Story perspectives

Trump to Speak at WHCA Dinner Hosted by Mentalist?.

4/25/2026

Summary

Story summary

The 2026 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner will be hosted by mentalist Oz Pearlman, not a comedian.
U.S. President Donald Trump will attend the dinner on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at the Washington Hilton and will give a speech.
Over 350 journalists and press-freedom groups signed a letter urging the association to oppose Trump’s press-trampling efforts.
Late-night hosts Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel said they will not attend.

History

Historical Context

In June 1971 the Supreme Court, in a 6-3 opinion by Justice William O. Douglas, barred the Nixon administration from silencing the New York Times and Washington Post’s publication of the 7,000-page Pentagon Papers, the first federal newspaper restraint since Lincoln. That press-freedom precedent now underlies worries as Donald Trump plans a 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner appearance, prompting the Association of Washington Correspondents to reaffirm editorial independence.

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Story summary

The 2026 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner will be hosted by mentalist Oz Pearlman, not a comedian.
U.S. President Donald Trump will attend the dinner on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at the Washington Hilton and will give a speech.
Over 350 journalists and press-freedom groups signed a letter urging the association to oppose Trump’s press-trampling efforts.
Late-night hosts Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel said they will not attend.

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