Latest news with #WhiteHouseCorrespondent'sDinner
Daily Mail
28-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Donald Trump Jr. launches exclusive club with $500K membership fee
Donald Trump Jr. has launched an exclusive club that charges members more than half a million dollars to hobnob with his father's administration. The 47-year-old eldest child of the president worked with conservative financier Omeed Malik and partners at his 1789 Capital to create Executive Branch - an upcoming nightclub in the heart of Washington DC's Georgetown neighborhood, Politico reports. They had sought to create the 'highest-end private club' in the area and are catering to the elite. The hefty cost is meant to deter wannabes and members of the press as the club caters to the business and technology moguls who are looking to improve their relationship with the president. Trump Jr., Malik and South African entrepreneur David Sacks made the official announcement on Saturday night at an invite-only party. It coincided with the annual White House Correspondent's Dinner, which nobody in the Trump administration attended. By Sunday evening, the club's official website even said 'the waiting list for new members is now closed and is subject to annual review' noting that membership 'is invitation-only.' Among those who were lucky enough to be named founding members are Sacks, the controversial Winklevoss twins who famously sued Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg over the social media site's founding and venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya. The owners, meanwhile, are listed as Malik; his business partner, Chris Buskirk; Trump Jr and Zach and Alex Witkoff - the sons of Trump's Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff. has reached out to the club for more information. Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Visit our profile page and hit the follow button above for more of the news you need.
Daily Mail
28-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Don Jr. launches exclusive Trump fan club - here's how much it will cost you to join
Donald Trump Jr. has launched an exclusive club that charges members more than half a million dollars to hobnob with his father's administration. The 47-year-old eldest child of the president worked with conservative financier Omeed Malik and partners at his 1789 Capital to create Executive Branch - an upcoming nightclub in the heart of Washington DC 's Georgetown neighborhood, Politico reports. They had sought to create the 'highest-end private club' in the area and are catering to the elite. The hefty cost is meant to deter wannabes and members of the press as the club caters to the business and technology moguls who are looking to improve their relationship with the president. Trump Jr., Malik and South African entrepreneur David Sacks made the official announcement on Saturday night at an invite-only party. It coincided with the annual White House Correspondent's Dinner, which nobody in the Trump administration attended. Instead, Politico reports, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was set to attend the Executive Branch launch party. But even before the official announcement Saturday night, the club already had a wait list of people trying to get in. By Sunday evening, the club's official website even said 'the waiting list for new members is now closed and is subject to annual review' noting that membership 'is invitation-only.' Among those who were lucky enough to be named founding members are Sacks, the controversial Winklevoss twins who famously sued Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg over the social media site's founding and venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya. The owners, meanwhile, are listed as Malik; his business partner, Chris Buskirk; Trump Jr and Zach and Alex Witkoff - the sons of Trump's Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.
The Independent
27-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Top D.C. journalist calls out colleagues for missing ‘cover-up' of Biden's frailty
A Trump-less White House Correspondent's Dinner (WHCD) was a night of both celebrating Washington's journalist elite and, for some, reflection upon the failure of the D.C. press corps to cover Joe Biden 's frailty throughout his presidency. The black tie dinner on Saturday featured no host after comedian Amber Ruffin was dropped from the gig only weeks in advance. The focus — beyond the usual party atmosphere — was the state of journalism under Donald Trump 's second administration at a time when the White House is exerting an unprecedented amount of control over Oval Office and briefing room coverage. Also in focus was the annual awards of scholarships to young reporters and recognition of some members of the press corps for coverage in 2024. ABC's Rachel Scott was the first to be recognized for her on-the-scene reporting of the Trump rally-turned-assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. But it was the award of the Aldo Beckman Award for Overall Excellence to Axios reporter Alex Thompson which provoked a moment of self-reflection for the attending journalists. NBC's Kristen Welker, introducing Thompson, quoted the Correspondents Association's judges to a crowd that cheered his name: 'Thompson's aggressive reporting ... revealed [that] the president's cognitive decline was impacting his ability to do his job, information the White House tried to conceal.' Thompson himself delivered a brief speech moments later. 'President Biden's decline and its cover-up by the people around him is a reminder that every White House regardless of party is capable of deception,' said the Axios reporter. 