Samantha Bee to Host Trump-Roasting ‘Alternative’ Correspondents Dinner
In a move that will no doubt irk President Trump, Samantha Bee will host an alternative gala on the same night as the annual White House Correspondents Dinner.
To avoid any confusion, Bee’s event is called the “Not the White House Correspondents’ Dinner,” which will take place April 29nd at the Willard Hotel, while the actual White House Correspondents Association’s dinner is occurring two miles north at the Washington Hilton.
“The evening is sure to bring plenty of surprises, music, food, and laughter — and if you’re not careful you just might learn something,” Bee said in a statement (via Variety). “Specifically, you’ll learn how screwed we’d be without a free press.” Proceeds from “Not the White House Correspondents’ Dinner,” which will air on TBS at some point, will go towards the Committee to Protect Journalists.
In an interview with the New York Times, Bee likened the “Not the White House Correspondents’ Dinner” to a Trump roast. “We’re not trying to supersede it,” Bee said of the WHCA’s dinner. “We just want to be there in case something happens — or doesn’t happen — and ensure that we get to properly roast the president.”
The idea to host an alternative gala arrived after Bee and her Full Frontal producers discussed whether there would even be a White House Correspondents’ Dinner at all this year. The WHCA dinner in 2011 was the site where then-President Obama and host Seth Meyers savagely teasing the attending Trump; it’s that incident that is often cited as what inspired Trump to run for president.
The actual White House Correspondents’ Dinner has not yet announced its host, but if the inauguration was any indication, the WHCA is likely having difficulty filling the role. “I honestly can’t imagine what they’re thinking, but I really wish them well. I think that’s going to be very challenging. Does 3 Doors Down do comedy? I don’t know, maybe they do,” Bee told the Times.