A war on Christmas parties? The White House won't host its annual reception for members of the news media this year.

The White House said in a statement to USA TODAY that the party was never put on the holiday schedule this year, thus seemingly never going to happen.

"However, we have accommodated members of the media and their families who have asked to see the holiday decorations by arranging White House Open House Tours for them," the White House said in its statement.

President Donald Trump did host the party last year, but the time was moved to the workday, making it more difficult for people to bring their families, and the president did not pose for photos with guests, which had been one of the event's traditions. According to Fox News, President Bill Clinton even did the photo line days after he was impeached.

CNN, which has long been attacked by Trump as "fake news," skipped last year's event, citing Trump's "continued attacks on freedom of the press." Last month, the White House revoked CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta's credentials after a testy exchange with the president during a televised news conference. A court later forced the White House to return the reporter's pass.

Trump's contentious relationship with the news media also led him to become the first president to skip the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner in decades (Ronald Reagan did not attend in 1981 because he was recovering from being shot in an assassination attempt, but he still called in and delivered a couple of one-liners). Trump didn't attend the dinner in 2017 or 2018.

But media figures whose coverage the president finds more friendly will still be able to find some holiday cheer in the White House this year.

Fox News reported the White House will still host a "full panoply of other parties this holiday season" (indeed, the president has two Christmas receptions on his schedule Thursday). And "selected media people generally favorable to Trump, including a few Fox News hosts, have made those guest lists" for some of those events, Fox reported.

Fox also said, "Trump supporters who view his coverage as unfairly harsh will undoubtedly welcome the president’s decision to exclude the media establishment, at least for this year."

But for any who are worried the press won't be celebrating at the White House at all this year, never fear: A holiday party – albeit it a much less extravagant one – will still be held this week in the White House press room.

Some members of the news media took to Twitter to express their disappointment in the break from the decades-long tradition.

Contributing: David Jackson