The White House Correspondents’ Association is holding its annual dinner tonight in Washington after a gunman’s attempted assassination of President Donald Trump forced the cancellation of the original April event. The rescheduled gathering, set for 8 p.m. ET at the Waldorf-Astoria, marks a return to a tradition that dates back to 1921 and a statement that “violence has no place in American life,” according to WHCA President Weijia Jiang.
On April 25, 2026, a security breach at the Washington Hilton cut short the dinner when Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old from California, rushed a security checkpoint in an apparent assassination attempt. A Secret Service agent was struck in his protective vest during the confrontation but continued responding to the threat. The incident forced President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and more than 2,000 attendees to evacuate.
The WHCA board made the decision to reschedule after “thoughtful consideration and input from members,” Jiang said in a June 2 announcement. The rescheduled dinner will be held at a smaller, more intimate venue with significantly enhanced safety measures and new access procedures. The organization raised funds to ensure WHCA members who purchased tickets for the April event would not have to pay again, and offered financial support to scholarship winners traveling back to Washington.
Tonight’s dinner carries historic significance: it marks Trump’s first attendance at the event as president. Every president since Calvin Coolidge in 1924 has attended the dinner at least once during their term, but Trump refused to attend throughout his first term. In a June social media post, Trump said he was debating whether to deliver the “rather nasty statements” he had planned for the original speech.
The dinner comes amid escalating tensions between Trump and the press corps. In early July, the Department of Justice subpoenaed New York Times journalists to testify about their sources and provide phone records related to reporting on security concerns with a Qatari Air Force One jet gifted to Trump. Those subpoenas were withdrawn a day later. More than 500 journalists, journalism organizations, and press freedom groups have called on the WHCA to speak out against the Trump administration’s attacks on the media during tonight’s event.
The WHCA plans to present special awards to those who assisted during the April shooting. Secret Service Police Officer Victor Gonzales, who was at the security checkpoint when Allen rushed through, will receive the President’s Award for Exceptional Service. The Washington Hilton staff will also be recognized for their response and for preserving unserved meals to donate to local shelters.
The dinner is designed to raise funds for First Amendment scholarships and other programs supporting journalism. The event will be livestreamed beginning at 6 p.m. ET.
Sources
- USA Today — details on April 25 shooting, April attendance figures, venue change to Waldorf-Astoria, enhanced security measures, Trump’s first attendance as president, press-Trump tensions, awards to be presented
- White House Correspondents’ Association — Jiang’s announcement of rescheduling decision, rationale for July 24 date, enhanced safety measures, fundraising for members
- Washington Post — Trump’s return to dinner after April assassination attempt, smaller gathering context
- AP News — Cole Tomas Allen identified as suspect, assassination attempt description
- Reuters — Trump’s planned speech remarks, tensions with media
- Al Jazeera — press freedom advocates’ warnings about dinner
