Top NYT journo calls on reporters to 'rethink' White House Correspondents Dinner after Trump dares to clap back

Key Points:

• The New York Times’ chief White House correspondent, Peter Baker, criticized the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) annual dinner after President Trump roasted the press, urging the association to "rethink" the event.
• During the dinner, awards were given to journalists for critical stories about Trump, including his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, while Trump responded with his own jabs at the media, continuing a tradition of presidential roasts.
• Baker and his wife, Susan Glasser, expressed concerns that the dinner did not adequately defend First Amendment rights or the role of journalists in holding power accountable.
• Baker clarified that The New York Times had stopped attending the dinner nearly 20 years ago, long before Trump’s presidency, due to concerns about the event's effectiveness in supporting journalistic independence.
• Trump’s participation marked a break from his previous boycotts of the event, where he made controversial remarks about reporters and predicted a decline in media outlets’ success after his presidency.