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The Indiana Daily Student

ICYMI: Trump skipped the White House Correspondents' Dinner and rallied in PA instead

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In the last few days, President Trump skipped the White House Correspondents' Dinner to rally his support on his 100th day in office, and people marched across the country to fight for government action on climate change. Here's a rundown of what happened and why it matters.

First 100 days 

Trump had a rally Saturday in Pennsylvania to commemorate his accomplishments during his first 100 days in office.

During the one-hour speech, his discussed big issues such as the threat from North Korea, getting a health care bill passed to replace former president Barack Obama's and possibly renegotiating the Paris climate accord.

"It's time for all of us to remember that we are one people with one great American destiny, and that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots, and we all share the same glorious freedoms of our magnificent country," Trump said.

Trump attacked the media and rallied his base in Pennsylvania instead of attending the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington D.C. 

In addition to the speech, the president also signed two executive orders. One directed a review of all United States trade agreements and the latter established the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy. 

"I could not possibly be more thrilled than to be more than 100 miles away from Washington's swamp, spending my evening with all of you and with a much, much larger crowd and much better people," Trump said.

White House Correspondents' Dinner 

While Trump rallied in Pennsylvania, members of the press gathered at the White House for the Correspondents Dinner. The president's absence was a major point of discussion early on during the event.

White House Correspondents' Association President Jeff Mason received a standing ovation after he said the press is not the enemy of the American people, a reference to an attack Trump said early in his presidency. 

"Tonight looks a little different, but the values that underpin this dinner have not changed. In fact I think they've been reinforced," Mason said. "We are here to celebrate the press — not the presidency." 

Trump is the first president to miss the event since Ronald Reagan, who was hospitalized after an assassination attempt. However, Regan made remarks over the phone. Trump instead rallied in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, a state he was not expected to win in November, according to CNN. 

"A large group of Hollywood actors and Washington media are consoling each other in a hotel ballroom in our nation's capital right now," Trump said at the rally. "They are gathered together for the White House Correspondents' Dinner without the president." 

The tension between the president and the press led several news organizations to withdraw from the White House Correspondents' Dinner in protest of Trump's treatment of the media before Trump decided he would not attend. Vanity Fair and Bloomberg, which usually plan an exclusive after-party, have canceled the gala. The New Yorker canceled its pre-party, which would have happened Friday. 

"Freedom of the press is a building block of our democracy," Mason said. "Undermining that by seeking to delegitimize journalists is dangerous to a healthy republic." 

Comedian Hasan Mihnaj, a correspondent on "The Daily Show," a satirical news show, expressed similar views when he spoke. 

"This event is about celebrating the First Amendment and free speech," he said. "Free speech is the foundation of an open and liberal democracy from college campuses to the White House." 

He added, "only in America can a first-generation Indian American Muslim kid get on this stage and make fun of the president."

People's Climate March 

Protesters backing action on climate changed marched on the White House on Saturday, Trump's 100th day in office.

During Trump's first 100 days, the Environmental Protection Agency has rolled back Obama-era regulations on fossil fuels while also facing significant planned budget cuts. 

On Friday, the EPA removed most climate change information from its website, saying in a statement that the language was updated to "reflect the approach of new leadership," according to CNN. 

The march began at 12:30 p.m. near the Capitol, and demonstrators planned to move to the White House and end up at the Washington Monument, according to the proposed map route.

Protests also took place in cities such as New York, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Amsterdam and London. 

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