Trump returns to WHCA dinner three months after assassination attempt, calls journalists 'enemies of the people' and jokes about third term
The president addressed the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Friday night for the first time, months after an armed man tried to storm the original venue on April 25. The rescheduled event took place at the Waldorf Astoria under heavy security, with Trump mixing insults and jokes about a third term.
Rescheduled after the April shooting
The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner took place on the night of 24–25 July, three months after the original event on 25 April was interrupted by a gunman trying to enter the venue. The suspect, Cole Allen, 31, from California, was later charged with four counts, including attempted assassination of the President and assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon; he pleaded not guilty and faces life imprisonment. WHCA president Weijia Jiang said the rescheduling was meant to ensure that “an act of violence” does not “have the last word.” The dinner was moved from the Washington Hilton to the Waldorf Astoria, a former Trump-branded hotel, in what organisers described as a smaller and “more intimate” setting.
- Gunman attempts to enter the original dinner; a shootout forces evacuation and cancellation.
- Dinner rescheduled at the Waldorf Astoria under heightened security; Trump delivers his speech.
Trump’s speech: from conciliation to attacks
Donald Trump began his address on a conciliatory note, but quickly pivoted to sharp criticism. He attacked Democratic rivals and then turned on the press.
This room is truly the greatest gathering of people with Trump Derangement Syndrome ever assembled.
He went on to describe the media as “enemies of the people” and later closed with a warning.
When I’m gone, you’ll all be broke.
The president, who was attending the annual dinner for the first time in his five-and-a-half years in office, also joked about unconstitutional ideas. He donned a “Trump 2028” cap, shared his “intention to run for a fourth term as president,” and then said he was only “joking.” Despite the barbs, he concluded by expressing his “immense respect” for the journalists present and promised to return the following year.
The suspect and legal proceedings
Cole Allen was indicted on four charges: attempted assassination of the President of the United States, assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon, and two other counts. He pleaded not guilty. The April 25 incident began when Allen, armed, tried to force his way into the dinner; a shootout broke out between him and federal agents, forcing the evacuation of Trump and guests. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
Security and venue adjustments
For the rescheduled dinner, streets around the Waldorf Astoria were blocked several hours before Trump’s speech, but an AFP journalist on the scene reported that security inside the building was “not particularly strict.” The move from the Hilton to the Trump-linked hotel reduced the scale of the affair, with organisers opting for a dinner that was smaller and more intimate. Trump had accepted the new invitation in early June, and he spoke for about an hour, mixing the harsh language with a stated desire to come back in 2027.
