The 2025 dinner will not have its traditional headlining comedian as the association removed Amber Ruffin in March following critical Trump comments.

As if on cue, a light rain fell on guests dressed in suits and cocktail dresses as they walked into the brick palace decorated with coats of arms and portraits of King Charles and Queen Elizabeth II. Many hopped into a red phone booth at the entrance for a photo op.

Advisers have begun to turn on each other as the fallout from President Donald Trump's trade decisions has thrown the financial markets into a tailspin.