Over time, the White House Correspondents' Dinner has become a yearly tradition, the likes of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton sitting through comedic routines poking fun at them.

It has, of course, always been in the spirit of good will and fun, even if the host and President were at opposite ends of the political spectrum (see Stephen Colbert performing at Bush’s 2006 dinner).

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Trump wrote on Twitter: “I will not be attending the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner this year. Please wish everyone well and have a great evening!”

Social media users were quick to mock the controversial President, many of who - including Zach Braff of Scrubs fame - suggested Alec Baldwin attend the ceremony in his place.

Baldwin has, over the last few weeks, been impersonating Trump on Saturday Night Live, the performance garnering rave reviews around the world.