Stormy Daniels Was Invited To A Major D.C. Event, Proving She's Got Some Real Influence
One of my favorite days is almost here: the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner. Each year the press, government officials, and the president — usually — get together for some grub and lighthearted fun. With April 28 around the corner, there's buzz that Stormy Daniels received an invitation (or two), but is Stormy Daniels attending the White House Correspondents' Dinner? Despite the media frenzy that would likely provide, the answer is, sadly, no.
Michael Avenatti, Daniels' attorney, told People that Daniels has received several invitations to attend the correspondents' dinner from various media outlets, however she has declined all of them. Avenatti refused to disclose which media companies invited Daniels, but did say that he would be attending the event as a guest of the Associated Press. He also did not offer up a reason as to why Daniels has declined the invitations, although I can't say I am surprised.
Daniels has claimed she had an affair with President Donald Trump back in 2006. She also claimed that she was paid $130,000 to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to never speak about the alleged affair again. Trump has denied all of Daniels allegations. Currently, Daniels is in the midst of a legal battle with Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, trying to get the NDA thrown out. Given her current legal proceedings with Cohen, maybe the White House Correspondents' Dinner isn't the best place to be?
At least if Daniels did decide to attend, there'd be one person she wouldn't have to worry about running into: Trump.
It looks like Trump will be skipping the White House Correspondents' Dinner again this year. Earlier this month, on April 6, Trump appeared on WABC's "Bernie & Sid in the Morning" and said that he probably won't attend. "It's unlikely I will do the White House correspondents dinner this year," the president said, because the news media is "so bad and so fake." This is the second year that Trump has hosted a rally on the night of the WHCA dinner.
That "unlikely" to attend has turned into a definitely. On April 17, the Trump campaign announced they'll be hosting a rally in Washington, Michigan during the White House Correspondents' Dinner, according to CNN. Michael Glassner, the chief operating officer of the Trump campaign, said in a release,
While the fake news media will be celebrating themselves with the denizens of Washington society in the swamp that evening, President Trump will be in a completely different Washington, celebrating our national economic revival with patriotic Americans.
Although Trump will be off gearing up for 2020 and not in attendance, other White House officials will be at the black-tie event, according to The Hill. WHCA President Margaret Talev confirmed that Trump won't be at the dinner but that he will "encourage members of the executive branch to attend." She wrote in a statement,
The White House has informed us that the president does not plan to participate in this year's dinner but that he will actively encourage members of the executive branch to attend and join us as we celebrate the First Amendment.
Talev confirmed that White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders will be in attendance. She wrote,
In keeping with tradition, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders also will represent the administration at the head table. The April 28 dinner celebrates award-winning reporting, scholarship winners and the vital role of the First Amendment and the free press in American democracy.
The statements from the Trump campaign calling out the "fake news media" and talking about "denizens of Washington society" slumming it in the "swamp," doesn't exactly match up with the statement that the WHCA got from the White House about "celebrating the First Amendment." One sounds a little more like Trump, if you ask me. Regardless of both Trump and Daniels not showing up, I still can't wait to see what unfolds on April 28... especially on Trump's Twitter.