'We, myself included, missed a lot of this story and some people trust us less because of it." Members of the former Biden/Harris administration have faced tough questions about the extent to which Biden's cognitive decline was apparent throughout 2024 and before in the wake of the November election. Harris's brutal defeat across the battleground states followed a sprint to the finish line the vice president only began after taking over Joe Biden's place at the top of the ticket in July. The 46th president was forced out of the race after enduring weeks of calls for him to step down. In interviews, Biden has admitted that he is unsure that he was physically capable of serving another four years in office. But a disastrous debate in June at which he appeared soft-spoken to the point of whispering and at times seemed unable to follow what his opponent was saying triggered a series of calls for a new candidate from Democratic members of Congress terrified of polling that projected a bloodbath for the party in November. Now, the ex-president and members of his former team continue to face scrutiny over why they put up so much resistance to the president stepping aside and allowing a formal Democratic primary process to play out in 2024, while Republicans argue that Biden's frailties left him unfit for office entirely. Progressives, meanwhile, continue to fume at both their ideological rivals in the party itself as well as the mainstream media for allowing the concealment of those issues displayed by the president to persist as long as they did. Reporting from The Wall Street Journal in December of 2024 revealed that Biden's aides and campaign officials first began managing the perception of his stamina and physical capabilities in 2020, when he came from behind after a victory in South Carolina to win the Democratic primary, buoyed in part by a consolidation of support around him. Thompson, for his part, reported in late June of 2024: 'From 10am to 4pm, Biden is dependably engaged — and many of his public events in front of cameras are held within those hours.' 'Outside of that time range or while traveling abroad, Biden is more likely to have verbal miscues and become fatigued.' The Biden campaign would go on to use the latter reason as an excuse for his disappointing debate performance. But many Democrats (both Biden loyalists and others in the party) continue to feel betrayed and let down by the manner by which Biden was forced to step aside and, in general, the urgency with which the party treated Donald Trump's third presidential campaign.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Top D.C. journalist calls out colleagues for missing ‘cover-up' of Biden's frailty
A Trump-less White House Correspondent's Dinner (WHCD) was a night of both celebrating Washington's journalist elite and, for some, reflection upon the failure of the D.C. press corps to cover Joe Biden's frailty throughout his presidency. The black tie dinner on Saturday featured no host after comedian Amber Ruffin was dropped from the gig only weeks in advance. The focus — beyond the usual party atmosphere — was the state of journalism under Donald Trump's second administration at a time when the White House is exerting an unprecedented amount of control over Oval Office and briefing room coverage. Also in focus was the annual awards of scholarships to young reporters and recognition of some members of the press corps for coverage in 2024. ABC's Rachel Scott was the first to be recognized for her on-the-scene reporting of the Trump rally-turned-assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. But it was the award of the Aldo Beckman Award for Overall Excellence to Axios reporter Alex Thompson which provoked a moment of self-reflection for the attending journalists. NBC's Kristen Welker, introducing Thompson, quoted the Correspondents Association's judges to a crowd that cheered his name: 'Thompson's aggressive reporting ... revealed [that] the president's cognitive decline was impacting his ability to do his job, information the White House tried to conceal.' Thompson himself delivered a brief speech moments later. 'President Biden's decline and its cover-up by the people around him is a reminder that every White House regardless of party is capable of deception,' said the Axios reporter. 'We, myself included, missed a lot of this story and some people trust us less because of it." Members of the former Biden/Harris administration have faced tough questions about the extent to which Biden's cognitive decline was apparent throughout 2024 and before in the wake of the November election. Harris's brutal defeat across the battleground states followed a sprint to the finish line the vice president only began after taking over Joe Biden's place at the top of the ticket in July. The 46th president was forced out of the race after enduring weeks of calls for him to step down. In interviews, Biden has admitted that he is unsure that he was physically capable of serving another four years in office. But a disastrous debate in June at which he appeared soft-spoken to the point of whispering and at times seemed unable to follow what his opponent was saying triggered a series of calls for a new candidate from Democratic members of Congress terrified of polling that projected a bloodbath for the party in November. Now, the ex-president and members of his former team continue to face scrutiny over why they put up so much resistance to the president stepping aside and allowing a formal Democratic primary process to play out in 2024, while Republicans argue that Biden's frailties left him unfit for office entirely. Progressives, meanwhile, continue to fume at both their ideological rivals in the party itself as well as the mainstream media for allowing the concealment of those issues displayed by the president to persist as long as they did. Reporting from The Wall Street Journal in December of 2024 revealed that Biden's aides and campaign officials first began managing the perception of his stamina and physical capabilities in 2020, when he came from behind after a victory in South Carolina to win the Democratic primary, buoyed in part by a consolidation of support around him. Thompson, for his part, reported in late June of 2024: 'From 10am to 4pm, Biden is dependably engaged — and many of his public events in front of cameras are held within those hours.' 'Outside of that time range or while traveling abroad, Biden is more likely to have verbal miscues and become fatigued.' The Biden campaign would go on to use the latter reason as an excuse for his disappointing debate performance. But many Democrats (both Biden loyalists and others in the party) continue to feel betrayed and let down by the manner by which Biden was forced to step aside and, in general, the urgency with which the party treated Donald Trump's third presidential campaign.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The White House Correspondents' Dinner is tonight. No Trump roast on the menu.
