In case anyone thought Donald Trump was going to be nice to the media before hitting his first White House Correspondents Dinner as POTUS tonight, well they just lost big on that Polymarket prediction.

Flying back to DC Saturday for the WHCD from Florida, the former Apprentice host let loose on the Gray Lady with a lengthy and very on-brand Truth Social tirade. Igniting Trump’s fury was a deeply sourced NYT feature on long overdue repairs and work on Lafayette Park and seemingly a “no-bid contract… at a sharply inflated price” that was handed out.

Proving once again that nothing gets under the ex-real estate developer’s thin skin like construction, Trump went at it.

“Once again, The Failing New York Times has attempted to grossly mischaracterize what should be hailed as the restoration of Beauty and Grandeur to our Nation’s Capital as something else completely,” Trump posted earlier this afternoon.

“The New York Times should congratulate us, instead of trying to make us look bad,” Trump added. “We look forward to continuing to MAKE WASHINGTON, D.C. GREAT AGAIN, and want to thank Clark Construction, the Department of Interior, and the National Parks Service on A JOB WELL DONE! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

Trump is expected to attack the press in his remarks tonight in the ballroom of the Washington Hilton. In that roasting, Trump is also expected, whether he has fresh material and turns the jokes on himself, to go far longer that the 45 minutes he is allocated. With a room full of cabinet members, the VP and staff plus UFC pal and Paramount Skydance guest Dana White, and maybe California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a number of journalists who believe Trump and his administration have relentlessly attacked the First Amendment since returning to office will be wearing buttons and other symbols of their dissent.

Talking to C-SPAN while walking into the dinner today with spouse and Curb Your Enthusiasm star Cheryl Hines, Secretary of Health and Human Services RFK Jr said “I’m anticipating that the President is going to put on a big performance and probably offend some people in the press.”

The NYT, who has had a long complicated and often legally entangled relationship with Trump, is one of few top tier media organizations that does not have a table at the WHCD. However, the paper does cover the event so there will be NYT reporters in the ballroom if POTUS decides to go after them in person tonight.

Ripped by President Barack Obama back in 2011 at that year’s WHCD, Trump is intending to be in and out in haste before and after his Fake News remarks, sources say. In a dinner distinctly light on Tinseltown celebs this year,Trump will not be staying around for the actual awards the WHCA hands out or the potentially mind reading routine by America’s Got Talent alum Oz Pearlman. Leaning into that 2011 WHCD, which also saw Obama managing the fatal attack on Osama bin Laden, there are whispers that Trump will reveal a big move of some sort in regards to the war with Iran or another top story for the sheer drama of it. Of course, this being DC and the WHCD, there are always whispers and smoke.

Stay tuned.