US President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he will break with tradition by not attending the Correspondents' Dinner at the White House, a top social event that offers a chance to joke and relieve tensions between government and the press.

"I will not be attending the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner this year. Please wish everyone well and have a great evening!" Trump said on Twitter.

Trump's announcement came at a time of great tension with the particular news outlets he calls "dishonest," "the enemy of the American people" and sources of "fake news."

On the second day of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Trump lambasted the press for thinking that he could never win the presidential election last November and for reporting that Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton was always ahead in the surveys.

The annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner has always counted on the presence of the president, the first lady, high government officials and reporters who cover the White House for major US media like CNN and The New York Times.

The dinner this year is scheduled for April 29, but some media have already announced they probably won't go because of the magnate's attitude.

The dinner, served at a Washington hotel, has become a red-carpet social event in recent years.

 Since 1920 the event has been organized by the White House Correspondents' Association, which includes all the journalists who cover government news and which has been highly critical of the way Trump treats the press and the restrictions placed on reporters who keep the public up to date on what the president is doing.

Following harsh attacks during the presidential campaign, Trump several weeks ago renewed his aggression against the press, which day by day exposes the errors, inaccuracies and contradictions in his speeches.