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Amber Ruffin Responds to Being Dropped From WHCA Dinner

The comedian and writer joked that she would have been “terrifically mean” during the event.

Amber Ruffin gave a hilarious clapback to the White House Correspondents Association for dropping her as entertainer for their annual dinner.

The comedian and writer appeared on “Late Night With Seth Meyers” on Monday, March 31, where she jokingly confronted the host about a “punchline” he planned to make about a “guy who robbed the bodega.” 

“See. Seth, the problem is that’s divisive. Take it from me. If there’s one thing I learned from this weekend, it’s you have to be fair to both sides,” Ruffin said, alluding to being dropped from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.  

Meyers and Ruffin playfully exchanged perspectives on the bodega thief, with the Nebraska entertainer saying that “when bad people do bad things, you have to treat them fairly and respectfully.”

Meyers tried to articulate his point again, saying, "The whole reason we have a free press is so we can report stories, you know, as they actually happen."

"No, we have a free press so that we can be nice to Republicans at fancy dinners. That’s what it says in the First Amendment," Ruffin replied.

But since being released from the April 26 event, Ruffin has gained a new ‘outlook.’ “I thought when people take away your rights, erase your history and deport your friends, you’re supposed to call it out,” she said. “But I was wrong.”

Ultimately, Ruffin believes that it was best for her not to speak at the dinner as she would have been “terrifically mean.”

According to “The Hollywood Reporter,” Ruffin was booked for the gig in February, with WHCA president Eugene Daniels calling her a “perfect fit.” But on Saturday, March 30, Daniels changed his mind, writing, “at this consequential moment for journalism, I want to ensure the focus is not on the politics of division but entirely on awarding our colleagues for their outstanding work and providing scholarship and mentorship to the next generation of journalists.”

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