It’s no secret that the relationship between Trump administration and the press kicked off to a rocky start. From mocking the members of the press during his presidential campaign, to calling CNN “fake news” following the network’s reporting of a dossier linking the former reality star to Russia and Vladimir Putin, to blaming the media for his rift with the United States intelligence community, to his press secretary Sean Spicer dressing down the press corps for its coverage of Trump’s inauguration crowd, it’s clear that, just a week into his term, the president will have a contentious relationship with the fourth estate.
It’s no wonder, then, that Samantha Bee, host of TBS’s Full Frontal, should be curious whether the Trump team would have a White House Correspondents Dinner at all this year. Rather than wait-and-see, Bee and her Full Frontal producers decided to host their own dinner honoring the press, called “Not the White House Correspondents Dinner. Speaking to Variety, Bee said of the event, held the same night as the White House Correspondents Dinner, “The evening is sure to bring plenty of surprises, music, food, and laughter — and if you’re not careful you just might learn something.”
The dinner will give Bee and the attendees not only the opportunity to roast Trump, but to give back to the media: all proceeds will go towards the Committee to Protect Journalists—an organization that protects press freedom across the globe, so journalists may do their jobs without fear of retaliation.
The Not the White House Correspondents Dinner will air sometime on TBS.
[Source: Variety]