President Trump is delivering remarks tonight at the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, nearly three months after a gunman’s attack forced the cancellation of the original event on April 25. This marks Trump’s first attendance at the annual gathering as president, a significant shift after he boycotted the dinner throughout his first term and again in 2025.
The April dinner was cut short when Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old California resident, opened fire near the main security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton. Allen ran past security while armed with a 12-gauge shotgun, a .38 semi-automatic pistol, and multiple knives, firing at least one shot that struck a Secret Service officer’s bullet-resistant vest. The officer was hospitalized but later released. Allen was apprehended after tripping and falling while being chased, sustaining a knee injury in the process.
Prosecutors charged Allen with four counts, including attempting to assassinate a United States president—a charge that carries a possible life sentence. In a manifesto he sent to family members, Allen criticized Trump administration policies and referred to himself as the “Friendly Federal Assassin.” He pleaded not guilty to all charges on May 11.
Trump’s decision to attend the April dinner marked a historic break from his pattern of avoiding the event. During his first term, he became the only modern president never to attend the dinner while in office. He had attended once as a guest in 2011, but his contentious relationship with the media had kept him away for years. The April dinner was to be his first presidential appearance.
White House Correspondents’ Association President Weijia Jiang announced the rescheduled dinner in June with enhanced security measures. In statements before tonight’s event, Jiang emphasized that holding the dinner despite the April attack was intended to send a message that the association would not be intimidated. She said she did not want images of colleagues hiding under tables to be the last memory from the year’s event.
The new venue, the Waldorf Astoria in the historic Old Post Office building, was selected by Trump himself. The property was once developed by the Trump Organization before being sold in 2021. The rescheduled dinner brings together roughly 2,600 attendees, including senior administration officials, members of the press, and other dignitaries—the same concentration of high-ranking government figures that the April event had attracted.
The April shooting was the third apparent attempt on Trump’s life since 2024, following an attempt in Pennsylvania in July 2024 and another at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida in September 2024. Notably, the Washington Hilton, where the April dinner took place, was also the site of the 1981 attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley Jr.
Sources
- Wikipedia — detailed account of the April 25, 2026 shooting incident, suspect information, charges, and manifesto details
- Reuters — Trump’s announcement of the rescheduled dinner and new venue
- PBS NewsHour — Trump’s first attendance at the dinner as president and historical context
- NBC News — live coverage and Weijia Jiang’s remarks at the rescheduled event
- The Guardian — rescheduled dinner announcement and enhanced security measures
- Fox News — Trump’s venue selection and details about the Waldorf Astoria
- C-SPAN — live coverage of the rescheduled dinner and security arrangements
