White House Correspondents’ dinner cancels comedian Amber Ruffin’s appearance

In a break with tradition, this year’s White House Correspondents dinner will not include a featured comedian.

The White House Correspondents’ Association, which represents journalists who cover the White House including those at NPR, has canceled writer and comedian Amber Ruffin’s scheduled appearance at the high-profile event.

In a statement emailed to its members on Saturday, WHCA President Eugene Daniels said his organization’s board unanimously decided to do without a comedian at this year’s April 26 dinner in Washington, D.C.

“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,” he said. 

The decision comes nearly two months after Daniels announced Ruffin’s appearance in an email to members, stating the entertainer was “the ideal fit for this current political and cultural climate.”

Previous entertainers include Trevor Noah, Roy Wood Jr. and Colin Jost. The event also went without a comedian in 2019, when historian Ron Chernow gave the keynote speech.

Ruffin’s representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The annual White House dinner has been going since 1921. U.S. presidents usually attend, though President Trump chose not to during his first term in office. In 2019, Trump instead hosted a political rally in Wisconsin.

It remains unclear as to whether Trump will make an appearance this time around. In February, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced she doesn’t plan to attend.

The WHCA has had a longstanding role in managing the presidential “pool” — the group of journalists who regularly cover the president. In late February, the White House announced it would bypass the association and manage the pool unilaterally.

The event has become controversial for the appearance of coziness between the White House and the media. Demonstrators have staged protests outside the venue in recent years, including over the war in Gaza in 2024 and over fossil fuel drilling in 2023.

In a statement on the WHCA website following the announcement, Daniels said: “The WHCA will never stop advocating for comprehensive access, full transparency and the right of the American public to read, listen to and watch reports from the White House, delivered without fear or favor.”