President Biden and first lady Jill Biden will both attend this month’s White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) Dinner, a tradition in Washington, D.C., that is attended by reporters and administration officials.
“The @WHCA is pleased to host President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden as we honor the First Amendment at our dinner on April 30,” the association tweeted on Wednesday, announcing the president and first lady’s plans to attend.
The dinner, which raises money for WHCA scholarships and honors winners of the association’s annual journalism awards, will be the first to take place during Biden’s presidency due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Past presidents have typically attended the annual dinner, though former President Trump repeatedly declined the invitation. Barack Obama was the last president to attend the annual event.
The April 30 dinner will be the first in three years, after the event was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the ongoing pandemic.
The WHCA is requiring guests to show proof of vaccination and a same-day negative COVID-19 test in order to attend this year’s event.
There have been questions about the dinner particularly after a similarly high-profile D.C. event, the Gridiron Club dinner, was followed by multiple reports of positive COVID-19 test results among administration officials, members of Congress and journalists who attended.
The WHCA dinner is expected to go forth as planned, however. The vaccination requirement was added following the news out of the Gridiron dinner.
The WHCA dinner attracts journalists, administration officials and celebrities. Comedian Trevor Noah is slated to host the event on April 30.
