WHCA Drops Amber Ruffin Performance at Annual Dinner

The White House Correspondents’ Association has canceled plans to have comedian Amber Ruffin perform at its annual dinner on April 26, a new sign of the pressures being brought to bear on news organizations during President Donald Trump’s second term.

The journalism group, which has seen its control over interactions with Trump eroded in recent weeks, made the decision after Taylor Budowich, a White House deputy chief of staff, raised comments Ruffin has made in the past that are critical of Trump. Earlier this week, Ruffin told a podcast backed by The Daily Beast that she would not try to make sure her jokes targeted all sides of the political spectrum as the WHCA had requested, and likened the Trump administration to “kind of a bunch of murderers.” Playing to both sides “makes them feel like human beings,” she said, “cause they’re not.”

Ruffin, who first came to notice as a writer and contributor to Seth Meyers’ “Late Night” on NBC, has in recent years hosted her own program on NBC’s Peacock streaming service and, more recently, worked as a featured player on CNN’s “Have I Got News For You,” a topical comedy program that airs on Saturday nights.

“The WHCA board has unanimously decided we are no longer featuring a comedic performance this year. At this consequential moment for journalism, I want to ensure the focus is not on the politics of division but entirely on awarding our colleagues for their outstanding work and providing scholarship and mentorship to the next generation of journalists,” WHCA president Eugene Daniels wrote to members in a statement.

“For the past couple of weeks, I have been planning a re-envisioning of our dinner tradition for this year,” he added. “As the date nears, I will share more details of the plans in place to honor journalistic excellence and a robust, independent media covering the most powerful office in the world

President Donald Trump will not be attending the dinner.

Daniels, who is about to a launch a career as an MSNBC anchor, seemed very supportive of Ruffin just a few weeks ago. “When I began to think about what entertainer would be a perfect fit for the dinner this year, Amber was immediately at the top of my list,” he said in February, when the decision to have Ruffin host the dinner was announced.

The annual WHCA dinner often spurs lots of media attention and comedians ranging from Seth Meyers to Roy Wood Jr. have tilted at both the press corps and the presidents they cover. During Trump’s tenure, however, the comedy has also generated controversy. In 2018, comedian Michele Wolf drew pushback after a series of jokes and remarks that poked more than an elbow in the ribs of her targets. “I think she’s very resourceful, like she burns facts and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smokey eye,” said Wolf of Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House Press Secretary. ” Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s lies.” And, Wolf on the media: “He has helped you sell your papers and your books and your TV. You helped create this monster and now you are profiting from him.”

But the WHCA dinner has always been a minefield. In 2006, Stephen Colbert sparked a controversy by speaking about then-President George W. Bush, all in the manner of the bloviating talk-show host he portrayed on Comedy Central’s “Colbert Report.” “I stand by this man,” Colbert told the audience. ” I stand by this man because he stands for things. Not only for things, he stands on things. Things like aircraft carriers, and rubble, and recently flooded city squares. And that sends a strong message: that no matter what happens to America, she will always rebound — with the most powerfully staged photo ops in the world.”

Rich Little, the affable comedian and impressionist, was tapped for the event in 2007.

Things seem to have gotten worse with Trump. In 2019, after the Wolf appearance stirred rebuke, the WHCA hired biographer Ron Chernow to give remarks. He may best be known as the author of a history of Alexander Hamilton that was used as source material for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s famous musical about the politician. The choice marked the first time since 2003 that a comedian was not utilized.

The WHCA has long managed seating arrangements at the White House during briefings and a “pool” feed that gives members details on the President’s movements and remarks so that they are always covered. But the Trump administration has taken over many of those duties, deciding for itself which outlets get entry to the White House and Air Force Once. In some cases, non-traditional media outlets with less credibility have been elevated to positions on par with those of NBC News and The New York Times, among others.