President Donald Trump delivered his long-awaited speech at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Friday, July 24, 2026, returning to the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C. for a rescheduled version of the annual event. The Trump speech at correspondents dinner had been delayed nearly three months after the original April 25, 2026 gathering was cut short by a shooting scare, and Friday’s do-over carried the weight of that unfinished business as journalists, administration officials, and media executives filled the ballroom once again.
A Dinner Rebuilt After a Violent Interruption
The original White House Correspondents’ Dinner was disrupted on April 25, 2026, when a gunman, identified by officials as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, ran armed past a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton. Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and several Cabinet members were evacuated by the Secret Service. One officer was struck in his protective vest during the incident but was treated and released. A manifesto attributed to the suspect criticized the administration and described its author as a “Friendly Federal Assassin.”
Rather than cancel the tradition, the White House Correspondents’ Association rescheduled the dinner for July 24, 2026, and moved it to the Waldorf Astoria, a building Trump’s own company once operated as the Trump International Hotel. Security was noticeably tighter this time, with a single guest entrance, two ID checks, a detection dog, and a heavier police and National Guard presence outside. The crowd was also smaller, at roughly 700 attendees, and the evening dropped its usual red carpet and separate cocktail receptions in favor of a “black tie optional” dress code.
Outgoing WHCA president Weijia Jiang of CBS News opened the night by acknowledging the trauma of April’s events before welcoming Trump, telling the room, “We are back,” and that the association would not let violence have the final word.
What Trump Said During His Speech
Trump opened by referencing the “attempted mass murder” that upended the original dinner, then pivoted into a mostly comedic, hour-long address. He told the crowd he had scrapped the sharper material he originally planned for April, calling that scrapped version “a doozy” and “such a letdown” to leave out. Even so, Friday’s remarks were packed with jabs at rivals and members of the press.
Targets of his humor included late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel, Representative Ilhan Omar, California Governor Gavin Newsom, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and former President Barack Obama, along with references to Jane Fonda and Bruce Springsteen. Trump repeatedly criticized his own speechwriters’ jokes even while delivering them, at one point asking the audience directly, “Does anybody get that?” after a line about congressional term limits fell flat.
He also touched on the journalism awards handed out earlier in the night, most honoring reporting critical of his administration, joking, “Do I have a say in those awards?” He spent time praising the Waldorf Astoria’s ballroom, noting his history with the property, and told the room, “See those beautiful chandeliers? I can tell you everything about them.”
The most-discussed moment of the night came near the close of the speech, when Trump joked about seeking a third term, something explicitly prohibited under the 22nd Amendment. “Just like my presidency, the second time is always better,” he said, adding, “And the third time will be better yet,” before clarifying, “I’m only kidding.” He then donned a red “Trump 2028” hat and jokingly announced his “intention” to run for a fourth term, calling it a scoop for the room.
A Muted, Mixed Reaction From the Room
Multiple outlets reported that the audience response to Trump’s speech was noticeably subdued compared to past correspondents’ dinners. Some jokes drew scattered laughter early on, but the reaction cooled as the speech continued, with several reports describing long stretches of stunned or awkward silence during the insult-heavy portions. Trump himself acknowledged the lukewarm response in real time at least once, telling the crowd after one joke, “That was actually the only thing I thought was good in this whole freaking stupid speech.”
Despite the mixed reception, Trump also struck a more conciliatory note at points, telling the assembled journalists the room included “a lot of people that I like, some I don’t like at all, but I respect most of them.” He also joked about his own relationship with the press, telling the crowd, “When I’m gone, you’re all going to be broke.”
Entertainment and Lighter Moments
Mentalist Oz Pearlman, who had also been booked for the original April dinner before it was interrupted, finally performed his full act on Friday night. Pearlman ran several interactive routines with members of the press and administration, including Fox News correspondent David Spunt and anchor Kevin Corke, and correctly guessed the amount of cash in Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s wallet during one bit. Trump stayed for Pearlman’s performance before leaving through the back of the venue behind the head table. The dinner menu included a grilled peach and burrata salad, lobster, and beef Wellington.
Awards Honoring Bravery From the April Shooting
Friday’s dinner added two new awards tied directly to the events of April. Secret Service agent Victor Gonzales, who was struck in his protective vest while staffing a checkpoint during the original shooting, was honored for engaging the armed suspect and helping stop the attack. A second award recognized the staff of the Washington Hilton, the original dinner’s venue, for their professionalism during the crisis.
Among the evening’s award recipients was New York Times reporter Tyler Pager, who had previously been subpoenaed by the Justice Department over his reporting on a Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet linked to Trump. That subpoena was withdrawn just a day earlier, on Thursday, July 23, 2026, in a New York courtroom.
Ongoing Tension Between Trump and the Press
Trump’s appearance marked a significant shift after years of boycotting the dinner, including throughout his first term and the early part of his second. Still, his return did little to ease broader friction with the media. His second term has included lawsuits against news organizations, regulatory pressure through the FCC, and sanctions against individual reporters, and several outlets noted that tension has only intensified since the April shooting. Some press ethics voices, including Kelly McBride of the Poynter Institute, had also questioned before the event whether the dinner tradition itself sends the wrong message by putting journalists and the officials they cover in the same room as guests.
Final Thoughts
The rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner closed out a difficult chapter that began with violence in April and ended with a night of jokes, tributes, and lingering tension between Trump and the press corps. The Trump speech at correspondents dinner will likely be remembered as much for its mixed reception in the room as for its “Trump 2028” punchline, and for the awards honoring those who responded during the April attack. Trump has already signaled he plans to attend again next year, setting up another chapter in his evolving, often combative relationship with the White House press corps.
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