The White House and the entertainment industry have a long, and sometimes tenuous, relationship. Every year, the status of that relationship can be inferred from who attends — or doesn't attend — the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
Before this year's event, a group of actors with The Creative Coalition — an entertainment advocacy group — are lobbying lawmakers to support funding for the National Endowment for the Arts.
Congressional co-hosts of the group's "Right to Bear Arts" gala include Sens. Chuck Schumer, Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren.
But beyond The Creative Coalition, it's unclear how many other Hollywood stars will attend this year's dinner. The past two years, various outlets have said the event seems to be losing its star power, and that's likely due to the lack of a certain White House figure.
“A large group of Hollywood actors and Washington media are consoling each other in a Washington ballroom right now," President Donald Trump said at a rally last year. "They are gathered together for the White House Correspondents' Dinner — without the president."
In his first year in office, President Donald Trump broke with tradition and skipped the dinner. Some say that decision was a sign the president's relationship with the media was waning, but the White House said it was just bad timing.
This year, the president declined the invitation again. But White House press secretary Sarah Sanders will be there in his place.
Comedian Michelle Wolf — this year's host — told The Daily Beast, "I'm just excited Sarah finally gets to go to prom."
