Donald Trump delivered a freewheeling, insult-laden address at the rescheduled White House correspondents’ dinner on Friday evening, mixing sarcastic jabs at journalists with mockery of political rivals before closing with a pointed joke about seeking a fourth term in office.
President Returns to a Dinner He Long Boycotted
The address marked the first time correspondents’ dinner in either of his two terms, having stayed away from the event throughout his first presidency. His appearance came a day after his administration shelved, for the time being, an unusual attempt to subpoena reporters over their coverage, and three months after the original dinner was abandoned when a man opened fire at a security checkpoint outside the venue.
Held this time at the Waldorf Astoria rather than the cavernous Washington Hilton ballroom evacuated in April, the gathering carried an added layer of security. Sean Curran, director of the US Secret Service, told reporters in the run-up to the dinner that agents were prepared for trouble even at the black-tie affair.
Trump Mixes Praise for Press With Familiar “Fake News” Jabs
For much of the hour-long speech, Trump adopted a lighthearted, sarcastic tone, at one stage conceding a degree of respect for the profession he has spent years attacking, telling the room that journalists were doing an “amazing job”. The goodwill did not last long. Turning to his handling of Iran, Trump insisted the conflict was proceeding smoothly, telling the assembled press corps, “Don’t believe the fake news.”
Scripted Jokes Take Aim at Kennedy, Christie, Springsteen and Schiff
The speech featured a run of prepared punchlines directed at familiar targets. Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, a vocal advocate for beef tallow and animal protein, was jokingly blamed for supplying the evening’s main course, with Trump suggesting he had personally run over the cow that became the dinner’s “very delicious beef tenderloin”.
and New York congressman Jerry Nadler, picturing the pair tussling over a slice of cheesecake. Musician Bruce Springsteen was told he “looks like hell”, while CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, honoured earlier in the evening for her White House reporting, was ribbed for not smiling enough. California senator Adam Schiff, a persistent congressional critic, drew some of the sharpest words of the night, with Trump saying he “hated” him while mocking the size of his head and neck.
When one line about term limits failed to land, Trump paused to address the room directly, asking whether anyone had actually understood “this whole freakin stupid speech that they wrote”.
Closing Joke Revives Third Term Talk With a Symbolic Red Cap
Trump ended on a note that landed awkwardly with parts of the audience, declaring he intended to contest and win a fourth election, an allusion both to his unfounded claim of victory in the 2020 race and to his repeated musings about pursuing a third term despite the constitutional two term limit. “I won three times, now I’m going to do it again,” he said, before placing a red “Trump 2028” cap on his head.
Awards Honour Reporters Behind Stories Trump Has Fought in Court
Ahead of the president’s remarks, the evening included recognition for journalists behind some of the year’s most consequential reporting on the administration, among them the Wall Street Journal team behind a story alleging to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein in 2003, reporting over which Trump has since sued the newspaper.
Outgoing White House Correspondents’ Association president Weija Jiang used her remarks to stress the shared obligations of press and presidency alike. “No matter how complicated or tense the relationship is between the press and the presidency, what we share is far more important than anything else and that is our duty: to serve the American people,” Jiang told the gathering.
Opening his own remarks, Trump had suggested his originally prepared speech was “gonna be a doozy” before appearing to soften his approach. “Just like my presidency, the second time is always better, and the third time will be better yet … I’m only kidding,” he said.
Dinner Dedicated to Officer Wounded in April Shooting
Part of the evening was set aside to honour Victor Gonzales, the Secret Service officer wounded while helping to stop the gunman at the original April dinner, along with hotel staff who assisted guests during the attack. Cole Allen, the man charged over the shooting, has pleaded not guilty to attempting to assassinate the president.
ABC News chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl told Trump on stage that his attendance carried weight in itself. “It matters that you came here tonight,” Karl said.
Absences and an Ongoing Standoff With the Press
Notably absent from this year’s dinner were first lady Melania Trump, vice president JD Vance and secretary of state Marco Rubio, all of whom had attended the original event in April. Their absence came against the backdrop of a broader standoff between the administration and the press, with Trump having sued multiple news organisations over their coverage and routinely dismissing unfavourable reporting as “fake news”. His administration has gone further still, barring the Associated Press from the White House press pool and restricting other journalists’ access to the Pentagon.
