Republicans Urged to Stay Away from Press Dinner

[a kennedy]

6. Well there goes the comedian for the Correspondents Dinner....

The White House Correspondents’ Association is canceling comedian Amber Ruffin’s planned headline performance for its annual dinner next month, amid tensions between the association and President Donald Trump’s administration.

“The WHCA board has unanimously decided we are no longer featuring a comedic performance this year,” WHCA President Eugene Daniels wrote in an email Saturday afternoon to members, adding that the event’s “focus is not on the politics of division” but rather on honoring the work of the association’s journalists.

The decision comes after White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich attacked the association for planning to spotlight Ruffin, who has been critical of the administration.

Tensions have escalated between the WHCA and the White House, as the Trump administration has consistently attacked the press. The White House announced it would take over organization of the rotating press pool covering the president, a task historically undertaken by the association, and has barred The Associated Press from events.

Budowich slammed the WHCA’s statement scrapping Ruffin’s performance, labeling it a “cop out.”

https://l.smartnews.com/p-jVurshy/Fb4nBO