The omission of the comedy act and the participation of Trump, who regularly attacks the media, make the press and journalists present uncomfortable.image: collage watson
On Saturday, Donald Trump will make a grand appearance at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Contrary to tradition, this time no comedian was invited to poke fun at the president.
April 25, 2026, 4:28 p.mApril 25, 2026, 4:34 p.m
Aurelia END / afp
There will be a certain unrest when Donald Trump sits down for the first time at the table of honor at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, where the president is traditionally mocked in a comedy performance.
The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), organizer of this important political and media event, has this time invited not a comedian as usual, but the mentalist and magician Oz Pearlman.
translation
This text was written by our colleagues from French-speaking Switzerland and we translated it for you.
Since his return to power, the American president has relentlessly attacked the press, verbally and in court, as his allies’ influence on the media landscape increases, such as with the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) by competitor Paramount Skydance, which is controlled by Donald Trump’s close confidants, the Ellisons.
The Ellison family also owns the CBS television network, which, according to press reports on Saturday, has two of the most radical voices of the Trump presidency, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and consultants Stephen Millerinvited to his table.
The White House and the Pentagon have restricted or even stopped access to historical media, preferring instead to commentators who are MAGA supporters themselves.
The invitation to the billionaire who Journalists described as “enemies of the people”. has caused a stir in Washington editorial offices, where a open letter circulated, signed by hundreds of journalists and several associations.
Show attitude
The letter calls on members of the WHCA – which has so far avoided open confrontation with Donald Trump – to… “To speak out decisively against the man who is trying to undermine the long tradition of an independent, strong and free press in our country.”
Unlike all his predecessors since the 1920s, the billionaire has always avoided the occasion during his presidency.
His spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt announced a “very entertaining” speech by the 79-year-old Republican for the formal event.
Donald Trump will “want to voice his grievances” to journalists, predicts Robert Rowland, a communications professor at the University of Kansas. The US President’s decision to take part shows that he “feels untouchable,” said the academic.
This dinner, attended by hundreds of journalists and media managers as well as their guests from politics and business, takes place annually at the end of April. It serves as a fundraising campaign to fund the scholarships and journalism awards offered by the WHCA.
Elitist behavior
The Nerd prom (translates as much as nerd prom)as the event is colloquially known, is presented by its defenders as a celebration of press freedom.
But this evening, which will be preceded and followed by events across the city, will also be viewed as critical Expression of a culture of exclusivity by and for cronies understood.
The correspondents’ dinner has “always been a little shameful,” but this year it is “particularly embarrassing,” the magazine comments The Atlantic. A few years ago, the New York Times decided to report on the event without taking part.
In previous years, the respective US president would listen politely to the biting statements of a comedian. He then gave his own speech, also peppered with jokes and full of self-irony.
Donald Trump, who willingly humiliates his opponents but is unable to accept ridicule himself, received a few taunts from the then president as a guest in 2011.
Barack Obama
Democratic President Barack Obama mocked the former real estate developer extensively.
Donald Trump has repeatedly denied that he decided to take revenge that night to seize the White House, as is rumored in Washington.
The first Black president of the United States used all his rhetorical talents to sharply criticize Donald Trump’s penchant for spreading conspiracy theories, including those that questioned Obama’s origins and nationality.
The Democrat also took aim at the former TV host’s penchant for self-promotion and boasting.
“Say what you will about Mr. Trump, but he would undoubtedly bring change to the White House.”Barack Obama announced, before showing a picture of the famous building having been transformed into a swank Trump-branded hotel-casino.
During his second term, the Republican president decorated the White House with gold and marble, hung portraits of himself and commissioned the construction of a monumental ballroom. (dal)