Journalists Demand WHCA Take Stand Against Trump at Annual Dinner Amid Press Freedom Crisis

Journalists Demand WHCA Take Stand Against Trump at Annual Dinner Amid Press Freedom Crisis

More than 250 journalists sent a letter to the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) on Monday, urging the organization to use its annual dinner on Saturday to publicly oppose President Donald Trump’s attacks on the press.

The letter, signed by prominent TV news veterans including former CBS News anchor Dan Rather, former Today host Ann Curry, and former ABC News anchor Sam Donaldson, argues that the Trump administration’s actions constitute ‘the most systematic and comprehensive assault on freedom of the press by a sitting American president.’

Organizations endorsing the letter include the Society of Professional Journalists, the National Association of Black Journalists, and the National Press Photographers Association.

WHCA Urged to Break Tradition with Forceful Opposition

The letter states:

‘There is a long tradition of presidents attending the White House Correspondents Association Dinner. But these are not normal times, and this cannot be business as usual with the press standing up to applaud the man who attacks them on a daily basis.’

The letter was organized by former ABC News staffers Ian Cameron and Lisa Stark, according to the New York Times, which first reported the letter.

Trump’s First Appearance as President at the Dinner

Trump is set to make his first appearance at the dinner as president on Saturday, alongside First Lady Melania Trump and administration officials such as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was invited by CBS News.

Demands for a ‘Forceful Defense’ of Press Freedom

The letter lists nearly two dozen actions by Trump and his administration targeting journalists. Signatories asked the WHCA to issue a ‘forceful defense’ of press freedom from the dinner dias and toast to the First Amendment. They also demanded the organization pledge to ‘fight back’ against any government official who has ‘waged systematic war against the journalists whose work the dinner celebrates.’

The WHCA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House also did not respond to an immediate request for comment.