*Washington Press Corps Delivers Symbolic Snub at Historic Gridiron Dinner*
The Washington press corps delivered a pointed rebuke to former President Donald Trump during Sunday’s Gridiron Club dinner, an event steeped in tradition where journalists and political figures typically share a lighthearted evening. In a departure from a 140-year custom, attendees declined to toast the sitting president, instead raising glasses to “the First Amendment” in a unified nod to press freedom.
Gridiron Club President Judy Woodruff, the former PBS NewsHour anchor, set the tone by leading the toast, as reported by *The Washington Post*. The gesture underscored escalating tensions between the Trump administration and the media, further highlighted by the absence of key White House figures.
Traditionally, the president or vice president concludes the event with a speech, but neither Trump nor Vice President JD Vance attended, nor did senior aides, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Communications Director Steven Cheung, and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.
A White House official later dismissed the snub to *Politico*, stating, “Nobody attended because we were either occupied with work or indifferent to gaining recognition from that crowd.”
The evening’s undercurrents of discord surfaced during a speech by Maryland Governor Wes Moore, a Democrat, who quipped about the Trump administration’s alleged ties to Russia. “If I aspired to be president, I wouldn’t bother with this,” Moore remarked. “I’d appeal directly to those steering our democracy—the Kremlin.” The jab prompted Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll to exit the room in visible protest, amplifying the event’s charged atmosphere.
Organizers adapted to the absence of administration representatives by showcasing a montage of past Republican presidents, including Trump’s 2018 Gridiron appearance, where he struck a conciliatory tone. “Rarely do I say this, but the press includes remarkable, brilliant, and fair-minded individuals,” Trump had declared at the time, applauding the media’s role in upholding democracy. The footage starkly contrasted with the current rift, illustrating how relations have deteriorated since his presidency.
Woodruff explained the decision to *Politico*, noting the clips reflected the “good humor and camaraderie” the dinner aims to foster. Yet the substitution underscored an era of heightened antagonism, with the media’s toast to constitutional freedoms serving as both a celebration and a subtle critique of the administration’s fraught relationship with the press.
The Gridiron dinner, long a forum for bipartisan jest and camaraderie, thus became a stage for reflecting broader political divisions, marking a historic moment where tradition yielded to contemporary tensions.
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