Trump decides to skip White House press dinner

[rooster59]

Trump decides to skip White House press dinner

By Mike Stone and Andy Sullivan

 

U.S. President Donald Trump points to the media up as he walks on the South Lawn upon his return to the White House in Washington, U.S., February 24, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he would not attend the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, a high-profile event that draws celebrities, politicians and journalists.

"I will not be attending the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner this year. Please wish everyone well and have a great evening!", Trump wrote on Twitter.

On the campaign trail and in the White House, Trump has had a strained relationship with the press, calling journalists "the enemy of the people" and frequently criticizing outlets and individual reporters whose coverage he does not like.

The reporters' group said it would go ahead with its April 29 dinner despite Trump's absence. The Washington event typically draws movie stars, politicians and business leaders to hear a humorous speech by the sitting president.

The dinner "has been and will continue to be a celebration of the First Amendment and the important role played by an independent news media in a healthy republic," said Jeff Mason, a Reuters White House correspondent who heads the association this year.

Ronald Reagan was the last president to sit out the event after he was shot in 1981.

Some news outlets such as Bloomberg News and the New Yorker have said they will not host the lavish after-parties that have been a fixture of past events.

On Friday, the White House excluded several major U.S. news organizations, including some it has criticized, from an off-camera briefing held by the White House press secretary.

Reporters for CNN, The New York Times, Politico, The Los Angeles Times and BuzzFeed were not allowed into the session in the office of press secretary Sean Spicer, a decision that drew strong protests.

The event occasionally makes news: in 2011, President Barack Obama delivered a scathing evisceration of Trump, joking that the mogul, who sat stone-faced in the audience, would move on from questioning Obama's citizenship to figuring out "did we fake the moon landing."

Critics say the event encourages journalists to cosy up to politicians they should cover aggressively.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-02-26

 

 

[bannork]

He likes to dish it out but when it comes back he just can't take it.

What a wimp he is!

[Enoon]

 

Leaving the door wide open for some wag to book an impersonator for some "entertainment".

 

 

[pitrevie]

They should get Alec Baldwin to do it instead.

[rijb]

They're going to cut him to shreds, whether he's there or not.  He'll be watching.  

[simple1]

Trump is eviscerating US traditions - should resign or at the very least fire Bannon.

[stevenl]

He'll be in Mar el Lago for a long weekend at the tax payers expenses.

[darksidedog]

"The Washington event typically draws movie stars, politicians and business leaders to hear a humorous speech by the sitting president."

And so the antaganism with the Press continues.

Probably best he doesn't attend as the only Joke Donald knows is himself.

Plus you can see the number of people attending from the top ranks of society being record lows, as many will boycott attendance.

Can't have CNN reporting such a thing can we?

Too much fake news out there already. Is this guy a pussy grabber, or just a pussy?

 

 

[al007]

1 hour ago, stevenl said:

He'll be in Mar el Lago for a long weekend at the tax payers expenses.

Give the man a break, if he was out to fleece the US why does he NOT take the salary that goes with the job

 

Unlike many countries he was voted in by a democratic election, and a system that has been in place for a very long time

[Andaman Al]

Many reporters have said that this is a good thing. At the end of the dinner there is a toast to 'The President" and many have said they simply would not stand and toast a man that has called the media the 'enemy of the American People'. It would not be appropriate for this President to attend this dinner. I look forward to watching it each year and wondered what was going to happen this year, well now all questions are answered. It is a pity as the reason for the dinner is to act as a fund raiser for scholarships for up and coming journalists and once again Trump tramples on tradition. The press will make it their mission to savage this guy and it is thoroughly deserved.

[Andaman Al]

5 minutes ago, al007 said:

Give the man a break, if he was out to fleece the US why does he NOT take the salary that goes with the job

 

Unlike many countries he was voted in by a democratic election, and a system that has been in place for a very long time

You have got to be kidding us! He says he won't take his 170K a year salary yet makes that each week just on rentals of Trump Tower offices to his security team. I really wonder sometimes.

[White Christmas13]

He is to busy enjoying a good time with Obama

 

 

 

[Ken Khomdee]

Smart man. he probably wants to eat with these people as much as I would want to eat with many of the people on here. Press on Mr. President, there are far better ways to spend your time!

[Srikcir]

The Correspondence Association is relieved of Trump's absence.

Some members and celebrities weren't going to attend because of Trump.

And the end of the dinner it was traditional to toast the president. Trump won't have to endure a break with that tradition.

 

[klauskunkel]

Quote

Trump decides to skip White House press dinner

Maybe he had a burrito, that can fill you up

[JulesMad]

Arrogant coward! He thinks he is better than everyone.....

