The annual gala will be held Friday at the Waldorf Astoria under heightened security, nearly three months after an armed attack at the Washington Hilton forced organizers to cancel the original event.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak Friday at the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, nearly three months after a gunman opened fire outside the ballroom where the president, Cabinet officials and guests were gathering for the annual event.
The original black-tie dinner was canceled April 25 after a man attempted to force his way through a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton and fired a shotgun. Trump and members of his administration were taking their seats inside the ballroom when the attack occurred.
Cole Allen, the suspect in the shooting, pleaded not guilty in May to charges that include attempting to assassinate the president.
Organizers moved the dinner to the Waldorf Astoria, where the gathering will proceed with additional security measures. Journalists, government officials, politicians and members of the Trump administration are expected to attend.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran said Wednesday that an advance team was carrying out a comprehensive security plan at the hotel ahead of the event.
“We do expect bad people to show up,” Curran told reporters. “It’s just a reality of where we are, but we’re treating it no differently than any other site that the president goes to.”
Trump has cited the April attack while defending the construction of a $400 million ballroom at the White House. He has argued that holding major events on White House grounds would provide a more secure environment for the president and other senior officials.
Friday’s dinner will recognize Secret Service officer Victor Gonzales, who was shot while stationed at a security checkpoint outside the Washington Hilton ballroom and was credited with stopping the attack.
Gonzales was wearing a protective vest and was the only person injured during the shooting. The association also plans to honor Washington Hilton employees who helped guests during the emergency.
The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner has been part of Washington’s social and political calendar for more than a century. The event raises money for journalism scholarships and recognizes the First Amendment’s protections for freedom of speech and the press.
Trump is expected to deliver remarks during the program, while mentalist Oz Pearlman is scheduled to provide the evening’s entertainment.
WHCA President Weijia Jiang said proceeding with the dinner would send a broader message following the violence that disrupted the April gathering.
The event “will be a statement that violence has no place in American life and a free press will not be intimidated into silence,” Jiang said.
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