More than 500 journalists have signed a letter urging the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) to publicly condemn President Donald Trump's ongoing attacks on the press at the rescheduled White House Correspondents' Dinner on Tuesday, July 22, 2026.

Organized by former ABC News correspondent Lisa Stark and former executive producer Ian Cameron, the letter calls on the WHCA to "forcefully stand up for freedom of the press in front of the President, publicly defend the journalists he attacks, and vow to resist his administration’s concerted effort to undermine the First Amendment."

The journalists highlighted that since the original dinner in April was abruptly ended due to an armed suspect incident, the Trump administration's attacks on the media have only intensified. They encouraged members attending the event to publicly condemn the president, who will be attending the dinner for the first time as president after skipping it during his first term.

The letter echoes a similar appeal made by over 200 journalists, including former CBS News anchor Dan Rather, ahead of the original dinner in April, emphasizing that the event "cannot be business as usual."

In response, the WHCA stated to Fox News Digital that it intends to host President Trump while continuing to honor the press.

The correspondence underscores the belief that "The White House Correspondents’ Dinner exists because the First Amendment matters most when it’s under pressure," and some journalists view it as hypocritical to celebrate press freedoms in front of a president who they say relentlessly attacks them.

Sources