The annual White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner, originally scheduled for April, was postponed after a suspect crashed through a security barrier near the venue. The event will now take place on July 24, according to announcements from WHCA President Weijia Jiang and President Donald Trump.
The incident occurred on April 25 when suspect Thomas Cole Allen rammed into a security checkpoint leading to the dinner area. An exchange of gunfire left the suspect and a security officer injured. Although the officer was not struck by a penetrating round, a bullet lodged in their bulletproof vest. President Trump and First Lady Melania were safely evacuated by the Secret Service.
Speaking Tuesday, WHCA President and CBS News correspondent Weijia Jiang emphasized: 'We will not let violence have the last word, especially in a year when we celebrate America's 250th anniversary and everything we stand for.'
On social media, President Trump supported the rescheduling, calling it 'a sign of strength and courage.' He wrote: 'We cannot let deranged individuals change our way of life, not even our schedule.' He confirmed he has accepted the invitation and hinted at keeping the speech prepared in April, which was expected to criticize the press. 'I don't yet know if I'll keep those harsh statements about certain people, but we'll find out soon. Either way, tickets will be very hot!'
Trump's relationship with the media has been tense over multiple terms. He boycotted the event for years after being heavily criticized in 2011 by former President Barack Obama and comedian Seth Meyers over the 'birther' conspiracy theory and his reality TV career. In 2016, he skipped the dinner despite being a first-time presidential winner.
This year, the event will not feature a comedian—a tradition since 1983—but instead a performance by mentalist Oz Pearlman. Press freedom advocates have warned the dinner could be used by Trump as a platform to attack journalists. In a letter to WHCA in April, they called the Trump administration's actions 'the most systematic and comprehensive assault on press freedom under a U.S. president.'
Previously, his administration took steps to restrict the press, such as reclassifying the Pentagon press office as a 'secure area' in June, barring journalists, and threatening sedition charges while calling the media 'the enemy of the people.'
The rescheduled dinner will be held at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C., a property previously owned by the Trump family.
