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The White House Correspondents’ Association announced Tuesday that it has rescheduled its annual dinner for July 24 after the original event was interrupted by a shooting that prompted the evacuation of President Donald Trump, senior administration officials and journalists.
WHCA President Weijia Jiang said the new event will be a smaller gathering with enhanced security measures and updated access procedures.
In a message to members, Jiang said the dinner will serve as both a continuation of the association’s annual tradition and a statement against political violence.
“This dinner will not only be an opportunity to carry out our program,” Jiang wrote. “It will be a statement that violence has no place in American life and a free press will not be intimidated into silence.”
Trump confirmed that he plans to attend and speak at the rescheduled event.
The president wrote on Truth Social that the dinner’s return demonstrates that “we cannot allow Lunatics to change our way of life, or even its scheduling.”
The event is expected to be held at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C., the property formerly known as the Trump International Hotel.
The original dinner on April 25 was cut short after authorities say a gunman attempted to breach a security checkpoint near the event venue. Trump, Vice President JD Vance and several Cabinet officials were evacuated, while journalists and guests sheltered inside the hotel.
Authorities identified the suspect as Cole Allen, a 31-year-old California man who allegedly traveled to Washington by train and was staying at the hotel hosting the event.
Federal prosecutors charged Allen with attempting to assassinate the president, assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon and firearms-related offenses. He has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody awaiting trial.
Investigators said Allen was armed with a shotgun, handgun and multiple knives when he attempted to force his way through a security checkpoint. A Secret Service officer was struck during the incident but was protected by a bulletproof vest and did not suffer serious injuries.
Jiang said the WHCA board decided to hold a second dinner after consulting with members and emphasized that the organization would not allow the attack to overshadow the event.
“We will not allow an act of violence to have the last word,” she wrote, adding that the gathering will take place as the nation reflects on the 250th anniversary of American independence.
