FLASHBACK: Obama tried to make Trump a punchline at 2011 dinner before rise stunned Washington President Donald Trump will attend the White House Correspondents’ Dinner for the first time as commander-in-chief. His attendance follows years of absence, largely due to a strained relationship with the press, and revives memories of the 2011 dinner where he was a target of jokes by President Obama and Seth Meyers. Trump’s decision to attend this year is partly in honor of America’s 250th birthday celebration.

• President Donald Trump is attending the White House Correspondents’ Dinner for the first time as president.
• He skipped the event throughout his first term due to a contentious relationship with the media.
• In 2011, Trump was famously mocked at the dinner by President Barack Obama and comedian Seth Meyers, an event speculated to have fueled his presidential run.
• Trump denied that the 2011 jokes prompted his candidacy, stating he ‘loved it’.
• His attendance this year is partly in celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
• The dinner was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic and revived in 2022; Trump also did not attend last year.