The White House Correspondents' Association dinner, which had to be put off due to an assassination attempt against President Donald Trump, will now be held on July 24.
The White House Correspondents' Association President Weijia Jiang made the announcement on Tuesday.
Trump announced on Truth Social that the dinner will be hosted at The Waldorf Astoria, which was built by him. “We will not allow an act of violence to have the last word, especially during a year when we are reflecting on America 250 and everything we stand for,” Weijia said in a post on X.
During the April dinner, US President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and several Cabinet members were rushed out of the Washington Hilton ballroom after a gunman opened fire in a nearby hallway. As panic spread, journalists and other VIP guests ducked under tables for cover. The man has pleaded not guilty to four criminal charges.
Jiang said the July event will be a “more intimate gathering,” adding that the association has secured funding to cover the costs for members who had originally purchased tickets to the first dinner. The organisation also plans to provide financial assistance to scholarship recipients returning to Washington to be honoured at the event.
“In a sign of Strength and Fortitude, it was just announced that The White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which violently ended rather abruptly on April 25th, will be rescheduled to July 24th,” Trump said.
“This announcement is a very good thing in that we cannot allow Lunatics to change our way of life, or even its scheduling,” the US President said.
Trump said he has accepted the invitation to speak at the event.
Following the April shooting incident, Trump indicated he wanted to attend a second dinner and initially suggested that the event be rescheduled within 30 days.
“This announcement is a very good thing in that we cannot allow Lunatics to change our way of life, or even its scheduling,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“I don’t know whether or not I will give the same rather nasty statements, at least as it concerns certain people, but we will soon find out. In any event, it will be a “HOT” ticket! Interestingly, the location will be The Waldorf Astoria, on Pennsylvania Avenue, a Building and Ballroom that I built,” Trump said.