President Donald Trump is slated to appear at the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner on Friday, at a rescheduled event arranged after a shooting disrupted the original gala almost three months ago. The black-tie occasion, which brings together journalists, politicians and administration officials, was halted on April 25 when a man attempted to breach a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun outside the Washington Hilton ballroom as Trump and members of his cabinet were taking their seats.
Authorities later identified the suspect as Cole Allen. In May, Allen pleaded not guilty to charges that include attempting to assassinate the president.
The WHCA has moved the dinner to the Waldorf Astoria hotel and said the program will go forward under increased security protocols. Secret Service Director Sean Curran told reporters on Wednesday that an advance team is putting in place a comprehensive security plan at the new venue. "We do expect bad people to show up," Curran said. "It’s just a reality of where we are, but we’re treating it no differently than any other site that the president goes to."
President Trump has cited the April shooting as evidence supporting construction of a $400 million ballroom at the White House, saying that holding such gatherings there would enhance the chief executive’s security.
The rescheduled dinner will pay tribute to Secret Service officer Victor Gonzales, who was shot at a security checkpoint outside the Washington Hilton ballroom and has been credited with stopping the attack. Gonzales was wearing a protective vest and was the only person injured that evening, the WHCA said. The association also announced plans to recognize Washington Hilton staff members who assisted guests during the incident.
The correspondents’ dinner is an annual fixture on Washington’s calendar with a history spanning more than a century. The gala raises funds for journalism scholarships and serves as a public celebration of the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech and of the press. For the rescheduled program, Trump is expected to deliver remarks, and entertainer Oz Pearlman, who performs as a mentalist, will provide the evening’s entertainment.
April’s shooting occurred during Mr. Trump’s first presidential appearance at the correspondents’ dinner; he had not attended the event in previous years while in office. Trump’s relationship with the news media has been frequently contentious. He has sued multiple outlets, labeled unfavorable coverage as "fake news," and publicly criticized individual journalists by name. The administration has taken steps that include barring the Associated Press from the White House press pool and restricting access for some reporters to the Pentagon, among other measures.
In a separate development last week, Trump threatened to revoke the licenses of television networks that did not air his prime-time speech about election security. That address included claims about foreign election interference that contradicted a U.S. intelligence assessment.
The White House has defended its actions toward media organizations, saying the administration is seeking to protect sensitive information, improve security, and increase accountability for what it characterizes as biased news outlets. At the same time, the administration has given reporters more direct access in certain formats than some recent presidents, taking questions during open-ended public appearances and frequently speaking with journalists by phone.
Several hundred veteran journalists, together with eight professional journalism organizations, have signed a letter urging the WHCA to use Friday’s dinner to condemn what they call Trump’s attacks on the First Amendment. WHCA President Weijia Jiang described the event as an opportunity to make a clear stand: "It will be a statement that violence has no place in American life and a free press will not be intimidated into silence."
The rescheduled dinner aims to balance ceremony and commemoration with reinforced security measures and public attention on press freedom, as organizers and the Secret Service work to ensure the event proceeds safely and as planned.