Comedian Amber Ruffin, who joked about Trump, dropped out of White House Correspondents’ dinner

The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dropped American comedian Amber Ruffin as the headliner for its annual dinner, citing ongoing tensions with President Donald Trump.
Ruffin, known for her political humour, previously criticised Trump and joked that no one would want to attend the event with him. A White House spokesman openly condemned both her appearance and the WHCA’s decision to invite her, reigniting friction between the administration and the press.
In an email to members on Saturday, WHCA president Eugene Daniels announced that the board had unanimously decided to forgo a comedic performance altogether this year.
“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,” Daniels wrote.
Further details on the April 26 dinner will be shared closer to the event, he added.
A White House spokesman dismissed the decision as “a cop-out.”
The move comes amid a widening gap between the Trump administration and the WHCA, an independent body representing journalists covering the White House. Since returning to office in January, Trump has repeatedly challenged the organisation’s authority.
In February, his administration stripped the WHCA of its near-century-old power to determine which journalists gain access to presidential events. Trump, in turn, declared that he was now “calling the shots” on media access, with the White House stating that the association would no longer hold a “monopoly” over the press pool selection process.
The press pool, a small rotating group of reporters covering the president in close quarters, including the Oval Office and Air Force One, plays a crucial role in ensuring broad media coverage of official engagements. The WHCA slammed the White House’s decision, warning that it “tears at the independence of the free press.”
Additionally, administration also barred reporters from the AP from the Oval Office and Air Force One since February as the news agency refused to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America,” as per Trump’s decree.