The White House Correspondents’ Association announced this week that the organization’s 2019 dinner would be eschewing tradition by not selecting a comedian as the featured speaker, but instead, will feature writer and historian Ron Chernow. The move comes in the wake of criticism over 2018’s featured speaker, Michelle Wolf, whom many thought was too harsh, particularly when it came to her remarks about White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
President Donald Trump, who has not attended the Correspondents’ Dinner since taking office, predictably had some “executive time” thoughts about the WHCA’s decision. Trump has always had a precarious relationship with the event, ever since Seth Meyers relentlessly mocked him at the 2011 dinner.
“So-called comedian Michelle Wolf bombed so badly last year at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner that this year, for the first time in decades, they will have an author instead of a comedian,” Trump tweeted on Tuesday evening. “Good first step in comeback of a dying evening and tradition!”
So-called comedian Michelle Wolf bombed so badly last year at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner that this year, for the first time in decades, they will have an author instead of a comedian. Good first step in comeback of a dying evening and tradition! Maybe I will go?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2018
“Maybe I will go?” he added, undoubtedly in an effort to leave people on the edge of their seats.
Wolf later responded to the president’s tweet, and she went scorched earth, referring to his statement on siding with Saudi Arabia over the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
“I bet you’d be on my side if I had killed a journalist,” she tweeted, adding First Lady Melania Trump’s anti-bullying hashtag, #BeBest.
I bet you'd be on my side if I had killed a journalist. #BeBest https://t.co/bZ91Cg0QCr
— Michelle Wolf (@michelleisawolf) November 21, 2018
It should come as little surprise that Wolf was declared winner of this round by Twitter, including Washington Post Global Opinions editor Karen Attiah, who tweeted, “Laughing and crying rn.”
Laughing and crying rn
— Karen Attiah (@KarenAttiah) November 21, 2018
https://twitter.com/ira/status/1065228526058700800
— Imani Gandy (Orca’s Version) ⚓️ (@AngryBlackLady) November 21, 2018
Brevity and the right side of history are the soul of wit.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) November 21, 2018
— D. Marie (@deebethree) November 21, 2018
https://twitter.com/danieljpowell/status/1065226188254269440
https://twitter.com/safecampdana/status/1065223625664593920
https://twitter.com/MollyJongFast/status/1065232799555338240
https://twitter.com/goldietaylor/status/1065236982119448581
This gotta hurt more than eating an entire Trump Tower Taco Bowl pic.twitter.com/8BbtqEBzwc
— Momus (@momusllc) November 21, 2018
In other words — you come at the queen, you best not miss.