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Twitter Is Comparing Trump To The Grinch After He Canceled This Christmas Tradition

by Gillian Walters

President Donald Trump mustn't be in a festive mood these days because he reportedly canceled the White House Christmas party for members of the press, as Fox News and several other media outlets reported Thursday. Considering the annual party is a highly-anticipated event for many journalists (you can't beat free catering), it's no wonder why Twitter is comparing Trump to the Grinch.

The annual White House Christmas party for the press is a festive affair, to say the least. The event features decadent and tasty treats, and journalists are given the opportunity to pose for a professional photo with the president and first lady.

Vogue's Executive Editor Taylor Antrim wrote about attending President Barack Obama's holiday parties back in the day, emphasizing their fun and good cheer. "Upstairs, amid the glittery profusion of decorations — Christmas trees, gingerbread houses, snowmen — and through the crush of media guests, we charged the bar and ordered our first proper drinks of the night. Then we hit the dessert table," he described in one passage. "We met a Wall Street Journal reporter who had brought his mother. They were in high spirits, like us. 'The President kissed me!' exclaimed the mother, a towering blue blood from Colorado."

Sounds magical, doesn't it?

But if you're thinking Trump is eager to recreate this magic for members of the press, think again. Although the president hasn't made an official announcement yet, Fox News reporter Howard Kurtz claims Trump won't hold a holiday party for the press this year.

The White House did not immediately respond to Romper’s request for comment.

It's fair to say this reported move was a long time coming. Not only did Trump and Melania Trump opt out of taking photos at the 2017 party, according to The Washington Post, but the president's relationship with the press has deteriorated throughout the years.

"The Fake News Media, the true Enemy of the People, must stop the open & obvious hostility & report the news accurately & fairly," he tweeted in October.

Melania took the press to task Thursday, arguing, according to TIME: “The problem is they’re writing history and it’s not correct,” she said.

Despite the couple's tense relationship with the press, it's still a tad surprising they'd go as far to cancel the holiday party.

The snub isn't sitting well with Twitter, which is roasting the president for his Grinch-like ways.

"@RealDonaldTrump canceled the White House Christmas Party Christmas Party .....I thought the #Grinch was green not orange, someone tweeted.

Another person added: "How Grinchy of you to cancel a traditional Christmas party. One can only hope someday you find your heart like the Grinch did. I’m not holding my breath."

One person commented: "Republicans: 'Thank you president Trump for bringing Christmas back.'... Trump, today: 'Christmas party is cancelled cuz media’s mean to me.'... Trump is the Grinch."

"FINALLY, the leader of the War on Christmas surfaces," someone else said, referencing Trump's claim that there's a war on Christmas. "Who radicalized him? The Grinch?"

White House Correspondent April Ryan had no time for Grinch comparisons, however, cutting straight to the point in a strongly worded tweet, writing:

FYI, I had never planned to attend the White House Christmas party last year or this year. Why break bread with folks who hate you & call you names? (@PressSec & @realDonaldTrump). That is not the Christmas spirit I know. I feel sorry for those who wanted to go and can't. SAD!

It's reasonable that Ryan feels sorry for the journalists who won't get to enjoy a festive holiday party at the White House this year. Not only is it arguably unfair, but it's a missed opportunity to demonstrate goodwill during a special time of the year.

Of course, many will argue the blame lies entirely with Trump — or as many have compared him to... the Grinch — in regards to this mess. One can only hope his heart will grow three sizes by the end of the holiday, right?