The White House Correspondents Association has tabled its annual dinner event for 2021, citing pandemic conditions and the inability to host a large indoor event.
The WHCA dinner, traditionally held in April, has become an annual media event that typically includes a performance by a top comedian and a good-humored address from the sitting U.S. President. The event struggled during the Trump years given President Donald Trump’s hostility to journalists and his refusal to attend.
“We have worked through any number of scenarios over the last several months, but to put it plainly: while improving rapidly, the COVID-19 landscape is just not at a place where we could make the necessary decisions to go ahead with such a large indoor event,” the organization said in a statement. “Dinner or not, we will spend the next few months celebrating and honoring the First Amendment, the remarkable journalism produced over the last year and the promising young reporters who will serve as the next generation in our ranks.”
More to come
(Pictured: Comedian Hasan Minhaj at the 2017 WHCA dinner)