Trump to Dine With Reporters He’s Been Roasting All Week

Trump dinner reporters: President hosts media critics at Mar-a-Lago roast

Muhammad Asghar | GlobalBeat

WASHINGTON — President Trump will dine Saturday night with White House correspondents he has attacked on Truth Social all week.

The black-tie Florida fundraiser charges $40,000 per plate and guarantees donors a seat beside reporters Trump calls “enemy of the people.”

The event marks Trump’s first formal media dinner since returning to office. He skipped the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April, calling it “dead” and “fake news.” His Mar-a-Lago counter-programming draws 250 guests including Fox News anchors, conservative podcasters, and CNN journalists who cover his administration daily.

Trump spent the past five days posting about specific reporters. He labeled NBC’s Peter Alexander “a lightweight,” CBS’s Weijia Jiang “nasty,” and claimed Reuters’ Jeff Mason “can’t write.” All 3 received invitations. They declined to comment Friday. The president’s posts generated 2.3 million interactions across platforms.

Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley said the dinner “shows the president can take a joke.” Democratic National Committee spokesperson Alex Floyd called it “another fundraising stunt.” Ticket sales topped $10 million by Thursday, a Trump campaign official confirmed.

The menu features well-done steak, Diet Coke, and chocolate cake. Entertainment includes a stand-up routine by the president himself. Guests must surrender phones at the door. Secret Service agents will screen attendees. The club’s ballroom holds 700 but organizers capped attendance to create “intimacy,” one donor told reporters.

Mar-a-Lago’s gold-trimmed ballroom sets the stage for Trump’s media dinner

Background

Trump’s relationship with the press defined his first term. He revoked press passes, called journalists “scum,” and popularized the term “fake news.” The New York Times, CNN, and Washington Post became regular targets at rallies. His administration ended the daily press briefing tradition. Reporters adapted by cultivating sources inside federal agencies.

The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner began in 1921. Presidents typically attend to roast critics and themselves. Trump broke this tradition in 2017, 2018, and 2019. He held campaign-style rallies instead. Barack Obama famously mocked Trump at the 2011 dinner, fueling theories it motivated his presidential run.

What’s Next

Trump plans similar dinners quarterly, aides said. The next event targets tech executives in June. Meanwhile, the White House Correspondents’ Association will hold its 2027 dinner without the president. They booked Trevor Noah as host. The split reflects America’s polarized media landscape — presidents and press increasingly operate in separate spheres.

The Saturday dinner ends Trump’s media-heavy week. He scheduled interviews with 60 Minutes, Joe Rogan, and Tucker Carlson. Each appearance drives fundraising emails within hours. The strategy mirrors his 2016 campaign but now uses the presidential bully pulpit. Whether mainstream reporters attend future dinners remains uncertain — their editors debate whether participation normalizes Trump’s attacks on press freedom.