US President Donald Trump returned to the White House Correspondents' Dinner under heightened security on Friday, three months after an alleged assassination attempt forced his chaotic evacuation from the event. Despite threats from what he called 'lunatics,' Trump delivered the speech he was prevented from giving in April when gunshots were fired at the Washington Hilton. California man Cole Allen, 31, has pleaded not guilty to charges including attempting to kill the president.
Heightened Security Measures
This time, the US Secret Service took no chances. Police and National Guard officers sealed off nearby roads and established a major security cordon. Guests faced only a cursory check upon arrival. The venue was changed from the Hilton to the Waldorf Astoria, a former Trump hotel, making the gala smaller and 'more intimate,' according to organizers. Guests had to show a QR code and their ID to enter the atrium.
Event Rescheduled and Reimagined
US Secret Service Director Sean Curran was present, monitoring the event. While Trump had been expected to deliver a media-bashing speech at the original event, it remains to be seen what tone he will take at the rescheduled dinner. 'In April, President Trump promised to finish the job and plan another WHCA Dinner, and today, he will deliver on that promise,' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. The dinner will also include a tribute to a Secret Service agent who helped stop the alleged gunman in April despite being struck in his protective vest, and to the staff of the Hilton.
'We will not allow an act of violence to have the last word,' said Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents Association, which organizes the dinner. Trump offered rare praise for the press in the immediate aftermath of the dinner and welcomed their decision to go ahead with a re-run as a'sign of strength and fortitude.' But he has hinted that he might go back to his old habits in his Friday speech. 'I don't know whether or not I will give the same rather nasty statements, at least as it concerns certain people, but we will soon find out,' Trump said in June when he announced that he would attend.
