President Donald Trump delivered a speech at the rescheduled White House Correspondents' Association dinner on July 24, 2026, held in the ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Washington D.C. About 700 guests attended, a significant reduction from the more than 2,000 expected at the original event in April that was canceled after an assassination attempt on Trump [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].

The April attack occurred outside the Washington Hilton, where a gunman fired a shotgun at a security checkpoint. Secret Service officer Victor Gonzalez was wounded while tackling the suspect. Gonzalez was honored at the July dinner and received an award from Trump for his bravery [1, 2, 4]. The alleged gunman, Cole Allen, has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate the president [2, 4].

Trump opened his speech by referencing the attack, saying, "As I said three months ago, the show must go on" and later jokingly announced his intention to run for a fourth term, donning a "Trump 2028" hat [1, 4, 5]. He criticized the media in the room, saying many suffered from "Trump Derangement Syndrome" and claiming he receives 93% negative publicity [1, 5]. The president also attacked political opponents including California Governor Gavin Newsom and Congressman Ilhan Omar [3, 4].

Despite the contentious tone, Trump praised freedom of speech and urged Americans to resolve differences through debate rather than violence. He called on the public to respect press freedoms [1, 4]. He also briefly addressed foreign policy, confirming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned visit to the US next week, and spoke about ongoing negotiations with Iran, claiming Iran had lost 250 jets and 159 boats since sanctions were imposed [3, 5].

Key White House officials, including FBI Director Kash Patel and other Cabinet members, attended the scaled-back dinner. Notable absences included former First Lady Melania Trump, and Senators JD Vance and Marco Rubio [2, 6]. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had promised the speech would be "a combination of unifying yet vicious, and serious yet hilarious," calling it "entertaining" [2, 6].

The event marked Trump’s first public appearance at the Correspondents' Dinner since the attempt on his life and served as both a comeback and a platform for his political messaging. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's scheduled US visit next week promises further developments in foreign relations.