White House Correspondents' Dinner Rescheduled for July, Trump to Attend

NEW YORK (AP) — The White House Correspondents' Association dinner, cut short in April by a gunman who prosecutors say was trying to assassinate President Donald Trump, has been rescheduled for July 24. Trump has confirmed he will attend.

The event will be a more intimate gathering with "significantly enhanced safety measures and new access procedures," said Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents' Association. Jiang did not disclose the venue, but Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that it will be held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue, the former site of the Trump International Hotel.

The president said he had been invited to return and speak, and had accepted. He called the rescheduling "a sign of Strength and Fortitude." "This announcement is a very good thing in that we cannot allow Lunatics to change our way of life, or even its scheduling," Trump wrote.

He added that he had not decided whether to deliver his originally intended speech, in which he was widely expected to attack 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," he wrote.

"In any event, it will be a 'HOT' ticket!" Jiang noted that "rescheduling was not automatic" and involved much consideration and input from board members. She emphasized the dinner's purpose: "a celebration of a free press and the vital role of journalism in our democracy for over a century." "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," Jiang said.

It was not clear how large the rescheduled dinner would be, or whether it would be a full-scale dinner. Her remarks aligned with speculation that the event would be pared down due to financial and security concerns.

Jiang also expressed concern for the Secret Service officer who was shot in April and is recovering. "Our thoughts remain with the officer who was injured and with everyone who experienced that evening," she said.

"We are indebted to the US Secret Service, law enforcement and the hotel staff whose swift response protected our guests and our staff." Though Jiang insisted the dinner should be rescheduled, not everyone agreed. Some critics argued for canceling the event permanently, citing security risks and the perceived unseemliness of journalists socializing with their subjects.

"It undermines the public faith in how the press does its work, and it makes it look like we are pals with the people we cover," said Kelly McBride, an ethics expert at the Poynter Institute, in May.