Daily Show's Hasan Minhaj to host White House Correspondents' Dinner
Trump won't attend; event theme is the First Amendment and freedom of the press
With U.S. President Donald Trump staying away, The Daily Show's Hasan Minhaj is set to headline this year's White House Correspondents Association dinner.
In a press release, the comedian made a tongue-in-cheek reference to the president's Twitter style, saying: "It is a tremendous honour to be a part of such a historic event even though the president has chosen not to attend this year. SAD!"
Excited to announce <a href="https://twitter.com/hasanminhaj">@hasanminhaj</a> will be the entertainer at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 29. <a href="https://t.co/F7QGGl9yjt">pic.twitter.com/F7QGGl9yjt</a>
—@jeffmason1WHCA President Jeff Mason made the announcement on MSNBC's Morning Joe Tuesday, saying the April 29 dinner — jokingly dubbed "nerd prom" — will be "different" without Trump.
In a statement, Mason says the event "will be focused on the First Amendment and the importance of a robust and independent media."
Trump was famously the butt of jokes from former U.S. president Barack Obama at the 2011 dinner.
Trump announced in February that he wouldn't attend this year.
My full set from the Congressional Correspondents Dinner <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RTCA2016?src=hash">#RTCA2016</a>: <a href="https://t.co/Tan6bk34O4">https://t.co/Tan6bk34O4</a>
—@hasanminhaj