‘Show Must Go On’: Trump Delivers Remarks at Correspondents’ Dinner

The rescheduled gala is taking place at the Waldorf Astoria.

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President Donald Trump, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt (L) and White House Correspondents Association President Weijia Jiang (R) arrive for the re-scheduled White House Correspondents Dinner in the Presidential Ballroom at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington on July 24, 2026. Eric Lee/Getty Images

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump is attending the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington on July 24. The event that was originally held on April 25 was abruptly canceled due to an assassination attempt against the president.

“I am delighted to be here at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner,” Trump said as he began his speech.

“Amazing people, a lot of people that I like. Some I don’t like at all, but I respect most of them. I must say that you do a great job, amazing job, and it’s an honor. As I said three months ago, the show must go on.”

Trump continued his speech with jokes and said, “This place is really the largest group of Trump derangement syndrome people ever put together.”

The rescheduled gala is taking place at the Waldorf Astoria.

White House Correspondents’ Association outgoing President Weijia Jiang delivered the opening address at the dinner.

“Whatever may divide us, we stand together against political violence,” she said.

“An assassination attempt on our president is an attack on democracy itself,” she added, drawing applause from the crowd.

“Tonight, our message is this: We are back. We will not be intimidated.”

The previous dinner at the Washington Hilton hotel on April 25 was canceled after a shooting occurred just outside the main ballroom. A 31-year-old man from California named Cole Tomas Allen allegedly got past a security checkpoint with a shotgun and fired at a Secret Service officer in a bulletproof vest. Security quickly swarmed and arrested Allen. The officer survived, and no one else was hit.

The Secret Service immediately evacuated Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and several Cabinet members from the venue.

Allen is charged with attempting to assassinate Trump at the event. He also faces one count of transporting a firearm across state lines with intent to commit a felony and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. He has pleaded not guilty.

The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is a black-tie gala attended by media personalities, business leaders, celebrities, lawmakers, and Cabinet officials to celebrate the Fourth Estate and White House reporters.

The association said the logistical challenges in organizing a second dinner led it to scale back the event, resulting in a smaller gathering with a reduced guest list. The Washington Hilton’s ballroom can hold 3,000 people, while the Waldorf Astoria only fits 700.

While most of Trump’s Cabinet attended the rescheduled event, the first lady, Vance, and Rubio were not among the guests due to prior commitments, a White House official told The Epoch Times.

According to the White House, the following Trump administration officials attended the dinner: acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel, Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Small Business Administration chief Kelly Loeffler, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

The association has hired a private security firm that has been working closely with the Secret Service, Jiang said.

As part of the enhanced security measures, each guest will be required to present a unique QR code and a government-issued photo ID to get through the ticketing.

The guests will then go through layers of security to access the ballroom, Jiang added.

The White House Correspondents’ Association was founded in 1914 to protect press freedom and preserve journalists’ access to the White House. It held its first dinner in 1921, and the first president to attend was Calvin Coolidge in 1924.