The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner has been rescheduled for July after its April cancellation, prompted by a shooting at the Washington Hilton that sent attendees scrambling and forced Secret Service agents to rush President Donald Trump from the scene.
“We will not allow an act of violence to have the last word, especially during a year when we are reflecting on the 250th anniversary of America and everything we stand for,” WHCD President Weijia Jiang wrote in an email obtained by Semafor.
“I am proud to announce that we will host another dinner to be held in Washington, D.C. on July 24,” she wrote.
The dinner, held annually, is among Washington’s premier black-tie events, attracting scores of journalists and high-ranking government officials. While presidents typically attend, Trump skipped it throughout his first term and his first year back in office. On April 25, he traveled to the Washington Hilton for his first appearance as a sitting president, but the evening abruptly descended into chaos when a gunman opened fire near the hotel’s security screening area.
Video of the incident shows guests in gowns and tuxedos ducking beneath tables as Secret Service agents rushed the president away from the dais. Vice President JD Vance and other Cabinet officials were also escorted to safety. One agent was shot and injured, the suspect was quickly subdued and the dinner was called off.
Authorities identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old California man, alleging he authored an anti-Trump manifesto describing the president as “a pedophile, rapist, and traitor.” He faces charges including attempted assassination of the president and assaulting an officer.
The 79-year-old president, who has faced several assassination attempts, labeled Allen a “lone wolf whack job.”
Jiang, who was sitting beside Trump when shots rang out, said in her email that whether or not the event would be rescheduled was up in the air.
“It was a choice that the WHCD board made after thoughtful consideration and input from our members,” she said. “I want to thank board members for the time and care they brought to this decision, particularly on the security front.”
The rescheduled dinner will feature “significantly enhanced security measures and new access procedures,” she said, according to Semafor.
Jiang, CBS News’ senior White House correspondent, did not specify where the dinner would be held, but said it would be a “more intimate gathering.” She also said that members who bought tickets for the first event will not have to pay for the second, adding that more details will be provided soon.
“Our thoughts remain with the officer who was injured and with everyone who experienced that evening,” she continued. “We are indebted to the U.S. Secret Service, law enforcement and the hotel staff whose swift response protected our guests and our staff.”
“This dinner will not only be an opportunity to carry out our program,” Jiang concluded. “It will be a statement that violence has no place in American life and a free press will not be intimidated into silence.”
The Independent has reached out to the White House for comment.
Trump previously argued that the April shooting underscored the need for his $400 million White House ballroom, saying the venue, currently under construction, could have prevented the incident.
In addition to the incident at the Washington Hilton, Trump has faced attempts on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania, and in Palm Beach, Florida. And last month, a gunman was killed after opening fire near the White House, where Trump was located at the time.
The rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner comes as the administration’s relationship with the media has deteriorated.
Trump has long had a combative relationship with the press, accusing them of unfair and biased coverage. In recent months, he’s repeatedly lobbed personal insults against reporters and insinuated that those he opposes should be punished.
