Trump’s Absence Stole the Show
And Overshadowed a Historic Moment for Women
All the buzz this weekend was about the historic Gridiron dinner turning its 140-year tradition of toasting the U.S. President into a toast to the First Amendment. Naturally, the First Amendment worked in the President’s favor, advancing the narrative conveyed by the Administration—to his loyal supporters—and ignoring a historic milestone for the elite media organization.
Trump and his staff and cabinet didn’t show (except for the HUD Secretary) because it’s inconsistent with their brand—the brand of not collaborating with the media on news coverage.
And the media covered this exactly as the administration might have hoped. The message transmitted to those who supported the president in the 2024 election that Trump didn’t come to the event because he’s not interested in kowtowing to the press. And the media followed the bait—hook, line, and sinker.
What was lost in this chaos was the marking of another milestone met for this historic event. Judy Woodruff of PBS NewsHour became the first television journalist to serve as president of the Gridiron Club. In fact, so little news coverage exists about the role of females at the dinner—it was difficult to identify a full list. Hats off to Susan Page for serving in 2011—second only to Helen Thomas in 1993.
So in the absence of its coverage, let's reflect on the history of these awards dinners and the protests that have previously been staged. More specifically, for the purposes of allowing women to be part of the celebrations. Women’s History Month and all, let’s go ahead and give the better narrative some oxygen.
In 1962, Helen Thomas, a pioneering female journalist, successfully lobbied President John F. Kennedy to boycott the White House Correspondents' Dinner due to its exclusion of women. Her efforts led to the inclusion of female journalists in subsequent dinners. She was elected the club’s first woman president nearly thirty years later.
In 1974, Martin Nolan resigned from the Gridiron Club after it voted to continue excluding women journalists. His resignation highlighted the discriminatory practices of the time and contributed to the club's decision later that year to admit women for the first time. No question it’s a stark contrast to today’s protest and a stunning reminder of the changes that have occurred in only a half-century.
So while we’re in the midst of media award season, consider that covering the absence of the POTUS and not celebrating the achievements of the journalists is precisely the narrative the administration is directing you to follow. I'd challenge you to instead focus on the achievements of those that are to be celebrated, historic milestones reached and not take the bait.