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Trump Returns to Rescheduled WH Correspondents Dinner After Attempt — US President Donald Trump speaks during the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, DC, on July 24

Editorial Team

President addresses scaled-down gala three months after assassination attempt forced original event's cancellation

United States President Donald Trump returned to the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Friday, three months after a gunman forced the abrupt cancellation of the original event. Addressing a gathering of 700 guests at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Washington, Trump opened his speech by saying, "As I said three months ago, the show must go on."

The rescheduled dinner marked a significant moment in the fraught relationship between Trump and the Washington press corps. The president, who boycotted the event throughout his first term, used the platform to deliver a mix of self-deprecating humor and sharp attacks on Democratic political opponents, all while acknowledging the serious security breach that had derailed the original April gathering.

Key Developments at the Rescheduled Gala

Trump entered the ballroom to polite applause and immediately referenced the April incident, calling it "an assault on our democracy itself." He praised aides Pete Hegseth, Steve Miller and Tom Holman for showing bravery during the attack, saying, "They were standing on tables, when most of you were under the tables."

The president also used the evening to target political opponents through what he presented as jokes:

He referred to California Governor Gavin Newsom as "newscum"
He questioned Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's intelligence
He pretended someone in the audience was calling Illinois Governor JB Pritzker a "fat pig" to avoid uttering the insult directly
He called top Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer "Palestinian" as an insult

Background of the April Incident

The annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner was originally held in April at the Washington Hilton. The event was swiftly derailed when alleged gunman Cole Tomas Allen stormed a security gate armed with guns and knives. Prosecutors say Allen shot and injured a Secret Service officer before being stopped. He now faces federal charges of attempting to assassinate the president.

The rescheduled dinner at the Waldorf Astoria featured a significantly smaller guest list of 700 people, compared with the larger original gathering. Trump's enthusiastic participation marked a sharp reversal from his first term, when he declared the event "dead" in 2017 and refused to attend for four consecutive years.

Remarks and Reactions

White House Correspondents' Association President Weijia Jiang of CBS News thanked Trump for his support and for attending for the second time in three months. "Tonight our message is this: We are back," she said. "We will not be intimidated. We refuse to let an act of violence have the final word."

Trump joked about the chaotic moments during the April attack, saying, "Many people yelled, 'Get down. Get down,' which caused Nicki Minaj to start twerking." As journalists offered muted laughter, he added, "She's the only one who knew what that meant." Earlier, Trump referred to journalists in attendance as "the largest gathering of people with Trump derangement syndrome."

Current Status of the Investigation

Cole Tomas Allen remains in federal custody facing charges of attempting to assassinate the president. The White House Correspondents' Association has confirmed it will continue holding the annual dinner, with Jiang emphasizing that the press corps will not be intimidated by the April violence. Trump, who is constitutionally limited to two terms, made a jest about a third term, telling the crowd, "Just like my presidency, the second time is always better and the third time will be better yet," before adding, "I'm only kidding."

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