Samantha Bee plans to host a roast aimed at President Donald Trump on the same night as the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
Bee, comedian and host of TBS comedy show “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee,” plans to hold the “counter-event” in the nation’s capital, according to The New York Times.
Bee announced the “Not the White House Correspondents’ Dinner” on Monday, which will be held at the Willard Hotel.
“We’re not trying to supersede it,” she said, according to the Times. “We just want to be there in case something happens – or doesn’t happen – and ensure that we get to properly roast the president.”
Bee said she and other comics came up with the idea after Trump’s presidential victory.
“We were talking out loud about whether we thought the White House Correspondents’ dinner would change during a Trump presidency, or if it would even exist,” Bee said, according to the Times. “And then we thought, Why don’t we just do one, just to do it in the way that we would want it done if we were hosting it?”
According to Slate, the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner has traditionally been a laid back and fun event for the president and members of the media, as many jokes are thrown around throughout the night.
Though this will be the president’s first correspondents' dinner as commander-in-chief, it won’t be the first time he’s been on the other end of jokes at this annual gala.
In 2011, comedian Seth Meyers directed several jokes at him, which appeared to be well received by many of those in attendance, but not by Trump, who sat “stone-faced” during the jokes, according to Slate.
Proceeds from Bee's alternative event will benefit the Committee to Protect Journalists, according to The Washington Post.
WHCA President Jeff Mason was asked about Bee’s announcement, but he had no remarks for her. Instead, he spoke about the annual dinner.
“The WHCA looks forward to hosting our annual dinner this year as we do every year to celebrate the First Amendment, reward some of the finest reporting of the past year and recognize promising young student journalists,” Mason said in a statement, according to the Post.
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