D.C.'s "nerd prom" won't have a headlining comedian this year

• Past featured comedians at the dinner have included Colin Jost and Trevor Noah.

The latest: White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) President Eugene Daniels announced in an email to members Saturday that the association canceled the appearance by Ruffin — a "Late Night With Seth Meyers" performer — at the April 26 event.

• White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich on Friday night tweeted a clip of Ruffin on a Daily Beast podcast, talking about her preparations for the dinner, where she referred to Trump administration officials as "kind of a bunch of murderers."
• Budowich asked: "What kind of responsible, sensible journalist would attend something like this?"

What they're saying: Daniels, a former Politico reporter who's slated to soon co-host an MSNBC show and was named WHCA president last year, wrote that the "board has unanimously decided we are no longer featuring a comedic performance this year."

• "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."

• Daniels plans to share more dinner details "as the date nears."

The intrigue: President Trump didn't attend the event during his first term, and it's unclear whether he'll attend this year.

Zoom out: The decision to scrap Ruffin's performance comes as the White House has upended decades-old press corps traditions, such as deciding which outlets get access to Trump and barring the AP from press pool events.