Michelle Wolf Reveals Why Amber Ruffin Was Disinvited from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner: A Move to Avoid Trump’s Wrath
Michelle Wolf has swapped the U.S. for Spain—specifically, Barcelona. The former Daily Show contributor and host of her own Netflix talk show, now 39, made the move “for a boy,” as she describes, rather than as a political statement.
This assertion may sound surprising, given her history.
Wolf’s iconic 2018 White House Correspondents’ Dinner performance, which Donald Trump skipped but his then-White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders attended, ignited a wave of criticism—not all of it from conservative circles. Journalists from major outlets expressed that her set was too harsh towards Sanders.
Unsurprisingly, MAGA supporters were outraged, with Trump himself tweeting that the “filthy ‘comedian’ totally bombed” and calling for the dinner to be either canceled or significantly altered.
Now, in the first year of his second term, Trump seems to be getting his wish. The White House Correspondents’ Association initially planned to have Amber Ruffin, who has also worked with Late Night With Seth Meyers, roast attendees that night. However, they later rescinded her invitation, claiming the board unanimously decided to steer clear of “the politics of division.”
Wolf isn’t convinced by their reasoning. From her home in Barcelona, where she is raising a toddler and developing new material for her podcast, Michelle Wolf’s Thought Box, she shared her perspective.
“Hi, Michelle! So you’re in Spain?”
“I am. Currently, Barcelona would prefer you call it Catalonia, not Spain.”
“So you have your own issues there?”
“The more you travel, the more you realize that no one likes anyone.”
“You’re a comedian and TV star. Don’t you need to be in Hollywood?”
“I’ve never had the desire to be in Hollywood. When I first arrived, I googled ‘English stand-up comedy’ and found a comedy club here. It’s been great to dive into the English-speaking comedy scene. I can work on my jokes here, and when I travel back to America, they resonate.”
“What’s been on your mind lately in terms of comedy?”
“That varies. In stand-up, I focus on material that I can use for a long time. Much of it revolves around having a toddler and being a working mom, along with broader societal issues. My podcast, however, allows me to explore more topical content since I create around 40 new minutes of material each week.”
“I know comedians like to perfect their material privately before sharing it. What inspired you to take this approach?”
“I’m not a fan of the typical podcast format—just people rambling. I aimed to keep my podcast close to the essence of stand-up. This means a significant workload every week, and judging by my voice, I’m clearly thriving. We perform in a chic hotel bar, experimenting with different venues. Having a live audience helps me gauge which jokes land and which don’t. Some jokes are so bad that I still perform them anyway.”
“For the masochist in you?”
“I believe jokes are stacked up—if I don’t tell the bad ones, they block the good ones from coming out.”
“Let’s discuss the 2018 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.”
“My favorite topic.”
“I remember you being hilarious, especially the ‘smoky eye’ joke, which caused quite a stir. How do you recall that night? Did you feel satisfied with your performance?”
“I still think I nailed it, and it’s aging well. Writing those jokes was enjoyable, and rehearsing in New York was a blast. I had twice as many jokes prepared as I used, and the night itself was a lot of fun. It was particularly enjoyable to see everyone become tense.”
“Tense as in uncomfortable?”
“Exactly. The afterparty was fantastic, surrounded by friends and writers from my show. As the night progressed, I noticed reactions starting to surface on social media and in the news.”
“I felt great about what I said—not just the jokes, but the substance of my message. Sometimes, you’re proud of your work but unsure of its impact. However, I could see immediately that it resonated.”
“It certainly did.”
“Honestly, I would love for someone to explain how they interpreted that joke as a critique of her appearance. There’s nothing in it that touches on her looks.”
“Did any offended Republicans confront you that night?”
“Of course not. As we were leaving, I said to Sarah, ‘Have a great night!'”
“Did she acknowledge you?”
“No. I do remember Stormy Daniels’ lawyer, Michael Avenatti, gave me a compliment with a warning. I thought, ‘If Stormy Daniels’ lawyer is advising me to watch out, maybe I’m in trouble.'”
“In the aftermath, were you scared? What transpired?”
“No, I was focused on my show, The Break, which was on Netflix at the time. That’s the beauty of stand-up—there’s always another gig. What really warmed my heart was the overwhelming support from fellow comedians.”
“Were you receiving threatening or hateful messages?”
“Oh yes, plenty of those. It’s quite amusing, honestly. People would say, ‘Forget your feelings,’ while Elon Musk calls for ‘legalize comedy.’ It’s like, ‘No, we’re fine with it; you need to be fine with it.'”
“Now, in this second Trump term, the issues you joked about back then seem even more pronounced. Are you concerned?”
“I genuinely worry that we may reach a point where free speech is stifled, and comedians might be unable to express themselves as freely as before. Some podcast hosts claim that with Trump, there will be no censorship. But there is. What were you not allowed to say? As far as I know, nothing was off-limits. Now, there’s real censorship.”
“The decision to uninvite Amber Ruffin suggests both the Trump administration and the White House Correspondents’ Association are wary of not just the jokes, but the truths they reveal. Good jokes shine a light on the truth. It’s not just Trump failing; many journalists are also letting people down by not reporting the reality out of fear of losing access.”
“What was their justification for the uninvitation?”
“They claimed they wanted to focus on journalism and scholarships. Fair enough, it’s their event. However, as Amber noted, being mean is a natural part of a roast. That’s what a roast entails.”
“Do you think the association capitulated to Trump’s media attacks and access threats?”
“I think they were afraid to upset Trump, which is a troubling place for journalism. Even a good leader can provoke anger and make decisions worthy of scrutiny. Journalists need to report the truth, and if they’re afraid to upset someone in power, it complicates their ability to do so.”
“I was browsing Netflix yesterday, and Tony Hinchcliffe’s show Kill Tony was trending at No. 4. It’s intriguing to see him perform at a Trump rally only to face backlash over a Puerto Rico comment, yet he’s still thriving. What’s your take on the Tony Hinchcliffe phenomenon and its cultural implications?”
“I haven’t watched it, but from what I gather, it’s not him doing stand-up; he’s curating content by having other comedians perform brief sets. We’re living in a time where mediocrity is celebrated, as anyone can achieve mediocrity, but not everyone can excel.”
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