White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Melania Trump, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Weijia Jiang attend as Mentalist Oz Pearlman hosts The White House Correspondents Dinner at Washington Hilton, April 25, 2026.Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
The White House correspondents’ gala has been pushed to July 24, following a shooting that led to the cancellation of the yearly gathering in April, according to White House Correspondents’ Association president Weijia Jiang.
“Moving the date was not automatic. It was a decision the WHCA board made after careful deliberation and feedback from our members,” she stated.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Melania Trump, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Weijia Jiang attend as Mentalist Oz Pearlman hosts The White House Correspondents Dinner at Washington Hilton, April 25, 2026.Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Cole Allen, 31, is suspected of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump during the April 25 event at the Washington Hilton hotel. Prosecutors reported that he was apprehended by law enforcement after breaching a security checkpoint at the venue, where numerous journalists, along with Trump and his Cabinet members, were assembled for the annual occasion.
According to a criminal complaint, Allen allegedly indicated that administration officials were his intended targets.
Allen has entered a plea of not guilty to charges including attempted assassination of the President of the United States, assaulting a federal law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon, illegally transporting a firearm and ammunition across state lines with the intent to commit a felony, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
Trump posted on social media on Tuesday that he plans to attend the July gathering.
Jiang commented that the rescheduled dinner “will serve not only as an occasion to fulfill our agenda. It will signify that violence has no place in American society and that a free press will not be coerced into silence.”
“Our thoughts continue to be with the officer who sustained injuries and with everyone who went through that night,” she added. “We are grateful to the U.S. Secret Service, law enforcement, and the hotel personnel whose prompt actions safeguarded our attendees and our staff.”
Jiang did not disclose the location for July’s dinner.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com