The White House Correspondent's Dinner, known for mocking presidents and poking fun at their policies, will commence April 26. But at the dinner, dubbed "nerd prom" by Washington insiders, no Trump roast will be served. As journalists covering his second term gather for the glitzy fête at the Washington Hilton hotel, President Donald Trump will likely skip the event. Trump skipped three times during his last presidency (the 2020 affair was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic). He did attend in 2015, the year before he was elected president. Trump is not expected to attend this year's dinner. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said previously that she also would not attend. White House Correspondents' Dinner cancels plans to feature comedian Amber Ruffin The annual dinner raises funds to support the White House Correspondents Association's First Amendment scholarships and programs to promote its work. The dinner features a star-studded audience with A-list guests from media and entertainment industries. C-SPAN will carry coverage of this year's WHCA dinner with red carpet arrivals beginning at 6 p.m. ET before the dinner starts at 8 p.m. Typically, a comedian roasts the president, after the president presents a comedy set or speech. Hasan Minhaj headlined the 2017 edition. After Michelle Wolf's controversial monologue in 2018 received mixed reviews from critics, the WHCA chose historian Ron Chernow to present a speech the following year. For this year's installment of the biggest night in the nation's capital, there will again be no comedian. After "Saturday Night Live" standout and "Weekend Update" host Colin Jost headlined the 2024 affair, the WHCA shelved left leaning Amber Ruffin as marquee comic amid criticism from Trump spokesperson Taylor Budowich on X. The WHCA president Eugene Daniels, the former Politico star and incoming MSNBC anchor, announced the change in a March note to press colleagues first shared by CNN's chief media analyst Brian Stelter. "As the date nears, I will share more details of the plans in place to honor journalistic excellence and a robust, independent media covering the most powerful office in the world. As a first step, I wanted to share that the WHCA board has unanimously decided we are no longer featuring a comedic performance this year," Daniels wrote at the time. White House Correspondents' Association Dinner: How to watch and stream the DC event The decision to shelve talent was made as the second Trump administration ramped up its pressure on the press. In February, the White House announced that that it would decide which news outlets have access to President Donald Trump, ripping power away from the WHCA, an independent association of journalists who have traditionally determined which publications are part of the press pool. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the changes at a press briefing following a judge's preliminary ruling in a free speech lawsuit filed by the Associated Press, a prominent news wire service. wears black veil to Pope Francis' funeral as President Trump dons blue suit "Moving forward, the White House press pool will be determined by the White House press team," Leavitt announced. "Legacy media outlets who have been here for years will still participate in the pool, but new voices are going to be welcomed in as well." The AP sued the White House after the administration repeatedly barred AP reporters from attending events with press availability over a dispute involving the president's renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The AP refused to update its guidance to reflect the president's chosen name for the body of water. The correspondents' association is a nonprofit organization that represents those outlets and vets potential new members of the press pool. It is comprised of a nine-member board of White House correspondents who are elected to serve by their peers. Leavitt has invited more nontraditional media outlets to participate in press briefings since the decision was made including conservative influencers. The dinner once made headlines of its own. In 2022, fans keeping up with reality TV star Kim Kardashian and her "Saturday Night Live" alum boyfriend Pete Davidson were delighted when the pair made their red-carpet debut at the dinner. A decade earlier, in 2011, then-President Barack Obama mocked Trump, who was in the audience with now-first lady Melania Trump, telling the crowd his eventual successor lacked the "experience" necessary to be president. Some believe the incident sparked Trump's political ambitions and led him to seek the U.S. presidency in 2015. "I know that he's taken some flack lately," Obama said, in reference to Trump's birtherism claims about him. "But no one is happier, no one is prouder to put this birth certificate matter to rest than The Donald." Michelle Obama breaks silence on skipping Trump's second inauguration He added: "And that's because he can finally get back to focusing on the issues that matter, like — did we fake the moon landing? What really happened in Roswell? And where are Biggie and Tupac?" "Say what you will about Mr. Trump. He would certainly bring some change to the White House," Obama quipped. "All kidding aside. Obviously we all know about your credentials and breadth of experience." Now, Trump is president for a second term, no longer a dinner guest or laughing matter. For a fourth time, he has declined to be a butt of the joke once again. Contributing: Franchesca Chambers, James Powel; USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why is Trump not at White House Correspondents' Dinner?
