The White House Correspondents Association has announced that comedian Amber Ruffin will not perform at its upcoming annual dinner, citing a desire to refocus the event on celebrating journalistic excellence.
This decision came after Ruffin’s recent appearance on a podcast where she referred to the Trump administration as “kind of a bunch of murderers.” She also stated that she wouldn’t adjust her jokes to target politicians from both parties, contrary to what she had been advised by the organization.
Ruffin, who writes for NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers and previously hosted a talk show on Peacock, faced backlash from supporters of the Trump administration. Former President Trump is not expected to attend the April event, which has previously featured comedians like Stephen Colbert and Colin Jost. The last time a comedian did not perform at the dinner was in 2019, when historian Ron Chernow spoke instead.
Eugene Daniels, president of the correspondents’ association, revealed over the weekend that he had been planning a “re-envisioning” of the dinner in recent weeks. “At this consequential moment for journalism, I want to ensure the focus is not on the politics of division but entirely on awarding our colleagues for their outstanding work and providing scholarship and mentorship to the next generation of journalists,” Daniels, who will host an upcoming show on MSNBC, said in a statement.
