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“The View” host Ana Navarro said she would not attend the White House Correspondents’ Dinner while President Donald Trump was in office for his second term, even as she acknowledged the legitimacy of media organizations like ABC and Disney continuing to support and participate in the event, according to remarks made on the “Behind the Table” podcast on Thursday.
“There is no way in hell. I would have to be dragged against my will, blindfolded by a hundred horses for me to go sit through this this year,” Navarro said.
The annual dinner, hosted by the White House Correspondents Association, has historically raised funds for journalism scholarships and honored members of the press, and Trump will attend this year after declining to appear during his first term.
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A White House correspondent told Fox News Digital that Trump’s presence had heightened interest in the event.
“I think people are almost universally excited and curious what President Trump will say in his speech,” the correspondent said. “Even if you don’t like the president, the president appearing at the dinner makes the dinner a much more significant event.”
Navarro framed her refusal as a broader rejection of what she described as the current political climate.
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“I cannot normalize the abnormal. I cannot normalize the cruelty and inhumanity,” Navarro said. “I am glad that Disney is supporting this because let’s remember… the funds raised at this event go towards scholarships.”
“The View” executive producer Brian Teta also pointed to the event’s role in recognizing journalism, including coverage critical of the administration.
“They give awards to journalism,” Teta said on the show’s “Behind the Table” podcast. “Many of these awards are being given to people that wrote unflattering portrayals and stories about Donald Trump.”
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Teta emphasized the importance of defending press freedoms despite Navarro’s decision not to attend.
“I do think it’s important to stand up for the First Amendment and to support the journalists that are there,” Teta said.
On a Friday episode of “The View,” co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin defended attendance as part of the event’s broader mission.
“They should show up. Let’s remember the White House Correspondents Association,” Griffin said. “It’s first and foremost about protecting the First Amendment and rallying around journalists who do incredible, important work informing all of us.”
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“My colleague and Ana’s colleague Kaitlan Collins is receiving an award for her coverage of the White House,” Griffin said.
Navarro, however, argued that Trump’s participation should come with expectations.
“If he is going to show up, he should sit there while Kaitlan Collins gets her award,” Navarro said. “Having Donald Trump speak at the White House Correspondents Dinner where the free press is honored is like having a cannibal host a vegan event.”
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