Trump To Boycott White House Correspondents’ Dinner Again, Sarah Huckabee Sanders To Attend In His Place

President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will once again not be attending the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, however, he is “actively encouraging” members of his administration to attend the event.

The president urged those who work alongside him to go to the dinner in celebration of the First Amendment.

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For many, the president skipping another correspondents’ dinner was no surprise. The gala, broadcast live each year, hosts an array of journalist, politicians and comedians. The sitting president is typically roasted by the speakers. Trump has shown thin skin and little ability to laugh at himself during his first year in office. He has actively complained over Twitter of the “biased” coverage he receives from the press.

This year, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders will be seated where the president and first lady are typically placed. This year’s host will be Michael Wolf, the contributor to The Daily Show With Trevor Noah – not the author of Fire and Fury, who enraged the president with his tome.

The last president to skip a White House correspondents’ dinner was President Ronald Reagan, who was recovering from an assassination attempt at the time.