Donald Trump will attend the White House correspondents' dinner on Saturday for the first time as president, an event that has sparked controversy given his administration's escalating actions against the press. Over the past year, Trump has referred to a female Bloomberg News reporter as 'piggy', called news coverage of the Iran war 'almost treasonous', and threatened to jail reporters who do not reveal confidential sources. His administration has also sued news organisations including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and the BBC.
The FBI raided a journalist's home in January, the first such action in modern US history. This week, FBI director Kash Patel sued the Atlantic magazine, and the New York Times reported that the FBI began investigating a Times reporter for 'stalking' after she wrote an unflattering article about Patel's girlfriend. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has compared reporters to biblical Pharisees and accused the press of rooting against the country.
Frank Sesno, a former CNN Washington bureau chief, described the situation as 'breathtakingly bold and dangerous', noting that attending the dinner while ignoring these actions is 'unthinkable'. He is among former journalists who signed a letter calling on the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) to 'forcefully demonstrate opposition' to Trump's press attacks during the event.
The WHCA, which organises the dinner, has defended Trump's attendance, with chair Weijia Jiang stating that the gathering 'reinforces the importance of the First Amendment'. However, critics argue that the dinner should not welcome a president who has systematically undermined press freedom. Trump last attended the event in 2011, when he was roasted by then-President Barack Obama.
