US President Donald Trump mixed praise with sharp criticism of the media during the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner, as the event returned three months after its first gathering was cut short by a shooting.
The annual dinner celebrated press freedom while honouring journalists and others affected by the attack, which forced the cancellation of the April event.
Event Returns After April Shooting
Opening the evening, outgoing WHCA President Weijia Jiang of CBS News said the association would not allow the April attack to define the event, declaring that it would return to the Washington Hilton next year.
Trump presented an award to US Secret Service officer Victor Gonzalez, who was wounded while responding to the shooting, recognising his actions during the incident.
The president also congratulated award recipients from several news organisations, including a team from the Wall Street Journal recognised for its reporting on Trump's links to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump Alternates Between Praise and Criticism
Before the dinner, many White House correspondents expected Trump to deliver a forceful attack on the media, given his long-running disputes with several news organisations, including The New York Times, CNN and The Wall Street Journal.
At times, Trump's remarks were light-hearted. He joked that "the second time is always better" and repeated a line from the cancelled event, saying, "The show must go on." He also said he respected "most" journalists.
However, his speech soon shifted to familiar criticism of the press. Trump accused many journalists in the room of suffering from "Trump Derangement Syndrome" and joked that the dinner represented the largest gathering of such people.
He also suggested some reporters were fortunate the earlier event had been interrupted, saying he had planned to criticise them more extensively.
The president joked that the news industry would struggle once he leaves office because there would be "nobody to report on". He later put on a "Trump 2028" hat and joked about seeking another presidential term.
Call for Free Speech
Despite his criticism of the media, Trump urged Americans to resolve disagreements peacefully and defend freedom of speech.
"We settle our differences not with bullets, but with open and vigorous debate," he said, adding that violence should never be allowed to silence public discussion.
The president appeared relaxed throughout much of the evening, joking that he sometimes believed members of the press simply did not like him. His hour-long speech also included criticism of Democratic politicians and several public figures.
Heightened Security
The dinner took place against a backdrop of continued tension between the White House and the media. Last week, Trump threatened to revoke the licences of several US television networks after they declined to broadcast his primetime speech on election security.
Attendance at the gala was significantly lower than at the original April event, with around 700 guests compared with more than 2,000 previously.
Security was substantially increased. Roads around the hotel were closed, police and National Guard personnel were deployed, and guests underwent multiple security checks before entering the venue. At one stage, attendees were directed to walk in single file past armed Secret Service officers.
The man accused of carrying out the April attack, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, has been charged with attempting to assassinate the President of the United States. Investigators said he was tackled by agents before reaching a staircase leading to the ballroom where the dinner was beginning.
Among those attending Saturday's event were Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
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25 July 2026
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