From “The White Lotus” to “Breaking Bad,” a handful of actors, entertainers and other notable figures turned up for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, an event that President Donald Trump and his administration opted to skip.
The annual dinner, which raises funds to support the journalists who cover the president, was held at the Hilton in Washington, D.C. The event is famous for being an inside-the-Beltway opportunity to poke fun at U.S. presidents and unite celebrities, media executives and luminaries under one roof.
Trump, who has not attended the dinner since 2015, indicated he would not attend the gala. He did not attend it during his first term as president. He and first lady Melania Trump attended the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome on April 26. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said previously that she would not attend either.
Last year Colin Jost, a “Saturday Night Live” standout known for cohosting the sketch show’s “Weekend Update” segment, headlined the affair.
That’s usually how these evenings go. But unlike at previous dinners, a comedian did not headline the April 26 dinner. The White House Correspondents’ Association disinvited Amber Ruffin after she was booked to appear. The decision came after White House staffers criticized comments made by Ruffin that were critical of the Trump administration.
Association President Eugene Daniels explained the thinking in a note to press colleagues in March, saying:”At this consequential moment for journalism, I want to ensure the focus is not on the politics of division but entirely on awarding our colleagues for their outstanding work and providing scholarship and mentorship to the next generation of journalists.”
Here is a roundup of what happened at the 2025 White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Jason Isaacs, Dean Norris and other celebs walk the red carpet
The red carpet at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner featured a smattering of celebrities, including Jason Isaacs, who starred on Season 3 of “The White Lotus,” Dean Norris, who played Walter White’s DEA agent and brother-in-law in “Breaking Bad,” and Tim Daly, who played Henry McCord on “Madam Secretary.”
Lynda Carter, known for her portrayal of Wonder Woman in the 1970s TV series of the same name, actress Alex Borstein, from “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “Family Guy,” and “Shark Tank” personality, Kevin O’Leary, also appeared at the event.
‘What we are not is the enemy of the people’
After awards were bestowed upon an array of journalists, Daniels, president of the WHCA, discussed threats to journalism. He paused to thank previous U.S. presidents who attended the dinner in years prior.
“We don’t invite presidents of the United States to this because it’s for them, we don’t invite them because we want to cozy up to them or curry favor (and) we don’t only extend invites to the presidents who say they love journalists or who say they’re defenders of the First Amendment and a free press,” Daniels said. “We invite them to remind them that they should be.”
Eugene Daniels attends the 2025 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at Washington Hilton on April 26, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Daniels acknowledged Trump’s absence before screening a video compilation of previous presidents at the event, including clips of Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan.
Daniels defended journalism, a profession he said is under attack nationally and globally:
“What we are not is the opposition. What we are not is the enemy of the people. And what we are not is the enemy of the state.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: White House Correspondents’ Dinner: See who attended, what happened
