White House staff members will skip the annual correspondents’ dinner out of “solidarity” with the president, the White House Correspondents Association said Tuesday.
Trump announced last month that he would not be attending the April 29 dinner, but wished everyone well and said to “have a great evening!”
WHCA President Jeff Mason said the organization "regrets this decision very much."
“We have worked hard to build a constructive relationship with the Trump White House and believe strongly that this goal is possible even with the natural tension between the press and the administration that is a hallmark of a healthy republic," he said in a statement.
While Trump did not give a specific reason for his absence at this year’s dinner, his relationship with the press has been particularly rocky.
In a February interview with Fox News the president said “I just thought it would be better if I didn’t do it this year.”
He did not rule out attending the event in the future, however.