Uh oh... It seems President Donald Trump couldn’t take the heat, so he’s forcing comedian Amber Ruffin out his kitchen! Ruffin was set to appear at the annual White House Correspondents’ dinner. That is until word got back to Trump’s team that she had choice words for the president.
In a statement emailed this past weekend, the president of the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), Eugene Daniels, announced the unanimous decision to go without a comedian at the dinner in Washington, D.C., according to NPR. With less than a month until the April 26 gathering and just two months after naming Ruffin as this year’s comedian, news of her removal comes as a shock.
When Ruffin was first tapped for the role, Daniels wrote that she was the perfect person for the job saying, “She has the ability to walk the line between blistering commentary and humor all while provoking her audience to think about the important issues of the day. I’m thrilled and honored she said yes.”
But oh, how things can change in the span of 60 days.
In his most recent statement to board members, Daniels wrote, “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.” His statement continued saying, “I want to ensure the focus is not on the politics of division, but entirely on awarding our colleagues for their outstanding work and providing scholarship and mentorship to the next generation of journalists,” according to AP News.
The exact reason behind the lineup change has not been confirmed, but folks seem to think it has something to do with a recent statement she made. On Thursday (March 27), Ruffin enraged MAGA during an interview with the Daily Beast after she said she wouldn’t make sure her jokes targeted both sides of the political aisle during her set.
But that wasn’t all: Ruffin doubled down on the sentiment, referring to the Trump administration as “kind of a bunch of murderers...” ouch.
So with that, Ruffin is off the list, and in her place? No one. The WHCA plans to host the event without a comedian, which is atypical of the annual dinner. The only other time the show went on without comedic relief was in 2019, during Trump’s first administration, according to AP News. Past comedians include Colin Jost, Trevor Noah, and Hasan Minhaj.
Speaking of the president, Correspondents’ dinners aren’t really his thing either, as he skipped three during his first term. He is not expected to show this year either.