THE FIASCO CALLED THE WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS DINNER

WILL TRUMP CHICKEN OUT OF WATCHING AWARDEES

----

Saturday night is the annual White House Correspondents dinner, supposedly a celebration of Freedom of the Pess,

It has become more like clown show with 2600 of your most intimate friends.

First a short look back.

Years ago, when I was a young reporter for the Wall Street Journal, this dinner consisted almost exclusively of reporters and editors and their guests, usually leading politicians or government officials. It could be interesting and informative.

One year I took Larry Woodworth, director of the Joint Congressional Committee on Taxation, the most important staffer on Capitol Hill. Boring you think. Actually he was a really good, smart guy. I was covering the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees; that evening enriched my reporting. Another year I took California’s Jerry Brown; never a dull moment.

Decades ago it began to change; pressure mounted to get high profile entertainers and separately advertisers. Now I don’t object to dinners featuring the glitterati; I can star gaze too. And advertisers helped send my kids through college.

But combining those with a dinner that’s supposed to be about journalism and the First Amendment is out of sorts in these challenging times for the press.

Donald Trump is the featured speaker this year. Instead of a comedian the entertainment will be a mentalist.

Fine to have invited the President, as long as at the dinner honoring the First Amendment it’s noted that the featured speaker is a sworn enemy of a Free Press. So are couple other guests, Defense Secretary Hegseth who wants to dictate what reporters can cover the Pentagon and what they can cover; and FCC chairman Brendan Carr who shows contempt for a Free Press.

They may have to watch the recipients awarded for excellent journalism. How might Trump react with recognition to my favorite honoree, Josh Dawsey of the Wall Street Journal who has reported on Trump’s abuse of power on pardons, or revenge against his enemies, most recently on his chaotic handling of the Iranian war ? Also honored will be two other Trump targets the Associated Press and CNN.

Will Trump, as customary, be on the dais to congratulate them ?

I’m just glad I no longer have to attend this spectacle.

RANDOM OBSERVATIONS

**** Trump is obsessed with the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates; it’s why he so viciously attacks Chairman Jay Powell. Yet his nominee to replace Powell, Kevin Warsh, told the Senate Trump never pressured or even asked him to cut rates. Fudging the truth is a bad start, Mr. Warsh,

**** Defense Secretary Hegseth ordered, in the name of freedom, flu vaccines no longer will be mandatory for the American military. At Valley Forge, in 1777, Gen. Washington mandated that all his troops be vaccinated against smallpox. Who do you think knew more about freedom, Hegseth or George Washington ?

**** Trump has declared English our official language. Yet he’s eliminating the federal office that provides support for teaching English to Spanish speaking kids.