WASHINGTON (Reuters) — US President Donald Trump, famous for his clashes with reporters and denunciations of the “fake news” media, will attend the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Saturday — his first time as president.

Every year since its inception, the WHCA has invited the sitting president to its annual celebration of press freedom. Except for Trump, all have attended at some point during their presidencies.

After Trump boycotted the black-tie event in his first term and in 2025, his participation this year has become both the subject of surprise and high anticipation in Washington, particularly given the president’s combative, complicated relationship with the press.

He has filed lawsuits against media outlets, dismissed coverage as “fake news” and personally attacked journalists. His administration banned the Associated Press from the White House press pool and restricted reporters’ access at the Pentagon, among other moves.

Yet, he also provides reporters with far more access than his recent predecessors, regularly speaking to journalists on his cell phone and answering their questions during frequent press appearances.

Some within Washington’s press corps object to Trump’s presence at the Washington Hilton on Saturday.

“Trump’s entire presidency is, of course, an affront to a free press,” HuffPost Editor-in-Chief Whitney Snyder wrote in a column explaining the outlet’s decision to skip the dinner.

Over 350 individual former and current journalists, including former network news anchor Dan Rather, as well as groups including the Society of Professional Journalists, signed a letter calling for the WHCA to use the dinner as an opportunity to........

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