Trump is attending the White House Correspondents' Dinner Saturday for the first time as president , after years of boycotting the event. MacFarlane's observation highlights a real tension: Trump's systematic, sustained, and unprecedented attacks on the free press render his presence at such an event a profound contradiction of its purpose . His reasoning — that an event meant to celebrate press freedom shouldn't honor someone actively restricting it — reflects a legitimate debate now playing out across the journalism world. Trump's attendance has divided the wider journalism world, with some critics saying the dinner should be scrapped altogether, though proponents say it's a worthwhile way to raise money and celebrate the press corps .