President Snowflake will be the first to skip the

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President Snowflake will be the first to skip the WH Correspondents’ dinner in 36 years

By Sky Palma 

Posted on February 25, 2017

For the first time in 36 years, a President of the United States will be skipping the White House Correspondents’ dinner. For the first time since Nixon, a president will being doing so in order to find a safe space.

“I will not be attending the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner this year. Please wish everyone well and have a great evening!” Trump tweeted this Saturday.

The last president not to attend the dinner was Ronald Reagan in 1981 — for good reason, considering that he’d just been shot in the chest by a would-be assassin’s bullet.

But even then, The Gipper managed to call in to the event and crack a few jokes. Some would argue that Trump’s absence is most reminiscent of Nixon’s, since both characterized the press as “the enemy.”

From NPR:

Trump’s announcement comes at a moment of high tension between the White House and many news organizations. Trump has made attacking mainstream news organizations a staple of his public remarks. Trump and his White House have accused the New York Times, CNN and others of being an “opposition party” with which he is at war.

Throughout history, many presidents still attended the event even when they were on the losing side of the public relations war. Bill Clinton attended all eight years, even after his impeachment over the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

Upon hearing Trump’s announcement, White House Correspondents’ Association President Jeff Mason issued a statement reiterating that the dinner “has been and will continue to be a celebration of the First Amendment and the important role played by an independent news media in a healthy republic.”

“We look forward to shining a spotlight at the dinner on some of the best political journalism of the past year and recognizing the promising students who represent the next generation of our profession.”

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