ABOVE: Fox News' Ainsley Earhardt talks to CBN News' Jenna Browder about Michelle Wolf's outrageous attack against Sarah Sanders and other women at the White House.
President Donald Trump and members of the press agree that this year's White House Correspondents Dinner was a bust.
For the second year, President Trump skipped the dinner, instead criticizing journalists and others during a campaign-style rally near Detroit.
It's typical for comedians to take jabs at the White House during the dinner, but journalists say comedian Michelle Wolf crossed the line after taking personal shots at the president's team.
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is DEAD as we know it. This was a total disaster and an embarrassment to our great Country and all that it stands for. FAKE NEWS is alive and well and beautifully represented on Saturday night!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 30, 2018
Wolf started in on Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, mocking Sanders' truthfulness, physical appearance, and southern roots.
"Every time Sarah steps up to the podium I get excited because I'm not really sure what we're going to get. You know, a press briefing, a bunch of lies, or divided into softball teams," Wolf joked.
She continued, "And I'm never really sure what to call Sarah Huckabee Sanders, you know, is it Sarah Sanders, is it Sarah Huckabee Sanders, is it cousin Huckabee, is it auntie Huckabee Sanders, like what's Uncle Tom but for white women who disappoint other white women?"
Wolf's act went on to include more vulgar antics and while she had some in the audience laughing, others were left stunned into silence.
"It's 2018 and I'm a woman, so you cannot shut me up," Wolf said, "unless you have Michael Cohen wire me $130,000."
The White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) responded to the criticism saying Wolf's rant doesn't reflect the group's effort.
"Last night's program was meant to offer a unifying message about our common commitment to a vigorous and free press while honoring civility, great reporting and scholarship winners, not to divide people. Unfortunately, the entertainer's monologue was not in the spirit of that mission," said Margaret Talev, president of the WHCA.
Many journalists weighed in as well, praising Sanders and blasting Wolf:
That @PressSec sat and absorbed intense criticism of her physical appearance, her job performance, and so forth, instead of walking out, on national television, was impressive.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) April 29, 2018
I don’t blame @realDonaldTrump for skipping last night’s #WHCD. Fun night but some uncomfortable moments with comedian @michelleisawolf. She crossed the line with her joke about @PressSec’s appearance. She also called her a liar. Too mean spirited to be funny.
— Jenna Browder (@JennaBrowder) April 29, 2018
And Sarah Sanders' father, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, said Wolf's comments amount the outright bullying.
Those who think that the tasteless classless bullying at the WHCD was an example of the 1st Amendment should never condemn bullying,bigoted comments, racist bile or hate speech. People should be free to speak but held accountable for it.
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) April 29, 2018
Many of Wolf's jokes included vulgar language that couldn't be repeated in stories about the dinner.
President Trump called her "filthy" and said she "totally bombed." Some journalists called Wolf's performance mean-spirited and others demanded that she apologize.
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner was a failure last year, but this year was an embarrassment to everybody associated with it. The filthy “comedian” totally bombed (couldn’t even deliver her lines-much like the Seth Meyers weak performance). Put Dinner to rest, or start over!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 30, 2018
Some critics said it showed again the distance between the media and millions of Americans.