Inside The Room At WHCD As Donald Trump's Rickles-Like Sctick Didn't Land - Deadline

What the report says

Deadline reported that President Donald Trump addressed the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Friday night at the Waldorf Astoria, speaking for just over an hour in a performance the outlet described as closer to a campaign-style monologue than the more tightly scripted comedy routines often associated with the event. According to Deadline, many of Trump’s jokes and personal attacks drew little reaction from the room, with attendees at times looking at phones or sitting quietly as he moved among familiar subjects and grievances.

The dinner was held in a smaller venue than the usual Washington Hilton setting, with senior administration figures and Cabinet members among the guests. Deadline said Trump made jokes about Robert F. Kennedy Jr., spoke about how he deals with reporters who contact him directly, and repeated attacks on media figures and political opponents. He also said near the end that he respected people in the room and intended to return the following year.

The event followed the postponement of the April dinner after an apparent assassination attempt disrupted that gathering. The WHCA honored Secret Service officer Victor Gonzales and Washington Hilton staff members, and WHCA president Weijia Jiang delivered remarks about her personal path into journalism and the importance of press freedom. A video segment invoked the First Amendment and featured past presidents discussing the role of the press.

Deadline also highlighted an awards moment involving the Wall Street Journal’s reporting connected to Jeffrey Epstein, noting Trump’s lawsuit against the paper, and said mentalist Oz Pearlman’s closing routine drew one of the stronger responses of the night.