WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is expected to attend the White House Correspondents' Association dinner this weekend in Washington, marking the first time he will attend the event as president. The annual dinner, a fixture on Washington's spring social calendar, honors the press and is nicknamed the "nerd prom."

President Calvin Coolidge was the first president to attend the dinner in 1924. Trump previously attended the gathering in 2011, when he glared from the audience as President Barack Obama delivered barbs about him.

This year's dinner comes as the Trump administration has berated individual reporters, restricted press access to the Pentagon, and fought the Times, the Journal and the Associated Press in court. Trump sued the Journal over its story about his birthday message to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and the AP is battling the administration in court over access.

The Journal is being honored at the dinner for the Epstein birthday message story, and the AP is also being honored. CNN's Kaitlan Collins is among the journalists receiving an award. CBS News reportedly invited Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to sit at its table.

Lisa Stark and Ian Cameron circulated a petition urging journalists attending the dinner to speak forcefully in defense of the press. More than 350 former journalists, including Dan Rather and Sam Donaldson, signed the petition. Reporters have discussed a visible protest such as wearing lapel pins displaying the First Amendment.

The Times stopped attending the dinner in 2011 because reporters were toasting and laughing with people they regularly cover, a practice some people have criticized. Todd Gilman, a journalism professor at Arizona State University, said there is value in attending despite the concerns.

"There's a misperception that the correspondents are honoring Trump by having him at the dinner," Gilman said. He described the networking benefits of the event: "Even if you're not sitting with an administration official, you have the opportunity to walk up to someone, say hi, break the ice and give them a business card. It puts a face to the name, so maybe they'll return your call the next time." NPR journalist Eric Deggans wrote on Substack that he obtained an interview with media mogul Byron Allen after making a connection at the dinner.