President Donald Trump tweeted on Sunday morning that the White House Correspondents Dinner was a "very big, boring bust."
"While Washington, Michigan, was a big success, Washington, D.C., just didn't work. Everyone is talking about the fact that the White House Correspondents Dinner was a very big, boring bust....the so-called comedian really 'bombed,'" Trump tweeted.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/990557728752926725
Trump skipped the dinner again this year and instead held a campaign-style rally in Michigan, touting his economic record and the current peace process with North Korea. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was one of the few people from the Trump administration to attend the dinner.
A writer for "The Daily Show With Trevor Noah," Michelle Wolf, was this year's comedian at the dinner, and her performance got a mixed reception. Some reporters thought Wolf's jokes didn't help with the perception that they are liberal and out of touch with most of America. Others thought her attacks on Sanders were too personal and harsh.
"I actually really like Sarah. I think she’s very resourceful. She burns facts and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smoky eye. Like maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s lies. It’s probably lies," Wolf said, joking about Sanders' appearance.
"And I’m never really sure what to call Sarah Huckabee Sanders, you know? Is it Sarah Sanders, is it Sarah Huckabee Sanders, is it Cousin Huckabee, is it Auntie Huckabee Sanders? What’s Uncle Tom but for white women who disappoint other white women? Oh, I know. Aunt Coulter," Wolf said.
New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman commended Sanders for being able to withstand criticism of her physical appearance and job performance and not walk out.
"That @PressSec sat and absorbed intense criticism of her physical appearance, her job performance, and so forth, instead of walking out, on national television, was impressive," Haberman tweeted.
That @PressSec sat and absorbed intense criticism of her physical appearance, her job performance, and so forth, instead of walking out, on national television, was impressive.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) April 29, 2018
Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer called the dinner a disgrace, to which Wolf responded on Twitter by saying "thank you."
Thank you! https://t.co/0Nsx5ZBj8c
— Michelle Wolf (@michelleisawolf) April 29, 2018