White House Correspondents’ Dinner Drops Amber Ruffin Amid Political Tensions
Washington D.C., Sunday, 30 March 2025.
The WHCA canceled comedian Amber Ruffin’s performance at the April 2025 dinner, citing a focus on journalism awards despite her prior engagement.
Breaking with Tradition
The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) announced their unanimous decision to cancel comedian Amber Ruffin’s performance on March 29, 2025, less than a month before the scheduled April 26 dinner [1][2]. WHCA President Eugene Daniels emphasized that the focus should shift to ‘awarding our colleagues for their outstanding work and providing scholarship and mentorship to the next generation of journalists’ [3]. This decision marks a significant departure from the dinner’s long-standing tradition of featuring comedic performances, which has been a cornerstone of the event since 1921 [4].
Escalating Tensions
The cancellation comes amid heightened tensions between the Trump administration and the press corps. In late February 2025, the White House took the unprecedented step of bypassing the WHCA to directly manage the presidential press pool [1]. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich publicly criticized Ruffin, describing her as ‘hate-filled’ and calling the initial selection ‘pathetic’ [2]. The controversy intensified when White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced she would not attend the gala [5].
Media Community Response
The decision has sparked significant backlash within the journalism community. Former WHCA board member April Ryan publicly apologized to Ruffin, stating ‘You didn’t deserve this’ [6]. The cancellation follows a pattern of increasing restrictions on press access, including recent moves to bar Associated Press reporters from covering certain presidential events [6]. President Trump, maintaining his previous stance from his first term, has indicated he will not attend the dinner [2].