Donald Trump is set to attend the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday night, and insiders told The Daily Beast that he has a “revenge” plan for the press. Trump will reportedly target publications he has accused of writing negatively about his administration, which he has labeled as suffering from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” His aides have reportedly told him he will not stay past his own speech.
Trump has a history of skipping the WHCA dinner, largely due to his unhappiness with press coverage. He told Fox News in 2024 that he had not attended because he was treated “rather rudely and crudely” by the press. “I won the election in 2016. It was one of the greatest elections ever. And you were all witness to it, and I had great – but they were so nasty,” he said.
This year is different, as Trump has confirmed he will show up. Insiders claim he plans to make a “mic-drop” exit before the entertainment begins. Mentalist Oz Pearlman will be performing at the event, replacing the usual comedian, which removes the possibility of a Trump roast from the evening’s program.
Trump’s WHCA attendance comes as press freedom tensions reach a boiling point
Trump has told aides he wants to be back in the White House before the show begins, and some on his team have reportedly joked that he should announce a major development in the Iran War the morning after the dinner. It is worth noting that Trump recently extended the Iran ceasefire at the last second after previously boasting the U.S. military was ready to act.
It is unclear whether a post-dinner announcement will actually happen, but it reflects the combative mood surrounding the event. According to Inquisitr News, more than 250 journalists have signed an open letter urging the White House Correspondents’ Association to confront Trump about his attacks on press freedom.
The letter was signed by notable figures, including former CBS News anchor Dan Rather and former ABC News White House correspondent Sam Donaldson. It called on the WHCA to “forcefully demonstrate opposition” to Trump’s efforts to limit press freedom.
The letter also noted that some reporters plan to wear handkerchiefs or lapel pins printed with the words of the First Amendment. This comes after a series of clashes between the Trump administration and various news outlets. In February 2025, the administration barred Associated Press reporters from covering Trump’s events because they refused to call the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.”
Trump has also sued the Wall Street Journal for $10 billion after it published a report on a birthday letter he allegedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein. These moves have added to the already strained relationship between the president and the press corps heading into Saturday night’s event.
Trump has faced political pushback on other fronts, too, with Virginia voters dealing a blow to Trump’s redistricting ambitions by voting in favor of a plan that benefits Democrats. The President’s decision to attend is being seen by many journalists as a direct provocation. His speech is expected to be a sharp takedown of the press, and he is likely to leave before the awards portion of the evening begins, making his exit as much of a statement as his arrival.
Published: Apr 23, 2026 04:18 pm