WASHINGTON, April 25 -- Things could get awkward tonight when US President Donald Trump takes his seat at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, his first time attending the gala while in office.

The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA), which organises the annual meeting of the political press, opted not to go with a comedian host this year, as is tradition, but instead invited a mentalist and magician, Oz Pearlman.

Since his return to office last year, Trump's administration has taken a number of measures against the media, selectively restricting access for news outlets that have fallen afoul of his officials.

In a break with precedent, the White House now chooses which reporters are in the press "pool" that has rotating ...