Journalists push for ‘forceful defense of freedom of the press’ at dinner attended by Trump

This is an adapted excerpt from the April 20 episode of “The Rachel Maddow Show.”

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On Saturday, journalists will gather in Washington, dress up all fancy and get together to celebrate the First Amendment at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. (No, I’m not going. I’m allergic.)

The point of the event is to put a spotlight on the importance of the free and independent press in this country. The dinner also funds scholarships for journalism students.

It has been a tradition for decades that the sitting president attends the dinner and gives a speech. Every president since Calvin Coolidge has attended at least one of the dinners.

That is, except the current president, Donald Trump, who has skipped the dinner every year he has been president.

Traditionally, the dinner involves lots of jokes at politicians’ expense — particularly at the president’s expense. We all know Trump cannot stand anyone making fun of him, and so he has avoided the dinner.

Until now. This year, he says he is going.

And it is, shall we say, awkward that this president will attend an event that is supposed to honor and celebrate the free press in this country.

Remember, this is a man who has repeatedly sued, or threatened to sue, news networks in this country because he did not like their coverage of him.

He has blocked The Associated Press from the White House. He has repeatedly ridiculed and belittled individual journalists by name. His administration has pulled press access to the Pentagon. It has tried to defund public broadcasting and strip TV networks of their broadcast licenses.