White House staff to skip Correspondents' Dinner after last year's controversy
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is seen at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, U.S., April 28, 2018. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein - HP1EE4U104CHW
After the controversy of last year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Trump administration officials aren’t going back for seconds.
Fox News learned Tuesday that White House staff will not be attending the annual dinner, set to be held on Saturday.
An official announcement has not yet been made. In response to the news, Olivier Knox, President of the White House Correspondents' Association, said in a statement: "We’re looking forward to an enjoyable evening of celebrating the First Amendment and great journalists past, present, and future."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}President Trump said earlier this month he would be skipping the glitzy event this year, opting instead to hold a rally in Green Bay, Wis.
TRUMP SAYS HE'LL SKIP WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER, WILL 'HOLD A VERY POSITIVE RALLY INSTEAD'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The dinner is so boring and so negative that we're going to hold a very positive rally instead," Trump said.
Trump has not attended the dinner since he took office, but had suggested he might appear this year after the organization adjusted their plans and invited Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Chernow to speak instead of a comedian.
Comedian Michelle Wolf performs at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, U.S., April 28, 2018. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein - RC155E568A20
Comedian Michelle Wolf made waves after her performance at last year’s event, where she spoke critically of the White House and specifically Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, who attended as a representative of the Trump administration.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I actually really like Sarah. I think she’s very resourceful," Wolf said at last year's event. "She burns facts and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smoky eye. Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s lies. It’s probably lies."
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"I'm never really sure what to call Sarah Huckabee Sanders," the comedian continued. "Is it Sarah Sanders? Is it Sarah Huckabee Sanders? Is it Cousin Huckabee? Is it Auntie Huckabee Sanders? Like, what's Uncle Tom but for white women who disappoint other white women?"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}While Trump has not attended the dinner as president, he has gone in the past. He was famously mocked by President Barack Obama at the 2011 dinner.
Fox News’ John Roberts and Kathleen Joyce contributed to this report.