The White House Correspondents’ Association is scrapping the traditional comedy portion of its annual dinner, marking a striking departure from a decades-long practice of balancing press freedom with political satire.
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The decision comes amid heightened tensions between the Trump White House and the media, and just weeks after the WHCA announced that queer comedian and Emmy-nominated writer Amber Ruffin would headline the April 26 event in Washington, D.C.
WHCA President Eugene Daniels shared the update in a letter to the White House press corps on Saturday.
“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,” Daniels wrote. He added that this year’s event will reflect “a re-envisioning of our dinner tradition.” He said that the decision to cancel the comedy was unanimous among board members. Daniels, who covered the White House for Politico, was recently made a host at MSNBC, where he also serves as senior Washington correspondent.
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Daniels, who is gay, did not elaborate further when reached by The Advocate.
Ruffin recently appeared on a podcast in which she described the current political environment under Trump’s second term as “a rollercoaster” and “not normal.”
In response, Deputy White House Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich lashed out on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, attacking Ruffin and the WHCA. “This year’s @whca dinner will be hosted by a 2nd rate comedian who is previewing the event by calling this administration ‘murderers’ who want to ‘feel like human beings, but they shouldn’t get to feel that way, because you’re not,’” Budowich wrote. “What kind of responsible, sensible journalist would attend something like this? More importantly, what kind of company would sponsor such a hate-filled and violence-inspiring event?”
Following the WHCA's decision, April Ryan, The Grio’s longtime White House correspondent and an award-winning journalist who served a three-year term on the WHCA board beginning in 2011, shared an emotional message on Instagram directed at Ruffin.
Speaking as “one Black woman to another,” Ryan said she was outraged by how the situation was handled. She noted that Ruffin had been publicly embraced as the dinner’s entertainer just weeks ago, only to be publicly removed—an action Ryan described as humiliating and unacceptable.
While clarifying she was not part of the board’s current decision-making, Ryan expressed deep sympathy and said Ruffin had been unfairly caught in the middle of a broader fight between the WHCA and the Trump White House.
“I’m here to tell you: I’m sorry. I apologize,” Ryan said. “You didn’t deserve this.”
The WHCA dinner has been held annually since 1921. Since 1983, it has typically featured a comedic roast of the sitting president and their administration—an opportunity for sharp-edged political humor that reflects the sometimes uneasy relationship between the press and the presidency.
In February, the WHCA announced that Ruffin, who came out as queer at the end of Pride Month last year, would serve as this year’s featured entertainer. Daniels praised her at the time as “the perfect fit,” someone who could deliver “blistering commentary and humor” while provoking thoughtful engagement with serious issues.
As of Saturday afternoon, Ruffin had not responded to The Advocate’s request for comment or confirmed whether she would still appear at the dinner in any capacity.
The change comes as the Trump administration continues to take steps that press advocates say undermine the free press. Recently, the White House barred Associated Press reporters, who are now suing the administration, from covering presidential events over the outlet’s refusal to use the administration’s preferred term, “Gulf of America,” to describe the Gulf of Mexico.
AP’s lawsuit accuses the White House of “viewpoint discrimination”—punishing the organization for not using preferred political language—and raises serious First Amendment concerns. In testimony, AP journalists said the ban has severely hindered their ability to cover breaking news, cost them a $150,000 advertising contract, and chilled the tone of questions asked by others in the press corps.
The Trump White House, which has also taken steps to seize control of the press pool’s membership—traditionally managed by the WHCA—is defending the exclusion, arguing the AP has not suffered irreparable harm and can still access certain public events. U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden in Washington, D.C., has not yet ruled.
In recent weeks, the administration has added pro-Trump outlets like Newsmax and The Blaze to the press pool while barring not just AP but also Reuters. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has publicly referred to the AP as “radical left lunatics,” saying the ban would remain “until such time as they agree that it’s the Gulf of America.”
WHCA leadership has pushed back forcefully. Daniels, who is the first Black and first openly LGBTQ+ person to lead the association, has accused the administration of attempting to co-opt independent coverage of the presidency.
Trump, who was famously offended when he got roasted at the 2011 WHCA dinner by then-President Barack Obama but who refused to attend during his first term, does not plan to attend the dinner. Administration officials are also unlikely to go.
The Advocate contacted White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt for comment.
Editor’s note: Christopher Wiggins, the author of this story, is a member of the White House Correspondents’ Association.
