The White House Correspondents’ Dinner originally set for April 25 was suspended after a gunman opened fire at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the event was being held in Washington, DC [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. The suspect, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, was armed with a shotgun, handgun, and knives. He tried to breach security and exchanged gunfire with Secret Service agents before being subdued [1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8]. One agent was shot but did not suffer critical injuries; the suspect was also injured, though not severely [1, 7]. President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance were evacuated from the venue during the incident [1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7].
Allen has pleaded not guilty to charges including attempted assassination of the president and weapons violations [2, 4, 6, 7]. Critics raised concerns about the security measures at the April event following the attack [6, 9]. Trump commented on the attack as a reason to build a new White House ballroom with higher security features, saying, "I本不想這樣說，但這正是我們必須在白宮打造相關設施的原因…那裡的宴會廳空間更大，更加安全，可防無人機入侵，並配有防彈玻璃。我們需要這座宴會廳。" [2, 6, 9, 7]
The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) announced on June 2 the dinner will be rescheduled for July 24, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 7, 8]. The new event will be smaller and held at the Waldorf Astoria hotel, a location previously leased or owned by the Trump Organization [1, 3, 4, 6, 10, 11]. Enhanced security measures and updated access procedures will be in place [1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 11, 7, 8]. Tickets bought for the April event remain valid at no extra cost [1, 5].
Trump confirmed his attendance and accepted the invitation to speak at the rescheduled dinner but expressed uncertainty about delivering the same "rather nasty statements" planned for April, stating, "We will soon find out. In any event, it will be a 'HOT' ticket!" [1, 3, 6, 10, 11, 7, 8]. WHCA President Weijia Jiang said, "We will not allow an act of violence to have the last word, especially during a year when we are reflecting on the 250th anniversary of America and everything we stand for." [1, 2, 3, 10, 7, 8]
The next White House Correspondents’ Dinner is scheduled for July 24, where officials expect increased safety and a more intimate setting compared to the typical large gathering.
