Trump Attends Rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Roasts Media
10 verified4 unconfirmed
President Donald Trump attended his first White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Friday, three months after the original event was disrupted by a gunman. The dinner was moved to the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Washington, D.C., with attendance reduced to about 700 people. Trump delivered a speech lasting over an hour, during which he joked about running for a third term and praised a Secret Service officer injured in the April shooting. He also targeted several journalists and media outlets, including CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, telling her to smile more. Trump made a joke about rapper Nicki Minaj during the shooting incident and poked fun at other celebrities such as Bruce Springsteen. He criticized the press as “fake news” and said he had skipped previous dinners because of unfair treatment. Despite the barbs, Trump ended his remarks by stating he had “tremendous respect” for the journalists in the room.
What’s verified
The dinner was rescheduled after a gunman attempted to attack the original event in April 2026.
The event was held at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C., with attendance scaled down from over 2,600 to roughly 680–700 people.
Trump’s speech lasted more than one hour.
Trump joked about running for a third term, including donning a “Trump 2028” hat.
Trump praised the Secret Service officer who was shot during the April incident.
Trump attacked CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins over not smiling.
Trump made a joke about rapper Nicki Minaj during the shooting.
Trump said he did not attend previous dinners because of unfair press treatment.
Trump ended his speech by expressing respect for the journalists.
Trump joked that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran over the cow served at dinner with his car.
Not yet confirmed
One source reported that Trump joked about renaming the event the “Trump White House Correspondents’ Dinner” based on a comment from Paramount CEO David Ellison.
One source reported that Trump shook hands with Wall Street Journal reporters who received an award, despite his pending lawsuit against them.
The exact attendance figure varies slightly between sources: one says “around 680,” another says “about 700.”
It is not clear whether Trump’s comment about a “fourth term” was intended as a serious policy suggestion or a joke.
Key figures
President Donald Trump
Kaitlan Collins (CNN anchor)
Nicki Minaj (rapper)
Victor Gonzalez (Secret Service officer)
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Secretary of Health and Human Services)
Weijia Jiang (outgoing WHCA president, CBS News)
Jacqui Heinrich (incoming WHCA president, Fox News)
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, dw.com
