Jazz Shaw:
To hear the amount of consternation coming from the cable news community you’d think that the United States was about to invade Canada. Shock waves are roiling the press over President Trump’s Twitter announcement saying that he would not be attending this year’s White House Correspondents Dinner. Could this be the end of Nerd Prom? (The Hill)
President Trump announced Saturday he will not be attending this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, which is usually attended by the president.
“I will not be attending the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner this year. Please wish everyone well and have a great evening!” Trump wrote on Twitter.
Oh, whatever shall we do? But all sarcasm aside, how is this in any way surprising? Not only is this informal evening of jokes and insider horsetrading completely outside of the Constitutional duties of the President, but it’s really of very little import to anyone outside of the Beltway. Those of us who have been around for a while are no doubt able to recall when this event received virtually zero attention even in the national press. It’s a somewhat more recent phenomenon to see clips from the various performances filling the airwaves for a few days after each event.
There’s also been a wave of criticism in recent years over the rather gaudy and frankly inappropriate nature of this meeting. It attracts a list of high profile celebrities who wind up sitting alongside both elected officials and media figures, all yukking it up while ignoring the irony of such a cozy gathering of members of the government and those whose job is ostensibly to hold them accountable. For the most part, even many of the jokes which are told fall completely flat with the average person who doesn’t spend their days and nights obsessing over what goes on inside the Beltway.
The real twist this year of course is the fact that the presumed guest of honor has a relationship with the press which is more akin to a series of drive-by shootings (from both sides) than any sort of friendly, good-natured rivalry.
these ASSHOLE humiliated, smeared him, brokered lie after lie, insulted him and his family, berated his intellect and now want a free dinner and more time to humiliated, smeared him, brokered lie after lie, insulted him and his family, berated his intellect and continue the false news in the post party press. KMA.
I think Trump made a good decision here. Why go where they hate you?
The media needs President Trump far more than he is in need of them…..