Trump heads back to correspondents’ dinner months after gunfire forced evacuation
President Donald Trump will return to the stage Friday to deliver remarks at a rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Waldorf Astoria, just months after gunfire abruptly ended the organization’s annual banquet.
“In April, President Trump promised to finish the job and plan another WHCA Dinner, and on Friday, he will deliver on that promise. We look forward to a great and fun evening celebrating 250 years of American greatness and a free press,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital.
Trump attended the original dinner in April during the nation’s 250th-anniversary year. He skipped the event throughout his first term amid repeated clashes with the press. This month’s dinner is expected to be a night of unity with a more intimate guest list after the April dinner devolved into chaos.
“This dinner will not only be an opportunity to carry out our program. It will be a statement that violence has no place in American life and a free press will not be intimidated into silence. As you have all demonstrated, courage and community can and should rise above,” Weijia Jiang, president of The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), said when the new date was announced.
WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES EVENT BEING RESCHEDULED AFTER SHOOTING
The annual dinner has historically been held at the Washington Hilton. Chaos, however, broke out at this year’s banquet when an armed suspect, Cole Allen, stormed the event in what authorities say was an attempt to assassinate the president.
The incident prompted Secret Service agents to rush the president and first lady from the room as guests scrambled for cover, abruptly ending the dinner.
The WHCA will honor U.S. Secret Service Officer Victor Gonzales during Friday’s dinner in recognition of his actions in helping stop an armed suspect from entering the ballroom, WHCA announced in a press release Tuesday.
Gonzales was at a security checkpoint when Cole tried to burst through the Washington Hilton.
“The WHCA is deeply grateful that law enforcement officials prevented the armed suspect from entering the ballroom,” said Jiang.
“Officer Gonzales played a significant role when he ran toward danger so that thousands of others could make it home safely. His courage stemmed from a dedication to service, which we are looking forward to honoring this week,” she added.
While first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not be in attendance due to prior commitments, many Cabinet officials will be present.
FBI Director Kash Patel, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are among those attending.
Mentalist Oz Pearlman will return as entertainment for the guests.
The April dinner drew dozens of anti-war protesters outside the Washington Hilton as the conflict with Iran dominated headlines, and similar demonstrations could greet attendees Friday as U.S. military operations continue.
The event also comes as Trump has used a string of high-profile speeches to highlight his administration’s priorities, including a primetime address last week on election security.
Speaking after the April dinner was cut short, Trump said he hoped the event would be held again and previewed a less combative tone for his eventual remarks. He said he had been prepared to “really rip” the press but decided that delivering such a speech after the shooting would have been inappropriate.
“I think I’m going to be probably very nice. I’ll be very boring the next time. But we’re going to have a great event,” Trump said.
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