Correspondents' dinner headliner Amber Ruffin: 'No one wants' Trump to attend

Amber Ruffin, the just-announced headliner for this year's White House Correspondents' Association dinner, says "no one" wants President Trump to attend the high-profile event.

"No one wants that," the comedian and "Have I Got News for You" personality said when asked in a Wednesday interview with CNN's Jake Tapper if she wanted Trump to take part in the April 26 gala in Washington.

Throughout his first term in office, Trump bucked a tradition among sitting presidents and declined to attend the association's dinner. The commander in chief counterprogrammed the 2019 event, holding a rally the same night and saying at the time that the dinner "is boring and so negative."

Earlier this week, the White House didn't rule out Trump heading to the lawmaker and celebrity-filled soiree, which raises money for the association's work and journalism scholarships.

“I have the president’s invitation on my desk," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Tuesday. "Haven’t talked to the president about it."

“When he makes his decision, I will let you all know,” she added. “But definitely an interesting choice of a comedian. I’ll talk to the boss and see what we decide.”

The dinner's organizers announced Ruffin as the night's entertainer earlier this week, saying her "unique talents are the ideal fit for this current political and cultural climate."

But in her interview with Tapper, Ruffin appeared to throw cold water on the idea of Trump taking part in the glitzy affair.

"I mean, sure it's something to do," Ruffin, 46, said.

"I can't imagine he would. He should. He's missing out on one of the cool things about being the president of the United States. But I don't know that anyone's looking forward to being in the same room as him," the "Late Night with Seth Meyers" writer said.

Ruffin, who joins a long list of performers who have emceed the association's dinner — including Colin Jost, Conan O'Brien, Trevor Noah and Jimmy Kimmel — shared her approach to the gala.

"I think I'm going to do it the same way I always do it, by just telling the truth about how I feel," Ruffin said.

"I feel like we all feel a little sad. Well, some of us feel pretty happy. But a lot of us feel a little sad. And I think it's OK to say exactly what it is that's making us feel this way," she said.

"And I think when you do that, and people feel the same way as you, they think that it is fun and funny and it feels good to hear, and that's kind of where I operate from."

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