Overview

• President Donald Trump skipped the first White House Correspondents' Dinner of his second term, continuing his absence from the event during his presidency.
• WHCA President Eugene Daniels emphasized that journalists are neither 'enemies of the people' nor 'enemies of the state' during his remarks at the event.
• The dinner, traditionally featuring a presidential roast, instead honored journalistic excellence in a subdued atmosphere, with comedian Ruffin's performance canceled weeks earlier.
• The Trump administration has revoked the WHCA’s long-standing authority to select press-pool members and barred Associated Press journalists over a naming dispute involving the 'Gulf of Mexico.'
• The Associated Press has filed a lawsuit against the White House, arguing that the access restrictions violate constitutional press freedoms.