Indian American Hasan Minhaj to headline White House Correspondents’ dinner

The event, an annual feature since 1921, will be held in Washington on April 29.

Indian American Hasan Minhaj will headline this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, which will be held on April 29 in Washington, DC.

It is the first ever WHCA dinner during the tenure of President Trump— and Trump has announced he skipping it.

“He brings comedy chops, but he also brings heart,” announcing the selection of Minhaj as the performer on Tuesday’s Morning Joe of MSNBC, WHCA President Jeff Mason said. “President Trump has said he will not be coming, but we will still be celebrating the First Amendment and the importance of a free press and Hasan brings all of that.”

Mason added that, in addition to some jokes about Trump, Minhaj will “bring the message that we hope to get across that night: that the First Amendment is critical and the work of the White House press corps and journalists around the world is very important.”

Since his election, Trump has had a very hostile relationship with the media, even calling it “enemy of the press.”

Minhaj, 31, first gained national attention when he joined the Comedy Central’s Daily Show as a correspondent in 2004.

The next year, he made his Off-Broadway debut with Homecoming King, which is based on autobiographical incidents from the comedian’s experience as a first generation Indian American.

Minhaj has also appeared on Netflix’s Arrested Development, HBO’s Getting On and Comedy Central’s @midnight, among other shows.

The annual WHCA dinner, held at Washington Hilton on the last Saturday in April, has been a regular feature on Washington spring since 1921.

A number of illustrious men from the American entertainment industry have performed at the event, including Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Jay Leno, Ray Charles and Stephen Colbert.