Trump tells journalists they will all be broke without him at rescheduled correspondents' dinner
Speaking at the rescheduled White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington, President Trump told assembled journalists their business model depends on him and ended the evening wearing a 'Trump 2028' cap.
Heightened security after April shooting
The gala took place under substantially tightened security after a gunman stormed the original April event, firing shots and wounding a security officer. Trump was evacuated and the dinner cancelled. For the 24 July make-up date, authorities deployed extra police, added more checkpoints and carried out more rigorous screenings. The officer injured in April was honoured during the evening for his decisive action, which outgoing association president Weijia Jiang said kept the attacker from advancing further.
Trump's media broadside
Delivering his first-ever address to the dinner as president, Trump mixed token praise for the press with a prolonged attack. He accused the media of spreading "fake news" and said outlets profit only because of his presence.
When I'm gone, you'll all be broke.
He added that nobody else generates headlines worth reporting and that the press did not appreciate how lucky it was to have him. Trump, who had boycotted the dinner throughout his presidency, has regularly called the media "enemies of the people" and has sued outlets over unfavourable stories. The Justice Department recently withdrew subpoenas against New York Times journalists after the paper resisted pressure to reveal sources for a report on Air Force One.
Third-term flirtation and rambling remarks
Trump put on a red cap reading "Trump 2028" and teased the idea of a third term, which the US Constitution bars. He commented on the appearance of female journalists in the room, praised his Cabinet's work, and spoke at length about a planned White House ballroom and the cage-fighting events staged for his 80th birthday in June. The speech jumped between subjects, including an assertion that Iran must never possess a nuclear weapon.
A first after years of boycotts
The White House Correspondents' Association has hosted the gala for more than a century. Trump attended the rescheduled dinner without First Lady Melania Trump. Weijia Jiang remarked that the security officer's courageous actions prevented the attacker from reaching the ballroom.
