The White House Correspondents’ Association has announced that its annual dinner, which was postponed after an assassination attempt targeting United States President, Donald Trump, will now take place on July 24.
The announcement was made Tuesday by White House Correspondents’ Association President Weijia Jiang, who confirmed that preparations are underway for the rescheduled event.
Trump revealed on Truth Social that the dinner will be held at The Waldorf Astoria, a property he said he built. Explaining the decision to proceed with the event, Jiang wrote on X: “We will not allow an act of violence to have the last word, especially during a year when we are reflecting on America 250 and everything we stand for.”
The original dinner in April was abruptly disrupted when a gunman opened fire in a hallway near the Washington Hilton ballroom. The incident prompted security personnel to swiftly evacuate President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and several Cabinet officials. As chaos unfolded, journalists and other distinguished guests took cover beneath tables. The suspect has since pleaded not guilty to four criminal charges.
Jiang described the rescheduled gathering as a “more intimate gathering,” noting that the association has secured funding to reimburse members who had already purchased tickets for the postponed event. The organisation will also provide financial support to scholarship recipients traveling back to Washington to be recognised during the dinner.
“In a sign of Strength and Fortitude, it was just announced that The White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which violently ended rather abruptly on April 25th, will be rescheduled to July 24th,” Trump said.
“This announcement is a very good thing in that we cannot allow Lunatics to change our way of life, or even its scheduling,” the US President said.
Trump also confirmed that he has accepted the invitation to address attendees at the event.
In the aftermath of the April shooting, the president expressed interest in attending a rescheduled dinner and had initially suggested holding the event within 30 days.
Reiterating his support for the new date, Trump again wrote on Truth Social: “This announcement is a very good thing in that we cannot allow Lunatics to change our way of life, or even its scheduling.”
“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. In any event, it will be a “HOT” ticket! Interestingly, the location will be The Waldorf Astoria, on Pennsylvania Avenue, a Building and Ballroom that I built,” Trump said.
