Trump softens White House Correspondents’ Dinner speech after attack
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President Donald Trump struck a more conciliatory tone at the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Friday, jettisoning the combative speech he had prepared before an assassination attempt that upended the annual event in April. The rewrite emphasized unity and gratitude, but the president still couldn’t resist making a few familiar barbs to the press, insisting: “The show must go on.”
Trump returned to the stage a few months after the organization’s annual banquet abruptly ended. Cole Allen, an armed suspect, stormed what authorities said was an attempt to assassinate the president.
“The speech I had prepared for a short period of time. Oh, this was going to be a doozy. I was so excited. I was going to tear people apart. And I don’t know, just something changed it – really for the better. But I wouldn’t want to do that,” Trump told a room full of journalists and government officials. he said.
“But if you don’t mind, we’ll break it up a little bit. But it’s true. I said, ‘How can we handle this? It’s going to be a different kind of evening. And it is. It’s actually a better evening in many ways,’ he added.
TRUMP RETURNS TO DINNER IN CORRESPONDENT AFTER GUNFIRE FORCED EVACUATION
President Donald Trump speaks at the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. (Mandel NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump played his typical debut song — Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” — and began joking about seeking a third term before taking a more serious tone as he thanked the Secret Service for its work protecting him every day, not just during the attack at his first Correspondents’ Dinner.
He gave a speech that lasted longer than expected, speaking for an hour and four minutes.
“Just like my presidency, the second time is always better. It’s always better and the third time will be better too. I’m just kidding,” Trump said, to some chuckles in the room.
The president said he could not deliver the speech he had planned at the first dinner by “ripping” the press, but said he changed his words a second time, saying it was “better.”
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He made various jokes not only towards the Democrats but also towards his own cabinet members.
“I hope everyone was finally able to enjoy some very delicious sirloin steaks, very special beef. And I want you all to know that Bobby Kennedy, who is here personally, hit the cow and his car,” Trump said.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and US President Donald Trump attended the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington DC. (Mandel NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
TRUMP RETURNS TO DINNER IN CORRESPONDENT AFTER GUNFIRE FORCED EVACUATION
He targeted California Gov. Gavin Newsom, former vice president Kamala Harris and presumptive 2028 presidential candidate Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, among other Democratic lawmakers and candidates.
“You can’t have someone like JB Pritzker, who I understand unfortunately is not the president. But, you know, some people say he never uses the word fat. And I know I would never call anyone fat,” Trump said.
“I have my own problems, you know, I’m not perfect, sir. From behind. Don’t call him a fat pig, okay? I mean. I’m defending him. Don’t call him you. You can’t do that, sir. You can’t call JB Pritzker a fat pig,” Trump said.
Trump mocked Chuck Schumer’s criticism of Israel and his increasingly vocal stances on the Israel-Hamas war.
“I’ll send him a nice Palestinian outfit tomorrow so he can greet Bibi Netanyahu when he comes to town next week,” Trump joked.
He used the moment to call for term limits, saying “all kidding aside, I think we need term limits in Congress.”
“A senator I know got a text the other day… ‘When you get home, I want you to go up the stairs immediately and make love to me.” And “I can’t do both,” Trump said, joking that he couldn’t go upstairs and have sex at the same time, saying he only had enough energy for one of those activities.
US President Donald Trump wears a “Trump 2028” hat while speaking at the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) 2026 Dinner. (Mandel NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
At Friday’s dinner, the WHCA honored U.S. Secret Service Officer Victor Gonzales for his actions in helping stop Allen from entering the ballroom.
The computer scientist from Torrance, California, traveled on Amtrak from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., after purchasing a one-way ticket. Court records say he sent a manifesto to family and friends shortly before the attack, outlining his political motivations and apologizing for his actions.
Allen has pleaded not guilty to charges that include attempting to assassinate the president, discharging a firearm during a violent crime, carrying a firearm across state lines and assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon.
“The attempted mass murder at the Washington Hilton, as it may have been, was an attack on our very democracy,” Trump said in his speech, which consisted of harsh hits against Democrats, the press and some jokes against his own Cabinet.
A PHOTO OF TRUMP ASSASSINATION SUSPECT COLE ALLEN IN HIS HOTEL ROOM WAS PUBLISHED WHILE THE DOJ WAS TRYING TO KEEP HIM IN JAIL
Israeli-US magician Oz “Oz the Mentalist” Pearlman performs at the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. (Mandel NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
“A police officer put himself in direct danger and engaged in a firefight with the armed suspect, even after his protective vest was shot at. He remained in the firefight and the attacker was stopped,” said former WHCA president Weijia Jiang, who presented the award to Gonzales.
“I know many of us are wondering: What if he hadn’t acted exactly that way? What if he had waited a few more seconds? His bravery that night reflects his Secret Service duty, his core values of justice, courage, honesty and loyalty, and his commitment to protecting his country and his community,” Jiang said.
During the speech, Trump highlighted the White House Ballroom and pointed to lawsuits following the heat over the $200 million project.
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“In light of what we’ve been through, I think people will understand that. It’s going to be amazing, one of the largest drone ports anywhere in the world, it’s going to be phenomenal,” Trump said, referring to gunfire at the first WHCA Dinner.
Trump said he “anticipates” the WHCA will use the space for future dinners.
Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. arrives at the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) Dinner. (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
He also pledged to attend next year’s WHCA dinner.
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“‘Will you do it next year?’ they said. “I said, ‘I’ll be back next year,'” Trump said. “Now, if you behave really badly, maybe it won’t happen like that. I don’t know. But we’ll be back next year.”
In his closing remarks, Trump said he had a “cover” for the press by announcing he would run for a fourth term.
He wore his red “TRUMP 2028” hat.
