Trump mixes insults and third-term jokes at rescheduled correspondents' dinner

US President Donald Trump delivered an hour-long speech mixing praise for the press with pointed insults at journalists, Democratic politicians and celebrities, at a rescheduled White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner held on Friday, 24 July 2026.

The gala, an annual event celebrating press freedom, was moved from the Washington Hilton to the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, following a shooting at the original event in April that led to its cancellation. According to the Guardian, the rescheduled dinner drew around 700 guests, down from roughly 2,600 at the original event.

The BBC reported that the reduced numbers followed criticism that security at the Hilton had been inadequate. Guests at the Waldorf Astoria were screened twice, with QR codes and identification checks, and several blocks around the hotel were closed off with a heightened police and National Guard presence.

Trump opened his remarks by referencing his past ownership of the venue, then turned to the shooting that disrupted the original dinner. He told the audience that the country would respond to the attack "with unwavering resolve" and that Americans "settle our differences not with bullets, but with open and vigorous debate".

The dinner was dedicated in part to Victor Gonzalez, the US Secret Service officer shot and wounded while helping stop the gunman at the April event. Gonzalez received an award from Trump during the evening.

The man charged over the April shooting, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, has pleaded not guilty to attempting to assassinate the president.

Weijia Jiang, the outgoing WHCA president and a CBS News correspondent, told the dinner that the event would return to the Washington Hilton next year. She said she would not let "an act of violence have the final word", referencing the gunman tackled at the original dinner.

Jiang also used her remarks to underline the relationship between the press and the presidency, telling the audience that "what we share is far more important than anything else and that is our duty: to serve the American people".

Awards for journalism

Before Trump spoke, journalists from outlets including the New York Times, CNN and the Wall Street Journal were honoured on stage for their coverage of the president and his administration.

Among them was a Wall Street Journal team recognised for reporting on Trump's past association with the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Trump has sued the Journal over aspects of that coverage.

Trump shook hands with the award recipients, including a reporter whose home address was disclosed in the course of the lawsuit, which the reporter's family said had forced them to relocate, according to the Guardian's account of the evening.

Mockery of journalists and political figures

Once his prepared remarks moved beyond the opening tribute, Trump's tone shifted toward the barbed style typical of his rallies. He accused many attendees of having "Trump Derangement Syndrome" and repeated his frequent description of unfavourable coverage as "fake news", the BBC reported.

He mocked the health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, over his advocacy for beef tallow and animal protein, joking that Kennedy had personally prepared the evening's beef tenderloin. He also referenced an alleged appetiser suggestion involving roadkill, according to the Guardian.

Other targets included the California senator Adam Schiff, whose head size he mocked; the former New Jersey governor Chris Christie and New York congressman Jerry Nadler, whose weight he joked about; and the musician Bruce Springsteen, about whose appearance he made a disparaging remark.

Trump also criticised CNN's Kaitlan Collins, who had been honoured earlier in the evening for her White House coverage, and made pointed remarks about the Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar, one of his frequent targets, the Guardian reported.

The late-night television hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert, each of whom has been a frequent critic of Trump, were dismissed as lacking talent.

Term-limit jokes

Trump repeated jokes referencing a third presidential term, which the US Constitution's 22nd Amendment prohibits, before extending the joke to a fourth term. He placed a red "Trump 2028" cap on his head as he made the remarks.

He said he intended to "run and win a fourth election", a reference both to his unfounded claim to have won the 2020 election and his repeated suggestions of pursuing a third term.

Context and reactions

Friday's dinner marked the first time Trump had addressed the WHCA gathering during either of his two terms in office; he boycotted the event throughout his first term, according to the Guardian.

The president has sued multiple news organisations over their coverage and has barred the Associated Press from the White House press pool, while also limiting other journalists' access to the Pentagon.

Absent from Friday's dinner were the first lady, Melania Trump; the vice-president, JD Vance; and the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, all of whom had attended the original April event, according to the Guardian.

Senior officials who did attend, per the BBC, included the defence secretary, Pete Hegseth; the acting attorney-general, Todd Blanche; the FBI director, Kash Patel; the treasury secretary, Scott Bessent; and the commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick.