dcexaminer #WHCA President Jeff Mason: “In fact, press access under President Trump has been very good.” #WHCD pic.twitter.com/tPIi4COHaU#W…
— (((T W))) (@timgw37) April 30, 2017
With President Donald Trump skipping the White House Correspondents Dinner for another self-promoting rally, the dinner opened with a video montage of presidents, from Nixon to Obama, articulating the fact that the relationship between the press and the White House is an important one, and without it, our democracy would be severely damaged.
In a sideways remark, Jeff Mason mentioned during the dinner’s opening that the event was sold out, and it was here to celebrate the press, not the presidency. That said, the fact was brought up that Trump has allowed a good amount of access to the press, but his attempts to delegitimize the press are simply dangerous. It took only a few minutes for Mason to say: “We are not fake news, we are not failing news organizations, and we are not an enemy of the American people.”
https://twitter.com/DaniellaMicaela/status/858498386525274113
Meanwhile, at Trump’s rally, he and his followers would call out CNN and MSNBC for being “fake news.”
https://twitter.com/Corrynmb/status/858486506742272000
The front half of the WHCD was in stark contrast to Trump’s rally, and it makes you wonder if he’ll show up next year. The first WHCD without Obama is also a reminder of simpler times when there was a sense of humor from the Leader of the Free World.
https://twitter.com/kamerontyler/status/858493322033209344
It’s a memory worth throwing some confetti in the air and celebrating.
https://twitter.com/SteveKopack/status/858471581303144455