 

Even for presidents there are rules and conventions/traditions; everyone has to attend events sometimes against their will (e.g. family-in-law visits, certain parties, work-related obligations, etc)

 

The sooner he disappears, the better it is for usa, the World and humanity...

[pitrevie]

32 minutes ago, Ken Khomdee said:

Smart man. he probably wants to eat with these people as much as I would want to eat with many of the people on here. Press on Mr. President, there are far better ways to spend your time!

 

I agree and the fact that its on a Saturday when they know full well that he will be Mar-a-Lago playing golf.

[pegman]

2 hours ago, al007 said:

Give the man a break, if he was out to fleece the US why does he NOT take the salary that goes with the job

 

Unlike many countries he was voted in by a democratic election, and a system that has been in place for a very long time

The salary is peanuts compared to the stock fluctuations from his lunatic statements.

[smotherb]

1 hour ago, al007 said:

Give the man a break, if he was out to fleece the US why does he NOT take the salary that goes with the job

 

Unlike many countries he was voted in by a democratic election, and a system that has been in place for a very long time

Well, I think he does not take a salary because he gets people like you to think he is doing something great for the US, even when he pays no taxes.

The current salary of the POTUS is $400k a year—which is chicken feed for Trump.

 Investopedia says his worth is $3.5B that is Three and a Half Billion Dollars; although Trump claims $10B.

Even at the meager amount of $3.5B; if you figure he can earn only 5% on that money properly invested and without paying taxes, he would make $175 million a year.

That is $14.583 million per month, or $479, 452 per day—Four Hundred Seventy-Nine Thousand, Four Hundred Fifty-Two Dollars PER DAY. 

So, not taking the POTUS salary of $400k/year means Trump will have to suffer through on only $79, 452 for one day.

[pegman]

12 minutes ago, JulesMad said:

Arrogant coward! He thinks he is better than everyone.....

 

Even for presidents there are rules and conventions/traditions; everyone has to attend events sometimes against their will (e.g. family-in-law visits, certain parties, work-related obligations, etc)

 

The sooner he disappears, the better it is for usa, the World and humanity...

Well he skipped out on doing his duty during the Vietnam War era because of sore feet so he has stayed a consistent coward.

[smotherb]

That's probably the smartest thing he has done since getting elected. The press would tear him apart with "fake" news.

[dundas]

52 minutes ago, Ken Khomdee said:

Smart man. he probably wants to eat with these people as much as I would want to eat with many of the people on here. Press on Mr. President, there are far better ways to spend your time!

I agree. It's really just a ritual. There are better ways of spending his time.  Like answering questions from the press about the Russian connection, maybe ...

[FritsSikkink]

2 hours ago, Andaman Al said:

You have got to be kidding us! He says he won't take his 170K a year salary yet makes that each week just on rentals of Trump Tower offices to his security team. I really wonder sometimes.

A lot of the Trump supporters have an IQ way below the average

[JHolmesJr]

5 hours ago, rooster59 said:

"I will not be attending the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner this year. Please wish everyone well and have a great evening!", Trump wrote on Twitter.

 

Excellent….I suspect Mr Trump has neither the patience nor the aptitude to be "standup in chief" the way his predecessor was.

[JHolmesJr]

39 minutes ago, pegman said:

The salary is peanuts compared to the stock fluctuations from his lunatic statements.

It is wonderful as it exposes the stock market to be nothing but a sham…anything that fluctuates for no reason than what someone says clearly has no logical, rational foundation.

[pegman]

Just now, JHolmesJr said:

It is wonderful as it exposes the stock market to be nothing but a sham…anything that fluctuates for no reason than what someone says clearly has no logical, rational foundation.

Absolutely, that's always been the case. 

[Jack100]

Perhaps he's afraid that someone will question his birthright ..........

[Grouse]

Trump has neither the intellect nor the wit to give a speech at the event.

[Jingthing]

It's an ironic, though predictable, twist considering the credible theories that the reason trump ran for president in the first place was because Obama HUMILIATED trump at a press correspondent's dinner. It's well understood trump hates being humiliated more than anything else, but bully in chief that he is, REVELS in humiliating others. (Ask Chris Christie.)

 

 

Edited February 26, 2017 by Jingthing

[bumling]

1 hour ago, JulesMad said:

Arrogant coward! He thinks he is better than everyone.....

 

Even for presidents there are rules and conventions/traditions; everyone has to attend events sometimes against their will (e.g. family-in-law visits, certain parties, work-related obligations, etc)

 

The sooner he disappears, the better it is for usa, the World and humanity...

He is better than everyone,thats why he is the president.(google democracy)