Trump Called a Dictator for Not Throwing Press a Christmas Party at White House
Several journalists have expressed their distress via Twitter over the lack of a White House media Christmas party for the second year in a row.
The White House did not make any formal announcement regarding the party.
Instead, according to New York Times White House reporter Annie Karni, it appears to simply have not been added to the schedule.
The Western Journal reached out to the White House for clarification on the matter but did not hear back in time for publication of this article. We will update this article if and when we do.
While the White House did throw the media a Christmas party in 2017, it ended the tradition in 2018.
As Fox News’ Howard Kurtz explained in December 2018, establishment media journalists weren’t just bitter about the event’s cancellation because of their turbulent relationship with Trump. Kurtz noted that reporters looked forward to the extravagance of the party every year.
“The annual Christmas-season gathering was a significant perk for those covering the White House, as well as other Washington reporters, anchors and commentators, and New York media executives would regularly fly in for the occasion,” Kurtz wrote.
“Journalists who attended the events, which featured a catered buffet of lamb chops, crab claws and elaborate desserts, got to roam the decorated mansion with a spouse or other family member, a friend or a colleague, adding to the invitation’s allure.”
Some journalists expressed their displeasure on Twitter after finding out there won’t be a party this year, either.
“The canceling of the WH media christmas party was a story last year, and now it’s just gone and it’s not even a thing, like the press briefing and the NYT/WaPo subscriptions,” Karnie tweeted.
The canceling of the WH media christmas party was a story last year, and now it’s just gone and it’s not even a thing, like the press briefing and the NYT/WaPo subscriptions.
— Annie Karni (@anniekarni) December 11, 2019
“It’s still a thing to me,” CNN’s Brain Stelter wrote in response.
It’s still a thing to me https://t.co/kB9V51ovct
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) December 11, 2019
Luke Zaleski, legal affairs editor for the mass media company Condé Nast, used the lack of a Christmas party for the media to argue Trump is turning America into a “dictatorship.”
“Every day. In every way. Trump destroys American institutions while wrapping himself in warped populism and lurching toward dictatorship,” he tweeted.
“[I]f it gets much worse it won’t be reecoverable. In fact it might be over already. Just a question of how badly he will cheat in the election.”
Every day. In every way. Trump destroys American institutions while wrapping himself in warped populism and lurching toward dictatorship. if it gets much worse it won’t be reecoverable. In fact it might be over already. Just a question of how badly he will cheat in the election. https://t.co/dmXqkdkNWK
— Luke Zaleski (@ZaleskiLuke) December 12, 2019
Politico reported last year that the White House did not give a specific reason for canceling the party; a White House official simply told the outlet it was was not put on the schedule.
“Trump’s White House did host a party for the press in 2017, though he and first lady Melania Trump attended only briefly and delivered remarks to the journalists gathered before leaving,” Politico reported.
Kurtz wrote that because of Trump’s well-known disdain for liberal media organizations, the cancellation did not come as a surprise last year.
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