Trump to attend White House correspondents' dinner for the 1st time as president
US President Donald Trump speaks during a medal of honor ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, March 2, 2026. (Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump announced he plans to attend the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner next month for the first time since becoming commander-in-chief.
Trump shared on his Truth Social account that he would be the honoree at this year’s dinner.
What they're saying:
"The White House Correspondents Association has asked me, very nicely, to be the Honoree at this year’s Dinner, a long and storied tradition since it began in 1924, under then President Calvin Coolidge," Trump said.
"For more than 100 years, the journalists of the White House Correspondents’ Association have enjoyed an evening with the president," the association’s president, Weijia Jiang, said in a statement. "We’re happy the president has accepted our invitation and look forward to hosting him."
Previous dinners during Trump’s 1st term
Dig deeper:
Trump was invited annually, but never attended the dinner during his first term and also skipped last year's gathering.
Every president since Coolidge attended the dinner except Trump – until now, that is.
What is the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner?
The backstory:
The dinner, held annually, raises funds to support the association’s scholarships and programs that promote its work.
The event is usually attended by celebrities and guests from the media.
When is the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner?
The red carpet event before the dinner begins at 6 p.m. ET and dinner starts at 8 p.m. ET.
C-SPAN will carry coverage of the event this year, according to a USA Today report.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press and USA Today. This story was reported from San Jose.