Donald Trump is going to attend the White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday after boycotting it in his first term and in 2025. But even before the grand event starts, the US President is facing protests. A video has gone viral on social media showing demonstrators projecting old videos of Trump and late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein onto the exterior of the hotel where the dinner will be held.
The series of videos consisted of photos of Epstein and Trump, news clippings and readings of the US President’s emails to the late paedophile. Visuals showed people stopping by to look at the projection on the Hilton hotel where the correspondents’ dinner would take place.
It’s no novelty that the 79-year-old US President has a bitter relationship with the press. He slams them, sometimes derides them, for running “fake news” campaign against him to push radical, left propaganda. And it’s not always just news reporters or channels, late-night shows have been at the forefront of Trump’s axe since last year. First it was Stephen Colbert, with CBS cancelling his show, citing “purely financial reasons”. Then came Jimmy Kimmel. Colbert couldn’t escape the gallows, but Kimmel came back roaring. Both the comedians are staunch critics of Trump.
The New York Times reported this week that the FBI has begun its probe into one of their reporters after she wrote a critical piece about the body’s director, Kash Patel. The FBI claimed the story was false.
Furthermore, Trump has filed and settled lawsuits with ABC and the parent firm of CBS over their coverage. He also sued the Wall Street Journal over a piece describing a birthday card to Epstein carrying the Republican’s signature. Earlier this month, a federal judge dismissed that defamation lawsuit.
Evidently, the 79-year-old’s presence at the Hilton for the event has been frowned upon by many journalists. More than 350 individual former and current journalists as well as groups have signed a letter calling for the White House Correspondents Association to use the dinner as a chanc to “forcefully demonstrate opposition” to Trump’s efforts to choke press freedom, Reuters reported.
The letter said that some journalists have planned to wear lapel pins or pocket handkerchiefs, featuring the words of the US Constitution’s First Amendment that safeguards freedom of speech.
Last month, when announcing his decision to accept the dinner invitation, Trump declared himself the GOAT – “Greatest president in the history of our country” – on Truth Social.
“In honor of our Nation’s 250th Birthday,” he wrote, “and the fact that these “Correspondents” now admit that I am truly one of the Greatest Presidents in the History of our Country, the G.O.A.T., according to many, it will be my Honor to accept their invitation, and work to make it the GREATEST, HOTTEST, and MOST SPECTACULAR DINNER, OF ANY KIND, EVER,” his post read.
Trump is due to speak on Saturday at dinner for nearly 40 minutes. The event begins with red carpet arrivals at 5 pm ET (2.30 am IST) on Saturday and the US President will speak after 10 pm ET (7.30 am IST).
