of its deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery. It also said journalists have discussed whether news organizations might be watched for administration officials sitting at their tables as guests, including a reference to CBS News reportedly inviting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Despite the concerns, the AP report cited journalists who said the dinner can still serve professional purposes. Todd Gillman, for example, said earlier that his approach to invitations and contacts can matter for future reporting, telling the AP report that he has brought ambassadors from Mexico as guests and that networking can help a reporter in a local setting. NPR journalist Eric Deggans wrote on Substack that he got an interview with media mogul Byron Allen after making a connection at the WHCA dinner, according to the AP report.
Gillman told the AP report that even if reporters are not seated with administration officials, the event can still offer access to sources in a more informal setting. He said: “Even if you’re not sitting with an administration official, you have the opportunity to walk up to someone, say hi, break the ice and give them a business card,” and added: “It puts a face to the name, so maybe they’ll return your call the next time.”