Trump Addresses 700 at Rescheduled Correspondents Dinner as April Shooting Still Shapes Event
Updated
Updated · CNN · Jul 24
Trump Addresses 700 at Rescheduled Correspondents Dinner as April Shooting Still Shapes Event
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Jul 24
Summary
About 700 guests attended the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner at Washington’s Waldorf Astoria, where Trump delivered a joke-filled speech and praised Secret Service officer Victor Gonzales, wounded while confronting the April gunman.
New security measures and a scaled-back format reflected that attack: attendees used QR-coded tickets, photo IDs and wristbands, skipped the red carpet and cocktail hour, and faced a much smaller gathering than April’s 2,600-person event.
Trump also used the stage to needle the press, joking about awards for reporting critical of him, including Wall Street Journal coverage of an alleged Epstein birthday letter and CNN and AP reporting on his administration.
Weijia Jiang said the dinner showed journalists would not be intimidated by political violence, while the program highlighted press freedom and honored Hilton staff who preserved and donated 2,000 uneaten meals after the interrupted April event.