Questions about President Trump’s WHCD speech cannot stop the party
On Saturday evening, attendees at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner will be awestruck by the antics of Oz Pearlman, a renowned mentalist who dazzles audiences with mind-reading tricks. Friday night they partied like they were going to see Amber Ruffin.
Ruffin, a popular comedian whose appearance on the 2025 WHCD was snubbed after she angered the White House with some podcast comments in which she called the Trump administration “kind of a bunch of murderers,” would certainly be out of place at this year’s event, which is expected to feature remarks from President Trump himself — the first time in either of his two terms that he has agreed to appear. So dinner-goers making their way through various Friday night events associated with the annual “nerd prom” used the celebrations to vent some of their concerns.
At a party supported by CAA and Vanity Fair, some talk focused on whether the president might castigate the media buying WHCD tables, and how long his comments might last. Would journalists walk away if his comments hit too hard? And would the president appear — as others have done at previous WHCDs — to present awards to journalists who have done work that investigated him or the White House or revealed unsavory things about his time there?
People who expressed their views did so on the condition that they not be identified, so as not to draw attention to themselves during a weekend that was already receiving a lot of attention.
Among those spotted at the event were CNN anchors Jim Sciutto, Elex Michelson, Wolf Blitzer and John Berman; Alex Wagner of Crooked Media; former CBS News president Susan Zirinsky; Rick Klein of ABC News; and independent journalist Don Lemon. The event took place at the residence of the Belgian ambassador.
And at a party hosted by UTA in Georgetown, some members of a crowd of attendees mused about the direction of CBS News. On Thursday, the Paramount division held a private dinner that brought together CBS News executives, Washington staffers and President Trump, who spoke for an hour, sources confirmed. Variety. The meeting, which sparked outdoor protests, took place as Paramount, led by CEO David Ellison, sought regulatory approval for its plans to buy Warner Bros. to acquire Discovery, a deal that would create a vast collection of influential but outdated media assets. Paramount and CBS News declined to comment on the event.
Spotted at the UTA celebration, held at Osteria Mozza, were CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil; Katy Tur of MS NOW; ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith; Fox News Channel’s Shannon Bream and Jimmy Failla; Gabe Gutierrez of NBC News; and CNN’s Jake Tapper.
Any celebration of journalism takes place while doubts about its future persist. Most major TV news channels continue to grapple with a growing generation of viewers drawn to digital creators and influencers: the erosion of traditional TV ratings; and the constant threat of layoffs as their parent companies struggle to position themselves in the streaming age.
And yet, more eyes, not fewer, will be on the WHCD this year. In addition to CSPAN and CNN, which Reuters has been working with for years, Fox News, MS NOW and NewsNation will also broadcast the broadcasts.
Some celebrations were less traditional. Grindr, the LGBTQ+ dating app eager to increase its influence on policy, held its own WHCD event, though CEO George Arison declined to reveal the location or discuss who might attend. Still, he noted, “Grindr is good at rallying people,” and indicated that no matter what President Trump said Saturday night, the U.S. enjoyed freedoms not always found elsewhere.
“I was born in the Soviet Union. I came to America when I was 14,” Arison said. “I lived in a country where you couldn’t say what you wanted, and one of the things that makes America great is that you can say what you want and the government can’t do anything about it.”
One of the reasons journalists and media executives still come to the WHCD in the Trump era is the opportunity to pitch. There are still firsts to promote, projects to tout, and reputations to burnish. Yep, that was CSPAN boss Sam Feist making the rounds at the CAA party with two pins on his lapel promoting his network. And yes, a wide range of top news executives were spotted throughout the evening, including Debra OConnell, chairman of Disney Entertainment Television; Mark Lazarus, CEO of Versant Media; Cesar Conde, chairman of NBCUniversal’s news operations; Rebecca Blumenstein, editorial director of NBC News; Rebecca Kutler, president of MS NOW; Almin Karamehmedovic, president of ABC News; Amy Entelis, CNN’s executive vice president of talent and development; Tom Cibrowski, chairman of CBS News; Bari Weiss, editor-in-chief of CBS News; and KC Sullivan, chairman of CNBC.
The executives know that, whatever President Trump may say, they are about to enter a generally robust cycle for the news business. Midterm elections are on the horizon, often bringing new advertising dollars and a much broader viewer base. And the results could raise stakes in Washington, which would only fuel greater ambitions.
So have another drink, folks. President Trump may cuss, shout, or even blister, but no matter what he says, and no matter how much hand-wringing the industry provokes, there is always more news to report.
