Trump Returns to White House Correspondents Dinner After April Attack Halted Gala

Secret Service Director Sean Curran informed reporters on Wednesday that an advance team is putting in place a thorough security plan at the hotel.

US President Donald Trump will speak to the White House Correspondents Association at a rescheduled dinner on Friday, nearly three months after a shooting at the Washington Hilton hotel interrupted the event.

The black-tie gathering of journalists, politicians and administration officials was canceled on April 25 after a man attempted to push through a security checkpoint and discharged a shotgun outside the ballroom where Trump and members of his cabinet were seating themselves.

The suspect, Cole Allen, entered a not guilty plea in May to charges that include attempting to assassinate the president.

The dinner has shifted to the Waldorf Astoria hotel and will occur under increased security measures.

Secret Service Director Sean Curran informed reporters on Wednesday that an advance team is putting in place a thorough security plan at the hotel.

"We do expect bad people to show up," Curran said. "It is just a reality of where we are, but we are treating it no differently than any other site that the president goes to."

Shooting Shows Necessity of White House Ballroom

Trump has stated that the shooting in April demonstrated the need for a $400 million ballroom under construction at the White House, noting that hosting such events there would enhance the president's security.

Friday's dinner will honor Secret Service officer Victor Gonzales, who was shot at a security checkpoint outside the ballroom in April and is credited with halting the attack. He wore a protective vest and was the sole person injured that night. Washington Hilton staff who helped guests will also receive recognition, the WHCA said.

The gala, an annual fixture on Washington's calendar for more than a century, raises funds for journalism scholarships and celebrates the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which safeguards freedom of speech and the press. Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks, and mentalist Oz Pearlman will provide entertainment.

The April incident took place during Trump's first presidential appearance at the correspondents dinner. He had skipped the event in his prior years in office.

Trump has often clashed with the news media, filing suits against multiple outlets, labeling unfavorable coverage as "fake news" and criticizing journalists by name. His administration has excluded the Associated Press from the White House press pool and limited some journalists' access to the Pentagon, among other steps.

Trump Threatens to Revoke Network Licenses

Last week, Trump threatened to revoke the licenses of TV networks that failed to broadcast his prime-time speech on election security, which contained claims about foreign election interference that contradicted a US intelligence assessment.

The White House has defended its actions, stating the administration aims to protect sensitive information, boost security and heighten accountability for what it describes as biased media organizations.

Even as Trump has intensified his measures against the media, he has granted reporters greater direct access than recent presidents, fielding questions during open-ended public appearances and regularly speaking with journalists by phone.

Several hundred veteran journalists, along with eight professional journalism organizations, have signed a letter urging the WHCA to use the dinner to condemn what they termed Trump's attacks on the First Amendment.

WHCA President Weijia Jiang said the event "will be a statement that violence has no place in American life and a free press will not be intimidated into silence."