US President Donald Trump announced that he would not attend the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, a high-profile event that draws celebrities, politicians and journalists. 
Trump announced his decision on Twitter late Saturday afternoon. The dinner is scheduled for April 29. 
Shortly after Trump’s tweet, the president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, which sponsors the annual event, said in an email that the dinner would take place even without Trump’s attendance. 
"[The dinner] has been and will continue to be a celebration of the First Amendment and the important role played by an independent news media in a healthy republic," said Jeff Mason, WHCA president. 
"We look forward to shining a spotlight at the dinner on some of the best political journalism of the past year and recognizing the promising students who represent the next generation of our profession," he said. 
On the campaign trail and in the White House, Trump has had a strained relationship with the press. 
On Friday, the White House excluded several major US news organizations, including some it has criticized, from an off-camera briefing held by the White House press secretary The annual dinner began in 1921, and Calvin Coolidge became the first president to attend the dinner in 1924.

Source: QNA