President Donald Trump addressed journalists and other guests on Friday at the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, according to ABC7ny. The annual event took place at the The Hollywood Reporter in Washington, D.C., serving as a make-up gala nearly three months after the original April gathering was upended and cut short by gunfire, as reported by WSJ. Ahead of the evening, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told ABC7ny that the president’s speech would combine being unifying yet vicious, and serious yet hilarious.
President Trump Addresses Rescheduled White House Correspondents Dinner
Security Overhaul and Reduced Attendance
Friday’s rescheduled gala featured a drastically reduced list of attendees, dropping from 2,600 guests down to around 680 in a more intimate setting at the Waldorf Astoria rather than the Washington Hilton, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The event followed an April incident where authorities state an armed assailant rushed through a security checkpoint and the U.S. Secret Service opened fire outside the ballroom, according to Cbsnews. The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, pleaded not guilty in May to charges including attempting to assassinate the president, according to ABC7ny and Globemagazine. Secret Service officer Victor Gonzales was struck in his protective vest during the April incident and continued responding to the threat, as detailed by ABC7ny.
To secure the rescheduled dinner, organizers and law enforcement implemented enhanced measures. Every dinner guest was required to present a unique QR code with a government-issued photo ID for ticketing and pass through layers of security, according to Cbsnews. Secret Service Director Sean Curran noted in a briefing that every venue is reevaluated before presidential visits, and an advance team established a plan for the site, as reported by Cbsnews.
Speeches, Awards, and Notable Absences
Taking the stage at approximately 9:30 p.m. ET, President Trump opened his speech by addressing the April attack, calling it an assault on democracy itself, according to The Hollywood Reporter. During the program, the White House Correspondents’ Association presented the President’s Award for Exceptional Service to Secret Service officer Victor Gonzales and the staff of the Washington Hilton, according to ABC7ny and Cbsnews. Weijia Jiang, the correspondents’ association’s most recent past president, presided over the April event and spoke during the evening, noting that officer Gonzales ran toward danger so that thousands of others could make it home safely, according to Abc7ny and ABC7ny.
President Trump’s remarks also touched on the news industry, joking with attendees and remarking, When I'm gone, you're all going to be broke. Your business model is going to be finished,
before donning a “Trump 2028” hat, as reported by Cbsnews. Several prominent figures skipped Friday’s celebration due to prior commitments, including First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to Globemagazine.
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