President Donald Trump is set to attend the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Friday evening, months after the original event was cut short by a shooting that authorities described as an assassination attempt.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the president’s attendance during a briefing on Thursday.
“Alongside all of you members of the media, the president looks forward to finishing what he started before a despicable assassination attempt derailed the original event back in April,” Leavitt said.
The annual gathering descended into chaos in April when, according to investigators, Cole Allen opened fire inside the Washington Hilton, where thousands of journalists, public officials and invited guests had assembled to celebrate press freedom and the First Amendment.
President Trump and several senior government officials were attending the event when the shooting occurred.
Allen has pleaded not guilty to multiple federal charges, including attempting to assassinate the president, transporting a firearm with intent to commit a felony, discharging a firearm during a violent crime and assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon.
During the attack, U.S. Secret Service officer Victor Gonzales was struck by a bullet that was stopped by his protective vest, allowing him to continue responding to the threat, according to the Secret Service.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran said this week that the agency’s security measures performed effectively during the April incident and that additional preparations have been made for the rescheduled event.
Unlike the original dinner, Friday’s gathering will be held at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C., rather than the Washington Hilton.
“We will always evaluate every site,” Curran said, adding that an advance security team has already assessed the venue and developed a comprehensive protection plan.
The White House Correspondents’ Association also announced that it will present its newly created President’s Award for Exceptional Service to Officer Gonzales and the staff of the Washington Hilton during the dinner.
In a statement, White House Correspondents’ Association President Weijia Jiang praised Gonzales’ actions during the shooting.
“Officer Gonzales played a significant role when he ran toward danger so that thousands of others could make it home safely,” Jiang said. “His courage stemmed from a dedication to service, which we are looking forward to honoring this week.”The rescheduled dinner is expected to serve both as a celebration of journalism and as a tribute to those who responded during the April attack, with heightened security in place throughout the event.
