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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 15: Amber Ruffin speaks at Variety & Rolling Stone’s 2024 Truth Seekers Summit on August 15, 2024 in New York City.
The queer comedian will roast the political class, but questions remain over whether Donald Trump will show up at the glitzy annual event.
The White House Correspondents’ Association has announced that queer comedian, writer, and television host Amber Ruffin will be the featured entertainer at its annual dinner on April 26 in Washington, D.C.
“When I began to think about what entertainer would be a perfect fit for the dinner this year, Amber was immediately at the top of my list,” WHCA president Eugene Daniels, an out gay White House correspondent for Politico, said in a statement. “She has the ability to walk the line between blistering commentary and humor all while provoking her audience to think about the important issues of the day. I’m thrilled and honored she said yes.”
Ruffin, an Emmy- and Tony-nominated writer, is best known for her work as a writer and performer on Late Night with Seth Meyers and as the host of The Amber Ruffin Show. She co-hosts CNN’sHave I Got News For You alongside Roy Wood Jr. and Michael Ian Black. Ruffing came out as queer on the last day of Pride Month last June.
“Amber’s unique talents are the ideal fit for this current political and cultural climate,” Daniels added. “Her perspective will fit right in with the dinner’s tradition of honoring the freedom of the press while roasting the most powerful people on all sides of the aisle and the journalists who cover them.”
The annual dinner, which serves as a fundraiser for journalism scholarships, has long been attended by sitting presidents. However, President Donald Trump did not participate in the event during his first term, breaking with a tradition that dates back decades.
With Trump now back in the White House, questions remain about whether he will appear at this year’s dinner, particularly given the administration’s expanded posture on press access. In 2016, while Trump was in the audience, President Barack Obama told several jokes at Trump’s expense, which he did not appear to find funny. The Advocate has contacted White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt to inquire whether he plans to attend. The WHCA has not yet confirmed the attendance of the president or other administration officials.
