When the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) initially revealed that comic Amber Ruffin would headline their esteemed annual dinner, they anticipated her roasting powerful figures across all political spectrums as well as the journalists who cover them. Recently, however, comments Ruffin made regarding the Trump administration led to her unexpected replacement. On a podcast last week, Ruffin referred to the Trump administration as a “bunch of murderers,” indicating that her primary comedic focus would be on Trump himself.
The WHCA’s president, Eugene Daniels, emphasized a shift in focus for the event, explaining that this year’s dinner, set for April 26, would aim to honor journalistic excellence without comedic performances. Daniels, soon to be an MSNBC weekend show host, avoided directly mentioning Ruffin’s comments in his formal statement and did not respond to requests for clarification.
Held annually, the dinner typically sees journalists bringing entertainers as their guests. Past events have featured renowned comics like Stephen Colbert, Colin Jost, and Trevor Noah. Notably, in 2011, Donald Trump, then known for “The Apprentice,” attended as a guest, enduring jokes from the stage with a stoic demeanor delivered by President Barack Obama and Seth Meyers. The absence of a comedian at such a gathering has been rare, last occurring under Trump’s presidency in 2019 when historian Ron Chernow was a speaker.
Amber Ruffin, also known for her writing contributions to NBC’s Seth Meyers and appearances on CNN’s “Have I Got News For You,” discussed on “The Daily Beast” podcast her challenge with being impartial in her humor. She stated that requiring a balanced critique of both political sides was unachievable from her perspective. Ruffin suggested that the Trump administration lacked a sense of humor, saying they often get their feelings hurt when they are the subject of jokes. The extent of her transparency to the correspondents’ group about her stance was unclear, and NBC did not comment on the matter.
In the meantime, Samantha Bee, who co-hosted the podcast episode with Ruffin, agreed with her standpoint, emphasizing that it shouldn’t be about being evenhanded in comedic critique. Taylor Budowich, a deputy chief of staff at the White House, responded by labeling Ruffin a “second-rate comedian” and shared her podcast remarks on social media platform X, questioning the judgment of journalists attending the event under those circumstances.
Daniels, in a statement issued on Saturday, shared that he had been planning the reimagining of this tradition for weeks, aiming to spotlight awarding journalistic contributions and reinforcing scholarship and mentorship for future journalists. Budowich criticized the WHCA for ignoring Ruffin’s statements, expressing that the association had become irrelevant and diluted.
The White House administration has recently pushed for control over areas traditionally managed by the correspondence group, such as press pool participation and seating arrangements within the White House press room. A legal dispute arose when the Associated Press was barred from certain presidential events for its refusal to adhere to Trump’s renaming of the Gulf of Mexico, dubbing it the Gulf of America in their Stylebook.
Ruffin’s withdrawal from the event became a polarizing discussion point online. Critics of the WHCA accused it of yielding to Trump’s influence, while Trump supporters welcomed Ruffin’s departure. On ABC’s “The View,” co-host Sara Haines voiced a preference for a comedic angle, suggesting Ruffin’s inclusion might have led to a contentious atmosphere.