President Trump will again skip the annual White House Correspondents dinner, but this time he’s encouraging his aides to attend.
“The White House has informed us that the president does not plan to participate in this year’s dinner but that he will actively encourage members of the executive branch to attend and join us as we celebrate the First Amendment,” said White House Correspondents Association President Margaret Talev.
She said White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders will represent the administration at the head table at the April 28 gathering, “in keeping with tradition.”
Mr. Trump, who has famously feuded with the media, became the first president in recent memory to skip the annual dinner last year. At the time, all White House staffers also boycotted the event in solidarity with the president.
The dinner celebrates award-winning reporting, scholarship winners and the vital role of the First Amendment and the free press in American democracy, Ms. Talev said.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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