- President Donald Trump headlined a scaled-down White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Friday, three months after the original event was cut short by a gunman who allegedly sought to assassinate the president. The rescheduled dinner was held at the Waldorf Astoria.
- Trump criticized several reporters by name in his speech, while also expressing respect for journalism. He joked about running for president again in 2028 despite ineligibility, and said he decided to go easier on the media than he would have in April.
- Trump said it was tough to watch awards given for stories critical of his administration, specifically a Wall Street Journal story on his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, which prompted a $10 billion lawsuit from him against the newspaper.
- The administration subpoenaed New York Times journalists over reporting on Air Force One safety concerns; the Justice Department dropped the subpoenas on Thursday under judge pressure.
- It was Trump’s first time speaking at the correspondents’ dinner; he did not attend during his first term and said he planned to return in 2027.
President Donald Trump headlined a rescheduled White House Correspondents' Dinner on Friday, three months after a gunman interrupted the original event. Held at the Waldorf Astoria, Trump delivered a speech filled with jabs at the press, acknowledging his respect for journalism while criticizing specific reporters.12
In a humorous twist, Trump announced his intention to run for president again in 2028, despite being ineligible for re-election due to constitutional limits. He remarked, “Oh, that was gonna be a doozy. I was so psyched, I was gonna rip people.” However, he claimed to have toned down his remarks compared to his planned speech in April.
The April dinner was marred by violence when a gunman attempted to breach security, leading to the evacuation of Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and other officials. The assailant, Cole Thomas Allen, was charged with using a firearm in a crime of violence.
Weijia Jiang, the CBS News senior White House correspondent, opened the evening by addressing the previous violence, stating, “We refuse to let an act of violence have the final word.” This marked Trump's first appearance at the annual event, which he skipped during his first term, and he expressed plans to return in 2027.
“The dinner was rescheduled after the original event was cut short by a gunman allegedly seeking to assassinate Trump. In his speech, Trump joked about running for president in 2028 despite being ineligible, and said he decided to go easier on the media than he had planned in April.”
