Politics
Trump to speak at rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner following failed April shooting
- The event will take place under heightened security.
- The black-tie gathering of journalists, politicians and administration officials was called off on April 25 after a man tried to force his way through a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun outside the ballroom where Trump and members of his cabinet were taking their seats.
- The suspect, Cole Allen, pleaded not guilty in May to charges including attempting to assassinate the president.
Nearly three months after a botched shooting cut the annual White House press gala short, US President Donald Trump is expected to speak at a rescheduled dinner held at the Waldorf Astoria hotel Friday. The event will take place under heightened security.
By: FRANCE 24 US President Donald Trump, with first lady Melania Trump and CBS News senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang, salutes during the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, DC, US, April 25, 2026. © Jonathan Ernst, US President Donald Trump will address the White House Correspondents' Association at a rescheduled dinner on Friday, nearly three months after a shooting at the Washington Hilton hotel interrupted the event. The black-tie gathering of journalists, politicians and administration officials was called off on April 25 after a man tried to force his way through a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun outside the ballroom where Trump and members of his cabinet were taking their seats.
The suspect, Cole Allen, pleaded not guilty in May to charges including attempting to assassinate the president. To display this content from YouTube, you must enable tracking and audience measurement.
To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site. Cover or Fake © France 24 05:10 The dinner has been moved to the Waldorf Astoria hotel and will take place under heightened security. Secret Service Director Sean Curran told reporters Wednesday that an advance team was implementing a comprehensive security plan at the hotel.
“We do expect bad people to show up, Curran said. "It's just a reality of where we are, but we're treating it no differently than any other site that the president goes. Trump has said the shooting in April showed the need for a $400 million ballroom being built at the White House, saying that holding such events there would increase the president's security.
Friday's dinner will honour Secret Service officer Victor Gonzales, who was shot at a security checkpoint outside the ballroom in April and credited with stopping the attack. He was wearing a protective vest and was the only person injured that night. Washington Hilton staff who assisted guests will also be recognised, the WHCA said.
The gala – an annual fixture on Washington's calendar for more than a century – raises money for journalism scholarships and celebrates the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which protects freedom of speech and the press. Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks, and mentalist Oz Pearlman will provide entertainment. The April incident occurred during Trump's first presidential appearance at the correspondents' dinner.
He had boycotted the event in his previous years in office. Watch more Protecting Trump: Ex-FBI agent on security at White House Correspondents' Dinner Trump has frequently clashed with the news media – suing multiple outlets, denouncing unfavorable coverage as "fake news" and criticising journalists by name.”"
Source: France 24 EN