White House correspondents' dinner scraps plan for comedian to host

[highplainsdem]

Source: Washington Post

Comedian Amber Ruffin’s headlining performance at the annual White House correspondents’ dinner was canceled Saturday, a day after a member of the Trump administration accused her of being “hate-filled” and took aim at the association that puts on the event for booking her.

Ruffin, who hosts a show on Peacock and is a longtime writer for “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” was removed after a unanimous decision by the nine-member executive board of the White House Correspondents’ Association, according to WHCA President Eugene Daniels. The WHCA has hosted the celebratory dinner featuring journalists and high-profile guests since 1921.

-snip-

But on Friday, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich took aim at Ruffin after the Emmy- and Tony-nominated writer appeared on the Daily Beast podcast to discuss her plans for the event and called members of the Trump administration “kind of a bunch of murderers.”

-snip-

In response, Budowich called Ruffin a “2nd rate comedian” in a post to X.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/2025/03/29/white-house-correspondents-dinner-comedian/

---

WTH, WHCA? This is cowardice, pure and simple. Bending the knee to the wannabe dictator you should be challenging.

You're dealing with a president who pardoned the thugs who wanted to hang Mike Pence during their violent attack on the Capitol. A president who traffics in hate and has repeatedly called for violence.

And you fold like a house of soggy cards when one of that psycho's flunkies says Amber Ruffin would make your dinner a "hate-filled and violence-inspiring event" - which is BS.

[SheltieLover]

1. No way would I have canceled anyone! They are complicit in coddling the slob

[brush]

3. Yep, they're caving to trump too.

[SheltieLover]

7. Sickening!

[Bluetus]

33. I can at least understand why big law firms feel like they have to cave.

There is absolutely no reason for the correspondent's association to cave for anything. They should have just gone forward with the event without Trump.

[brush]

37. Yep, trump being there would cast a pall over the whole event.

He's not needed...in the WH either btw.

[OhioTim]

57. Agree 100%

No reason for journalists to be involved with a criminal at a "dinner". They should have a dinner to honor journalists who are being harassed (soon to be jailed) by Trump. I wouldn't want to be in the same room as the POS.

[Bluetus]

58. The major media desperately wants to normalize Trump every step of the way

Maybe that is their way of believing they are still relevant and still doing journalism.

[Ocelot II]

2. Another group of supposed guardians of freedom folds like a cheap lawn chair.

Whom will they hire instead? Joe Rogan?

[Wiz Imp]

13. Rodney Dangerfield died 20+ years ago

And it is a massive insult to him to mention him as if he's in the same boat as the others you mention.

[EarthFirst]

19. Perhaps my response wasn't as clear as it should have been...

It wasn’t to implicate comparative political ideology (or mortal existence) of any of them; rather these particular styles of comedy that would be good takedowns directed towards TSF.

Not everything I say always lands…

[erronis]

23. Didn't see your deleted post but appreciate your response. We don't always connect as we wish!

[NotHardly]

60. Republicans have no sense of humor, thus the disinvite.

[magicarpet]

4. Bring in a mortuary director with a bitting sense of humor who is not a MAGA.

[proud patriot]

5. trump is such a lilly livered coward

[ShazzieB]

47. So true!

A lily livered coward with skin as thin as tissue paper!

Schlump still hasn't gotten over Obama making fun of him back in 2011! 14 years later, and he's still butthurt about it.

[Iamscrewed]

6. Dictatorship

Being a good comedian in an authoritarian atmosphere is bad for your health.

[highplainsdem]

9. Amber isn't afraid. Nor are other comedians. The journalists on the WHCA board apparently are,

and that's shameful.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

62. Welcome to DU

[BidenRocks]

10. Amber says What?

I guess we won't know.
Budowich can fuck off!

[msongs]

11. they can invite gavin newsom with his recently launched promotion of right wing ideology (giving voice

to fascist ideology on his podcast that is)

[mahatmakanejeeves]

12. On 2 October 2018, Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident journalist ...

Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi

On 2 October 2018, Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident journalist, was killed by agents of the Saudi government at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.

[erronis]

24. Thank you for bringing us back to reality. The very unpleasant truth of Khashoggi's murder.

[Midnight Writer]

14. Comedians seem to be the only ones brave enough to publicly point out the obvious danger we are all in.

[ShazzieB]

49. Comedians, and also political cartoonists - who are comedians of another sort.

Both use the weapon of humor to shine a light on extremism and injustice!

[soldierant]

50. That's been true through all recorded history.

It was always the jester (or "the fool&quot who could speak truth to power and live.

I have a lot of respect for comedians.

[Midnight Writer]

15. Maybe they can still get Rob Schneider, if he's not already booked at The Kennedy Center.

[BidenRocks]

45. Is Joe Piscopo still doing what he does? nt

[generalbetrayus]

16. Conservative comedy is an oxymoron.

Comedy is based on irony, and if today's "conservatives" understood irony, they would never be a "conservative".

