‘The show must go on’: Trump returns to rescheduled White House press gala

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported that United States President Donald Trump addressed the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Friday at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, DC, after the original April event was disrupted by a gunman. The dinner, attended by about 700 guests, followed an awards ceremony that included appearances by journalists such as CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.

Trump opened by invoking the idea that the event should continue, then mixed jokes about his presidency with comments on the April attack. According to the report, he described the incident as an attack on democracy and praised aides including Pete Hegseth, Steve Miller and Tom Holman for their conduct during the disruption. Prosecutors have accused Cole Tomas Allen of forcing his way through a security gate at the Washington Hilton while armed with guns and knives, shooting and injuring a Secret Service officer, and attempting to assassinate the president. The case remains described in the report as based on federal charges.

The speech also included barbs at journalists and political opponents. Al Jazeera said Trump used the event to mock Democratic figures including California Governor Gavin Newsom, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, presenting the remarks as humor. The audience response was described as restrained at points.

The dinner’s revival carried symbolic weight for both the White House and the press corps. WHCA president Weijia Jiang of CBS News thanked Trump for returning and said the event would not be defined by violence. The report noted that Trump’s attendance marked a contrast with his first term, when he skipped the dinner, while also highlighting continuing criticism from media professionals who question the closeness the gala can suggest between reporters and political leaders.