Trump Returns to Rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner

The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) will hold a do-over of its annual gala on July 24, 2026 at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Washington, D.C., the former Trump International Hotel. The event will host roughly 700 guests, a fraction of the 2,600-person crowd that normally fills the Washington Hilton ballroom. Security will be limited to a single entrance with dual ID checks and QR-code credentials. President Donald J. Trump is slated to deliver an hour-long address that mixes humor with attacks on journalists, political rivals and cultural figures.

Federal News Network

The original dinner on April 25 was halted when an armed assailant, Cole Allen, breached a checkpoint and opened fire outside the Hilton ballroom. Secret Service officer Victor Gonzales was wounded while stopping the shooter. The WHCA postponed the event and redesigned it as a smaller, more secure gathering. President Trump, who boycotted the dinner during his first term, announced he would attend the rescheduled ceremony, framing the “show must go on” as a statement of defiance against political violence.

WNYW - Fox 5 - New York

• Attendance: ~700 guests vs. ~2,600 at the original event.

KCRA 3

• Security: One entry point, two ID screenings, QR-code verification.

CBS News

• Awards: Honors will include Secret Service Officer Victor Gonzales, Washington Hilton staff, and the Katharine Graham Award for the Wall Street Journal’s reporting on the president’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

Deadline Hollywood

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump’s remarks would blend “unifying yet vicious” tones and assured that the event would be “entertaining.”

Deadline Hollywood

Eight press-freedom organizations and hundreds of retired journalists sent an open letter urging the WHCA to use the podium to condemn the administration’s “egregious” actions against journalists, including subpoenas of New York Times reporters and threats to broadcast licenses.

KCRA 3

Sources differ on whether the dinner has already taken place. The Guardian, CNN and Variety describe Trump’s speech as delivered, while NBC News, Federal News Network and the Date Ledger list the July 24 event as a future occurrence. This discrepancy leaves the timing of the president’s remarks and the final award presentations unresolved.

Variety Magazine

• “It’s great to be back at a place that I know very well – because I built it. And I’m very proud of it because I built it for $2.9 billion less than the Federal Reserve building.” — Donald J. Trump

CNN

• “Tonight we come back together to answer that heinous attack with unwavering resolve, and every one of us here this evening to show that in America we do not yield to political violence,” — Donald J. Trump

The Guardian

• “I hope you all know that I believe in the free press more than anyone in this room,” — Donald J. Trump

The Guardian

• “We do not yield to political violence ... No deranged loser with a gun will ever change that,” — Donald J. Trump

CNBC