Trump Ends Boycott And Agrees To Attend Correspondents’ Dinner

After years of open warfare with much of the legacy media, President Donald Trump says he’s ready to take center stage at one of Washington’s most press-heavy traditions.

In a post on Truth Social announced that he has accepted an invitation to attend this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner ending a five-year boycott of the event.

“The White House Correspondents Association has asked me, very nicely, to be the Honoree at this year’s Dinner,” Trump wrote, referencing the long-running tradition that dates back to 1924 under President Calvin Coolidge.

“It will be my Honor to accept their invitation, and work to make it the GREATEST, HOTTEST, and MOST SPECTACULAR DINNER, OF ANY KIND, EVER!” he added.

Trump famously skipped the dinner throughout his first term and into the beginning of his second, citing what he described as relentless hostility from the mainstream press.

“Because the Press was extraordinarily bad to me, FAKE NEWS ALL, right from the beginning of my First Term, I boycotted the event,” Trump wrote.

The White House Correspondents’ Dinner has long been billed as a lighthearted evening where journalists and the president exchange jokes. Yet for Trump, whose relationship with many media outlets has been openly combative, the event became symbolic of broader tensions between his administration and what he often calls the “fake news” establishment.

The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), founded in 1914, organizes the dinner annually. Over the past century, nearly every sitting president has attended at least once.

CBS News senior White House correspondent :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}, who currently serves as WHCA president, welcomed the president’s decision.

“For more than 100 years, the journalists of the White House Correspondents’ Association have enjoyed an evening with the president,” Jiang said. “We’re happy the president has accepted our invitation.”

Trump also noted that 2026 will mark America’s 250th anniversary a milestone he has repeatedly emphasized as a defining moment for the country.

The United States will celebrate its semiquincentennial next year, commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Planning for nationwide celebrations is already underway, with federal and state governments coordinating events.

Trump framed his return to the correspondents’ dinner as part of that broader moment of national pride.

“It will be something very Special,” he wrote.

The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is often described as Washington’s version of prom night a mix of journalism awards, political speeches, celebrity appearances, and comedy.

In recent years, the event has drawn criticism from both sides of the aisle. Some argue it blurs the line between watchdog journalism and social club familiarity. Others view it as a rare opportunity for civility in an increasingly polarized capital.

Trump’s attendance is almost certain to drive heightened interest. The dinner typically draws hundreds of journalists, lawmakers, and guests, along with millions of online viewers.

Whether the evening unfolds as playful banter or pointed satire remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: with Trump in the room, it will not be a quiet affair.

After years of boycotts and bitter exchanges, the president appears ready to face the press corps head-on and, if his social media post is any indication, he plans to make it memorable.

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