Trump returns to rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner amid security concerns
US leader praises aides’ ‘bravery’ and mocks political opponents at reduced-capacity gathering, while media leaders vow resilience against violence.
US President Donald Trump attended the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Washington DC on Friday, marking the first time the event has been held since an alleged assassination attempt disrupted the April gathering. The president opened his speech by stating, “As I said three months ago, the show must go on,” and joked that “the second time is always better,” before clarifying he was only kidding regarding his constitutional term limits.
The rescheduled function took place in the ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria with a guest list of 700 people, a significantly smaller capacity than the original event at the Washington Hilton. During his address, Trump described the April incident involving alleged gunman Cole Tomas Allen as an assault on democracy. He praised aides Pete Hegseth, Steve Miller, and Tom Holman for their actions during the attack, noting they were standing on tables while most attendees had gone under them.
Trump used the platform to deliver a series of jokes targeting political opponents and attendees. He referred to California Governor Gavin Newsom as “newscum,” questioned Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s intelligence, and called top Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer “Palestinian.” He also pretended that someone in the audience was calling Illinois Governor JB Pritzker a “fat pig” to avoid uttering the insult himself, and joked about singer Nicki Minaj twerking in response to shouts of “Get down.”
White House Correspondents’ Association president Weijia Jiang thanked Trump for his support and attendance, stating, “Tonight our message is this: We are back. We will not be intimidated. We refuse to let an act of violence have the final word.” The Associated Press notes that calls for the dinner’s abandonment have grown among media professionals following the security breach, with the event long criticised for fostering closeness between reporters and politicians.
Trump’s attendance represents a shift from his first term, when he declared the dinner “dead” and did not attend. He touted the event as a “very good thing” and a “HOT ticket,” entering the ballroom to polite applause and remarking, “This is the largest gathering of people with Trump derangement syndrome.” The alleged gunman, Cole Tomas Allen, faces federal charges of attempting to assassinate the president after storming a security gate at the Washington Hilton armed with guns and knives.
