White House aides, reporters and other famous-for-Washington types were set to gather without President Donald Trump to toast press freedom.
But it was to be the second White House Correspondents' Association dinner in a row without the president. Trump posted on Facebook this past week that he would hold a Saturday evening rally in Michigan with his "favorite deplorables." The term was used by Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 to describe some of Trump's campaign supporters.
The Washington dinner once attracted Oscar winners and buzzed-about stars. It comes as Trump routinely slams reporters as dishonest and their work as "fake news."
Comedian Michelle Wolf was on tap to deliver what's usually a roast of the president and the press.