Washington DC - More than 250 journalists signed a letter imploring members of the White House Correspondents' Association and reporters attending this year's event to protest President Donald Trump.

In a letter to the WHCA, broadcasting legends Dan Rather and Sam Donaldson joined more than 250 journalists in calling for reporters to "forcefully demonstrate opposition" to Trump's "efforts to trample freedom of the press."

Pointing to the April 25 dinner as a "symbol of the vital and irreplaceable role of a free press in American democracy," the letter called Trump's behavior "the most systematic and comprehensive assault on freedom of the press by a sitting American president."

"President Trump's systematic, sustained, and unprecedented attacks on the free press render his presence at such an event a profound contradiction of its purpose."

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Signatories asked attendees to "speak forcefully in front of the man who seeks to undermine our country's long tradition of an independent, strong, and free press."

While the letter applauded reporters' plans to wear "First Amendment" pocket handkerchiefs or lapel pins in protest, it said that action was not enough.

Trump's attendance at the annual WHCA dinner is not unprecedented, as it has become a tradition for presidents to attend and often speak at the event.

Over the last 14 months, however, Trump has launched a systematic attack on the free press, using his Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr to threaten news outlets into submission.

Trump and other senior members of his administration have often smeared, insulted, and attacked journalists and even launched lawsuits against outlets such as the New York Times.

In a raging post to Truth Social last year, Trump called CNN's Kaitlan Collins "stupid and nasty." Earlier, he told a female reporter to "Quiet, Piggy."