In a fiery appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, comedian Amber Ruffin didn’t hold back after being abruptly axed from the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner lineup, taking sharp jabs at both the organization and the Trump administration. The decision to drop her, made just days before the high-profile event, sparked a firestorm of debate—and Ruffin’s response ensured she had the last word.
Ruffin, a fan-favorite writer and performer known for her biting political commentary, was originally tapped to deliver the comedic performance at the annual WHCA dinner, a Washington tradition where humor often meets power head-on. But her slot was yanked after White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich publicly slammed her over past remarks made on a podcast. Ruffin had called Trump administration officials “a bunch of murderers” and rejected the WHCA’s directive to “give it to both sides,” prompting Budowich to label her a “second-rate comedian” unfit for the gig. Facing mounting pressure, the WHCA pulled the plug—not just on Ruffin, but on the entire comedic portion of the evening.
In a memo to members, WHCA President Eugene Daniels defended the move, writing, “We are no longer featuring a comedic performance this year” to keep the focus off “the politics of division.” The reversal, however, only fanned the flames. Critics accused the association of bowing to Trump administration influence, while Ruffin’s supporters cried foul over what they saw as a blatant attack on free expression.
On Late Night, Ruffin turned the controversy into comedic gold. “I would have been so terrifically mean,” she told host Seth Meyers with a grin, clearly unbothered by the WHCA’s cold feet. Meyers, a close collaborator who’s worked with Ruffin since her days as a writer on his show, didn’t hide his frustration. “I’m saddened by it,” he said, adding that he’d have “loved to hear what she had to say.” Ruffin didn’t disappoint, skewering the Republican Party and the WHCA alike for what she called a failure of nerve.
The backlash was immediate and polarized. Conservative voices like commentator Jonathan Turley hailed the WHCA’s decision, arguing Ruffin’s “brazen” rhetoric had no place at the dinner. But others saw it differently. On The View, Sunny Hostin decried the cancellation as “another hack at free speech,” while co-hosts sparred over whether the move was prudent or pandering. The Trump administration, meanwhile, kept the heat on, with Budowich dismissing the WHCA’s about-face as a “cop-out” and branding the organization “broken and useless.”
For Ruffin, the snub is par for the course. A regular on CNN’s Have I Got News for You and a veteran of Late Night, she’s built a career on unfiltered takes—especially when it comes to Trump. Her refusal to play nice with the WHCA’s request for bipartisan roasting only cemented her stance. “I’m not going to do that,” she told Meyers, laughing off the notion of softening her edge.
The incident has laid bare tensions within the WHCA itself. Some members privately questioned Daniels’ initial choice of Ruffin, while others faulted the board for caving to external pressure. What was meant to be a night celebrating press freedom has instead become a lightning rod for broader debates about comedy’s role in politics and the limits of political correctness.
As the controversy simmers, Ruffin remains unfazed—and unapologetic. Her Late Night takedown guaranteed that her voice, silenced at the dinner, rang louder than ever. In a year already thick with division, the WHCA’s attempt to dodge the fray has only underscored the uneasy dance between humor, journalism, and the powers that be.
