President Donald Trump wore a “Trump 2028” hat while speaking at the rescheduled 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, DC, on July 24, 2026. — AFP
– The White House Correspondents’ Dinner was postponed following an attack.
– Trump’s speech echoed familiar themes from his political rallies.
– The outgoing WHCA leader declared, “We will not be intimidated.”
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WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump criticized the “fake news media” and suggested he might serve a third term during a rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Friday, following three months of disruption due to an assassination attempt.
“This crowd is probably the largest gathering of people with Trump derangement syndrome ever assembled,” Trump remarked at the gala held at the Waldorf Astoria.
Initially, Trump adopted a more measured tone, reflecting on the April incident involving a gunman that led to his quick evacuation from the event.
“The show must go on,” he stated.
However, he soon shifted to criticizing various perceived foes, including journalists and Democratic opponents, in a somewhat rambling speech. Earlier, he chuckled and shook hands with a Wall Street Journal team that broke stories about his connections to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Later, he joked that “this has not been an easy evening, with all these awards,” after journalists received accolades for reporting during his second term.
Trump also revived the idea of serving a third term, which is unconstitutional, although he claimed it was a joke.
“Just like my presidency, the second time is always better. The third time? Even better,” he said before adding, “I’m only kidding.”
He then doubled down, pulling out a red “Trump 2028” hat and announcing, “I’m pleased to share my intention to — and this is a bit of a scoop — run for a fourth term as President of the United States.”
Much of his speech resembled campaign rallies, with Trump jokingly criticizing his speechwriters when some jokes didn’t land. He wrapped up by expressing “tremendous respect” for the journalists present, while warning, “When I’m gone, you all will be broke.”
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Trump, marking his first appearance at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in years—after a period of tension with the press—also said he plans to return next year.
Amid heightened security, the event took place at the Waldorf Astoria, a former Trump property, replacing the Washington Hilton, which hosted the dinner previously.
“Let’s try this again,” said Weijia Jiang, a CBS correspondent and outgoing WHCA president, who hosted last year’s dinner. “Tonight, our message is this: We’re back. We won’t be intimidated. We refuse to let violence have the final say.”
Incoming WHCA president Jacqui Heinrich announced that next year’s dinner will return to the Hilton.
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Security was tight. Secret Service Director Sean Curran monitored the arrivals, with guests lining up to scan QR codes and show IDs. The event featured a performance by mentalist Oz Pearlman and a tribute to a Secret Service agent involved in stopping the alleged shooter in April.
Curran defended the security measures at the original event, stating, “It worked; the system worked.” He emphasized that a security cordon prevented the attacker from reaching the main hall in April.
Curran, who was with Trump when an assassin fired at him during a rally in 2024, warned that current threats against US officials are unprecedented.
“The threat environment is as dangerous as I’ve seen it,” he said.