Trump to Speak as White House Correspondents Dinner Returns With More Security

Even before the Washington media elite gathered in April for a black-tie dinner to celebrate the First Amendment, things got complicated.

President Trump, no fan of the nation’s news organizations, announced that he would deliver a rollicking speech and let it rip with his unvarnished opinions about the reporters in the room. Veteran journalists like Dan Rather asked why the dinner’s sponsor, the White House Correspondents’ Association, was willing to host an event with a president known for his attacks on the press.

Then an actual attack occurred: A gunman burst through the security setup at the Washington Hilton, forcing the evacuation of Mr. Trump and his cabinet secretaries and leaving tuxedoed and begowned guests huddling, and in some cases sobbing, under their tables.

The annual Correspondents’ Dinner was already a fraught subject in the capital. After the controversy and the violence, there was talk of shelving the whole hexed ritual and moving on to next year’s edition.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/24/business/media/white-house-correspondents-dinner.html