President Trump indicated that he plans to forgo the presidential tradition of attending the White House Correspondents’ Dinner for a fourth year in a row.
In an interview with the New York Post published on Wednesday, Trump said he is “inclined toward not going” to the annual gala but didn’t completely close the door on attending “nerd prom.”
“I could change. I could change. If they treated this administration fairly, I’d change my mind,” Trump said. “But they just can’t do it. You see the hostility.”
“They want me to go. I just feel that we’re treated very unfairly by the press,” Trump said. “I don’t mind being, you know, treated properly where you do something wrong [and] they write that you did something wrong. But like, for instance, with [coronavirus] testing: No matter what I do, they will say it’s not enough.”
Trump also pushed back on the theory that he decided to run for president after being made fun of during the 2011 event, where he was ribbed for questioning President Barack Obama’s citizenship. He said Obama treated him “very nicely.”
“When I ultimately announced, people say I announced because of that night — I’m going to get even. I didn’t even think of it. It’s so ridiculous,” Trump said of the claims, calling them “made-up fiction.”
“You know, it’s funny. … That was many years ago now. That was probably 10 years ago with Obama. He treated me very nicely. You know, it was fun, but he treated me with respect,” he added.
The president did single out one person who upset him that night, comedian Seth Meyers, whom he called “marble mouth” and a “no-talent comic.”
“The guy’s got no talent whatsoever. Zero. How do these guys get jobs? I don’t get it,” he said.
“Obama treated me, you know, very good. You know, it was fun,” Trump repeated.
The dinner is hosted annually by the White House Correspondents’ Association and raises money for journalism scholarships and awards. Typically held in April, the WHCA postponed this year’s celebration to Aug. 29 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“For most of us, the COVID-19 pandemic has been the most important story of our lifetimes,” said Jonathan Karl, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, about the change of date. “We hope our rescheduled 2020 dinner will be a chance to celebrate the kind the important journalism we have seen throughout this crisis.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the WHCA for comment about Trump’s latest remarks.
