- The White House Correspondents’ Association announced it will hold a second dinner on July 24 with enhanced security measures.
- April’s event at the Washington Hilton was halted after a gunman opened fire in a nearby hallway.
- The July gathering will be “more intimate” and serve as a statement against violence and intimidation of the press, the association said.
AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.
The White House Correspondents’ Association announced on Tuesday that a second correspondents’ dinner, with bolstered security measures, will be held this summer after April’s event was halted by a shooting incident at the Washington Hilton.
President Donald Trump later said he has accepted an invitation to speak at the July 24 dinner, which he said would be held at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, DC — formerly the Trump International Hotel.
The decision to reschedule the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was “not automatic” and made “after thoughtful consideration and input from our members,” association president Weijia Jiang in a letter to members. She said the July event will have “significantly enhanced safety measures and new access procedures.”
During April’s dinner, Trump, Vice President JD Vance and members of the Cabinet were escorted from the Washington Hilton’s ballroom after a gunman opened fire in a nearby hallway. Journalists and other VIPs took cover under tables in the chaos.
Jiang said the July dinner will be a “more intimate gathering” and that the association has raised funds to cover the costs of the second dinner for members who initially purchased tickets. There are also plans to offer financial support for the scholarship winners who plan to travel back to Washington for recognition.
The event, she added, “will be a statement that violence has no place in American life and a free press will not be intimidated into silence.”
After April’s incident, Trump had expressed interest in attending a second dinner, initially calling for it to be rescheduled within 30 days. On Tuesday, he praised the decision to hold another event.
“This announcement is a very good thing in that we cannot allow Lunatics to change our way of life, or even its scheduling,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“I don’t know whether or not I will give the same rather nasty statements, at least as it concerns certain people, but we will soon find out,” he added, going on to tout that the setting is a “building and Ballroom that I built.”
Jiang’s announcement did not provide details on the programming or location, noting that specifics would be communicated “directly with attendees.”
The man accused of running past Secret Service with loaded firearms and knives in an attempt to kill Trump during April’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner has pleaded not guilty to four charges.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
Responses