For the first time in 140 years, the journalists gathered at the annual Gridiron Club dinner decided to break a long-established tradition, forgoing the customary toast in honor of the President of the United States. Instead of honoring the White House, the press representatives raised their glasses in favor of press freedom, thus choosing to challenge the Trump administration through a symbolic gesture.
The event, which traditionally includes the participation of the sitting president or vice president, was held this year without any representatives from the current government, an absence that further highlighted the growing divide between Republicans and the media.
The Gridiron Dinner is an exclusive and largely informal event where journalists, politicians, and government officials gather for an evening of camaraderie and humor. Participants are usually allowed to perform comedic and satirical sketches, often centered on current political events.
According to the U.S. newspaper Washington Post, the Club’s president, Judy Woodruff, former host and managing editor of the PBS NewsHour program, emphasized the importance of a free press as an essential element of American democracy.
The already palpable tension then increased when the Democratic governor of Maryland, Wes Moore, made a joke about the ties between the Republican administration and Russia. His remark immediately prompted a response from Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, who left the room in protest.
The dinner concluded in an unusual manner: instead of the closing speech, the organizers played video and audio excerpts from the last four Republican presidents, starting from 2018, to evoke the cheerful atmosphere that had traditionally characterized the Gridiron Club.
In the previous edition, six years ago, Trump participated with decidedly conciliatory tones, praising the journalists present and even calling them “incredible, brilliant, powerful, intelligent, and fair,” in addition to thanking them for their work in supporting American democracy.
This year’s event not only showed cracks in the tradition but also highlighted the growing distance between the White House and the media world.
