Ever since President Donald Trump announced he wouldn't be attending the 2017 White House Correspondents' Dinner, it was clear that the annual event would be very different from years past. Usually, the administration would join in the festivities, where the president is mocked by the host and delivers his own roast-filled speech to a crowd of journalists and celebrities.
But with Trump skipping the event, and the entire administration being one heavily criticized by the media and Hollywood alike, it was unclear who would actually show up. Ultimately, the answer was: not many famous people.
While last year's White House Correspondents' Dinner included everyone from Kendall Jenner to the cast of Scandal to Bill Nye the Science Guy, on Saturday, April 29, the biggest names were politicians and reporters. Instead, many celebrities attended Samantha Bee's Not The White House Correspondents' Dinner special.
So when the red carpet kicked off on The Washington Post's live stream, there weren't many interviews, and the host repeatedly stated that journalists would be the ones in the spotlight this year. Though the WHCD was still sold out this year and is being hosted by Daily Show correspondent Hasan Minhaj, not many celebrities chose to join him. Here are some of the biggest names to attend the WHCD this year, most of whom you'll only recognize from the news.
Madeleine Albright
The former Secretary of State (and first woman to hold the title) is still active in politics and attended the WHCD.
Matthew Modine
Modine, who plays Dr. Brenner on Stranger Things, was one of very few actors to show up.
Van Jones
The CNN commentator, activist, and outspoken Trump critic told reporters on the red carpet that he thought Trump was weak for skipping the WHCD.
Jim Acosta
Another CNN correspondent to walk the low-key red carpet.
Wolf Blitzer
Rather than celebrities, Blitzer and his fellow CNN reporters are bringing student journalists to the WHCD.
Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein
The two famed journalists who exposed Richard Nixon's Watergate scandal in 1972 were also honored by the White House Correspondents' Association President Jeff Mason in his opening speech, before giving a speech of their own.
There may not have been many big names at the WHCD, but that didn't stop Minhaj and the rest of the speakers from making big, powerful statements about the state of the country and the press.
