President Donald Trump attended the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Friday, July 24, at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Washington, delivering a rambling, hour-long speech that mixed jokes with attacks on his political opponents and the media at an event celebrating press freedom and the First Amendment.
The dinner was originally scheduled for April 25 at the Washington Hilton but was abruptly canceled when a gunman opened fire near the ballroom’s security checkpoint. According to Reuters, the suspect, Cole Allen, pleaded not guilty in May to charges including attempting to assassinate the president. The Secret Service and staff evacuated attendees, including Trump and members of his cabinet, from the building.
The rescheduled event was held at the Waldorf Astoria with a smaller crowd of about 700 people and heightened security measures, according to NPR. White House Correspondents’ Association President Weijia Jiang opened the evening with a defiant message: “We will not be intimidated. We refuse to let an act of violence have the final word.”
Trump’s speech ranged across familiar political terrain, attacking Democrats including former President Biden, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Senator Chuck Schumer. He also criticized journalists and media figures, including CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, who had won an award for her coverage of Trump’s 2025 meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump told Collins to “smile” and called her reporting “fake,” according to NPR. CNN Worldwide Chairman and CEO Mark Thompson responded in a statement, saying the organization stands by its journalists and their “honest, accurate journalism” protected by the U.S. Constitution.
Trump acknowledged that some of his prepared jokes fell flat, questioning his speechwriters at one point. “Does anybody understand this?” he asked after one joke bombed, according to Reuters. When another joke landed poorly, he remarked, “That was actually the only thing I thought was good in this whole freaking stupid speech.”
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which began in 1921 according to the WHCA, is an annual tradition that raises money for journalism scholarships while celebrating press freedom and First Amendment protections. Every president has attended at least one WHCA dinner since the tradition began, though Trump boycotted the event during his first term in office. Friday marked his first presidential appearance at the dinner.
Trump also joked about running for a fourth term, putting on a “Trump 2028” hat and saying it would help the press’ ratings. The evening honored Secret Service Officer Victor Gonzales, who was shot at the April security checkpoint while confronting the gunman but survived wearing a protective vest. The Waldorf Astoria staff also received recognition for their role in the original incident.
Trump opened his remarks by saying “the show must go on” and pledged solidarity against political violence. “We do not yield to political violence. No deranged loser with a gun will ever change that,” he said, according to Reuters. Yet he also mixed his message of resilience with criticism, saying his relationship with the press goes back decades and that he provides “unprecedented access” through frequent question-and-answer sessions with reporters.
Sources
- Reuters — Trump’s speech at the rescheduled dinner, his remarks on political violence, and details of his attacks on media figures
- NPR — Details on the rescheduled event at the Waldorf Astoria, attendance numbers, Trump’s attacks on Kaitlan Collins, CNN’s response, and Trump’s first-term boycott of the dinner
- White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) — History of the dinner dating to 1921 and the tradition of celebrating press freedom
- Wikipedia — Confirmation that every president has attended at least one WHCA dinner since 1921
