President Donald Trump is set to attend the delayed White House Correspondents’ Dinner (WHCD). The event was postponed after a shooting at the venue in April. Both the White House Correspondents’ Association and Trump confirmed the new date this week, insisting the attack would not derail a long-standing tradition.
Donald Trump to attend delayed WHCD
The WHCD event was meant to happen on April 25. The prior one fell apart when Thomas Cole Allen approached the security perimeter and attempted to breach it. Shots were fired. Allen and a security officer were injured, though neither suffered wounds that penetrated the skin. One bullet was stopped by the officer’s protective vest. Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were quickly moved to safety, and the event was called off.
Now, on Tuesday, Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, confirmed the dinner would take place on July 24 at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington. “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,” said Jiang.
Trump echoed that message on Truth Social, describing the WHCD rescheduling as “a sign of Strength and Fortitude.” He added, “This announcement is a very good thing in that we cannot allow Lunatics to change our way of life, or even its scheduling.”
The president also hinted at what guests might expect from his speech. The remarks he had prepared for April were widely anticipated to include criticism of the press. “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,” Trump wrote. “In any event, it will be a ‘HOT’ ticket!”
Trump’s history with WHCD stretches back years and has rarely been comfortable. In 2011, he attended as a guest and sat through a roasting from then-President Barack Obama and comedian Seth Meyers. Moreover, Trump skipped the dinner throughout his first term, later blaming what he called unfair treatment by the media.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory.
