The Correspondents Dinner should not be in a "White House Ballroom."

[PurgedVoter]

Not even if it is offered respectfully and with no charge, the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) should not choose to use the "White House Ballroom."

The WHCA formed when it appeared that our government might start controlling who had access to Woodrow Wilson's press events. Simply put, the Government should not have control of the press. So the WHCA has been an independent agency that has managed access to press events from 1924 until 2025 when Krasnov's White House took over deciding who got access to press events.

So if the ballroom is made, it would be very inappropriate for the WHCA to use it to host their events.

This post was based on my opinions and information from this Wikipedia article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_Correspondents'_Association

[yellow dahlia]

1. THIS

(I'm copying my friend malaise.)

[malaise]

2. Great OP

Rec

[PurgedVoter]

3. Thank you so much!

It seems like the issue of the White House taking over access by the press never got the press it deserved.
I don't entirely love the decisions of gatekeeping that have been done with the correspondents previously in charge but the situation is better as an independent organization.

My issues are simple, The moment that a news outlet declares in court that they are entertainment and not news, (Fox News) they shouldn't be on the list of White House correspondents. I would argue that Comedy Central has been a lot more accurate in news reporting than Fox has, and the history of lawsuits involving both support this. At the very least Comedy Central should have access. Fox has argued that they have no responsibility to the truth, so I wonder how they can possibly meet the criteria for access.

[malaise]

6. +1,000

Media are compromised big time - by choice

[LeftInTX]

4. Exactly...They aren't a government agency!

They support freedom of the press...

Trump can hold a mega press conference in a ballroom, but it won't be the WHCD!

Trust me, it would be nothing but a "salute to Trump", not the free press...

That's why he always boycotted it, he hated what the press said about him.

[0rganism]

5. Long-term erosion of another *independent* institution

The WHCD was, until this happened, an event presented with goodwill, humor, a fun evening for the WHCA where honors are presented to standouts and promising newcomers. Presidential attendance was optional and tended to be low-key humorous, in the spirit of the event.

Future WHCD will be deadly serious and take place under supervision of the emperor's praetorian guard.

[GoodRaisin]

7. Kick

[TheRickles]

8. HCR has some more good background info on the WHCA.

(see esp. the second half) https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/april-25-2026

[Totally Tunsie]

9. EXACTLY!

The only connection of the WH to the WHCA dinner is that the WH is an invited guest. There should be no WH authority anywhere in the planning or execution of this dinner. The Press must always remain independent and that can't hold true if the WHCA is utilizing the buildings or grounds of the WH in any way.