[John1956PA]

18. Correct. Years ago, there was a RW "comedy" platform which quickly failed.

It consisted of nothing more than remarks disparaging Dem politicians, followed by choruses of laughter. There was no wit or cleaverness to the so-called humor.

[erronis]

25. That would involve "self reflection". Not in their bag of capabilities.

[electric_blue68]

17. I Wonder Why. Ah, yes, Mr Thin-Skinned! Love Amber!

[Evolve Dammit]

20. Colbert knocked it out of the park when W was in office. If you haven't seen it, it's worth viewing. n/t

[kimbutgar]

21. I guess I won't be watching it this year!

The recent dinner with Conan O'Brien was too much for them I guess !

[swong19104]

22. Maybe they can resurrect Andrew Dice Clay

but insist that he only insults the TCF during the whole event.

Is he even still alive?

[erronis]

26. How about Scaramucci? Or Michael Cohen?

I'm sure they'll give the crowd some good zingers.

The list goes on - all the (r)epugs who left the ship as trump took the helm. (Yessir, Cap'n Queeg.)

[NotHardly]

27. F*cking cowards

[Montauk6]

28. Tony Henchcliffe's fee was too high?

[Karasu]

30. LOL!!!!

[Karasu]

29. No surprise there. Comedy is no friend of incompetents and fascists, and that includes literally everyone there.

[ReRe]

31. This really pisses me off!

I have always made it a point to catch that Correspondent's Dinner every year! Trump won't be there anyway, right?
Shame on the group's leaders for buckling. They should cancel the whole thing!
This proves one thing: Free Speech is gone!

[red dog 1]

32. Another victory for VonShitzInPantz

The people behind the White House Correspondents Dinner are cowards!

[bronxiteforever]

34. Regime media association.

[nilram]

35. Unanimous?!! Lilly-livered, spineless rat fonks!

With apologies to rats for the comparison.

[CountMyVote4Reality]

36. Who are the WHC these days?

Are they all part of the WHCA?
Since the AP has been kicked out of the WH, can their reporters still be members of the WHCA?

From what I’ve seen of the latest WH press conferences, the newly sanctioned correspondents from the Trump leaning blogosphere and marginal cable outlets seem to bring their own comedy schtick when called upon.

A comedian seems like an unnecessary expense these days.

[robleb]

38. SNOWFLAKE TRUMP

baby with a fragile ego

[Rebl2]

39. I don't

know why they even bother with it anymore. Bet many journalists don’t show up this year.

[ToxMarz]

40. I'm sure a couple hours of billionaires kneeling and

kissing trump's ring would be an acceptable format for TSF.

[orleans]

41. i haven't seen amber ruffin for quite awhile but every time i saw her on seth meyers i thought she

was really funny and adorable.

i think they should get a mortician to replace her; that's more trump & crew's speed and mindset these days (just like amber said, they're "kind of a bunch of murderers" )

or maybe a marlon brando/godfather impersonator

[IcyPeas]

55. She is in the new show "Have I Got News for You" CNN Saturday evenings

Here's a clip from today's show.

[orleans]

59. i loved this! thanks for the link -- i hope i can find more of these shows. nt

[dflprincess]

42. It will be interesting to see if Seth Meyers brings this up Monday night

or perhaps has a special edition of "Amber Says What".

[BidenRocks]

46. Note they announce this

while late night is dark. They hope we will forget this contemptable act.
Like the Signal chat crimes, we will not!
Seth is back after 2 weeks off.
I am positive we will find out What! is going on.

[JohnSJ]

43. Remember who is capitulating before this fascist regime, and NEVER

trust them again.

It is also clear that it will be up to “we the people” to take our country back.

[LudwigPastorius]

44. They're all afraid of being A.P.ed and tossed from the press pool.

These reporters, and their bosses, need to make a decision. What is more important, maintaining access to the White House, or refusing to enable, and comply with, a neo-Nazi regime?

Do they think it is really that necessary to report the official White House lies?

[Figarosmom]

48. Why is the press even

Doing this. If they like dressing up and all the Fanfare just have a charity ball for all those organizations that musk shut down and skip this bs.

[newdeal2]

51. The event should be cancelled forever

Along with that stupid Al Smith dinner.

[Initech]

52. Hilarious that the guy painted as Rambo is the most thin-skinned crybaby on the planet

[Mawspam2]

53. Cancel the Nerdprom.

Spineless stenographers should instead hold a telethon for billionaire corporate media CEOs getting butthurt when their deals get cancelled by the FCC.

[struggle4progress]

54. Why we need a white history month

[scarletlib]

56. Cowards.

[sakabatou]

61. From what I remember isn't the WHCD supposed to be a semi-roast?

It's supposed to be funny. It's supposed to bring levity. It's not supposed to be kissing someone's ass.

[moniss]

63. The correct response to him would have been

"If she were 2nd rate she would be perfect to comment on a 3rd rate Deputy Chief of Staff".

[LetMyPeopleVote]

64. trump lacks a sense of humor

trump does not want to be laughed at. This is sad