D.C. press dinner off the table

The White House Correspondents’ Association suspended its annual dinner in Washington indefinitely, citing recommendations by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention that ban large gatherings to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

“The White House Correspondents’ Association regrets to announce that it is unable to go ahead with its 2020 dinner on April 25,” the organization announced . “We will get back to you soon with our alternative date. Thanks for your support.”

Though President Trump hasn’t attended the event since he moved into the Oval Office, the White House Correspondents’ dinner is generally an opportunity for the White House press corps to socialize with the public officials whom they cover. Its public profile has grown in recent years due in large part to viral performances from its featured speakers, which have included comedians like Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers and Larry Wilmore.

Hasan Minhaj and Kenan Thompson of “Saturday Night Live” were scheduled to appear at the 2020 event.

The traditional dinner, which began in 1921, has taken place in every year since the Reagan Administration, but cancellations due to tragedy or crisis are not unprecedented. In 1930, the dinner was canceled when ex-President William Howard Taft died on the morning it was set to take place, and America’s involvement in World War II and the Korean War kept the dinner from going forward in 1942 and 1951, respectively.

Its postponement this year in the midst of a pandemic is far from a shock, as other prominent social events, including The Gridiron Club’s dinner and the Met Gala, have also been canceled or suspended over the past several days.