White House Correspondents’ Association cancels plans to have a comedian headline annual dinner

The White House Correspondents’ Association is reversing course and canceling its plans to have comedian Amber Ruffin headline this year’s annual fundraising dinner in Washington, DC.

The White House Correspondents’ Association is reversing course and canceling its plans to have comedian Amber Ruffin headline this year’s annual fundraising dinner in Washington, DC. Instead, the association says it will celebrate the First Amendment and the free press. “At this consequential moment for journalism, I want to ensure the focus is not on the politics of division but entirely on awarding our colleagues for their outstanding work and providing scholarship and mentorship to the next generation of journalists,” the association’s president, Eugene Daniels, wrote in a memo Saturday. He said the association’s board voted unanimously to make the change, and did not immediately announce any new speakers. The change is a tacit acknowledgment of the growing tensions between the association — which represents White House correspondents from dozens of news outlets — and President Donald Trump. The event typically features comedians, who often use the forum to roast the guests, particularly those holding office. Presidents have traditionally given light-hearted remarks at the dinner. Last year’s dinner featured remarks by “Saturday Night Live” comedian Colin Jost and then-President Joe Biden, who took jabs at Trump and poked fun at his own age.