Trump to address rescheduled dinner halted by gunfire
US President Donald Trump will address the White House Correspondents’ Association at a rescheduled dinner nearly three months after a shooting at the Washington Hilton hotel disrupted the event.
The black-tie gathering, attended by journalists, politicians and administration officials, was canceled on April 25 after a man tried to force his way through a security checkpoint in front of the ballroom where Trump and his cabinet members were seated and fired a shotgun.
The suspect, Cole Allen, pleaded not guilty to charges including attempting to assassinate the president in May.
The dinner has been moved to the Waldorf Astoria hotel and will take place under increased security.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran told reporters Wednesday that an advanced team has implemented a comprehensive security plan at the hotel.
“We’re waiting for bad people to show up,” Curran said.
“It’s just a reality of where we are, but we treat it no differently than other sites the president has been to.”
Trump said the attack in April demonstrated the need to build a $400 million ballroom at the White House and that holding such events there would increase the president’s security.
Friday’s dinner will honor Victor Gonzales, the Secret Service officer who was shot at a security post outside the ballroom in April and is credited with stopping the attack.
He was wearing a protective vest and was the only person injured that night. WHCA said Washington Hilton staff who assist guests will also be recognized.
The April incident occurred while Trump was attending his first presidential reporters’ dinner. He had boycotted the event in his previous years in office.
Trump frequently clashes with the news media; is suing multiple media outlets, calling negative reporting “fake news” and criticizing journalists by name.
His administration banned the Associated Press from the White House press pool and restricted some journalists’ access to the Pentagon, among other measures. Last week, Trump threatened to revoke the licenses of TV networks that did not air his prime-time speech on election security; This speech also included allegations of foreign election interference that contradicted US intelligence assessments.
The White House has defended the administration’s measures, saying it aims to protect sensitive information, improve security and increase accountability for what it calls biased media outlets.
Although Trump has stepped up his actions against the media, he has provided more direct access to journalists than recent presidents, answering questions in open-ended public hearings and speaking with reporters regularly by phone.
Hundreds of veteran journalists and eight professional journalism organizations signed a letter urging the WHCA to use the dinner to condemn what they called Trump’s attacks on the First Amendment.
