Trump returns to WHCA dinner with jokes, jabs and a 2028 cap

Donald Trump returned to the rescheduled White House Correspondents' dinner and delivered a long, combative speech. The night underscored how deeply strained his relationship with the press remains after April's violence.

In Short

• The event returned with tighter security and a smaller, lower-key venue
• Audience laughter faded as the evening's humour drifted towards personal attacks
• Journalists honoured included a reporter earlier subpoenaed over Air Force One reporting

US President Donald Trump returned on Friday night to the rescheduled White House Correspondents' Association dinner, where he delivered a rambling speech lasting a little over an hour. He praised some journalists, took swipes at others, joked about public figures' weight and intellect, and briefly raised the prospect of a third presidential term before adding, "I'm only kidding."

The dinner marked a notable point in Trump's relationship with the news media, which he has attacked, sued and taken administrative action against since beginning his second term early last year. He told the crowd he had dropped the sharpest parts of the speech he had prepared for April, saying, "That was going to be a doozy," after the original dinner was postponed following what he called "the attempted mass murder" that could have happened that night.

Opening his remarks, Trump said, "As I said three months ago, the show must go on," and praised the decision to hold the event again. He then moved largely to humour and insults. His remarks included attacks on people he has criticised before, including Jane Fonda, Bruce Springsteen and "Barack Hussein Obama". Other targets included late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel, Representative Ilhan Omar, California Governor Gavin Newsom, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and even his own speechwriters, whose jokes he sometimes criticised while delivering them. Some of the comments flirted with racism. The audience, which initially responded with some friendly laughter, grew quieter as the speech went on. Trump also referred to the journalism awards presented earlier in the evening, most of them for reporting that challenged him and his administration, and asked with a grimace, "Do I have a say in those awards?" He also joked, "Just like my presidency, the second time is always better," before adding, "And the third time will be better yet." At the end of the speech, he put on a red cap reading "Trump 2028" and jokingly announced he was running again.

Trump entered the ballroom to polite applause and was thanked by outgoing WHCA president Weijia Jiang of CBS News. He then sat through more than an hour of award presentations. One of the winners, New York Times reporter Tyler Pager, was among the journalists subpoenaed by Trump's Justice Department over his reporting on Trump's Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet. Those subpoenas were withdrawn on Thursday in a New York courtroom. The rescheduled dinner was held at a smaller venue with around 700 people, with tighter security that included a single entrance, two ID checks, a detection dog, armed officers and security guards. There was no red carpet and no separate cocktail receptions. Welcoming the gathering, Jiang said, "Let's try this again," adding that the White House press corps "always have a follow-up". Turning serious, she said, "Tonight our message is this: We are back. We will not be intimidated. We refuse to let an act of violence have the final word."

Two additional awards were also presented in connection with the April shooting. One went to Secret Service agent Victor Gonzales, who was at a security checkpoint and was hit in his protective vest. Jiang said Gonzales "placed himself directly in harm's way and engaged the armed suspect" and "stayed in the fight and the attacker was stopped". Another award went to the staff of the Washington Hilton, the site of the original dinner, for their professionalism under pressure. The revised event had a looser "black tie optional" dress code, and, as in April, featured mentalist Oz Pearlman, who this time was able to perform. Jiang said the board had worked hard to hold the event again, stressing its stated purpose as "a celebration of a free press and the vital role of journalism in our democracy for over a century".

The dinner, however, continued to draw criticism. Some argued it should not have been rescheduled at all, saying such events make journalists appear too close to the people they cover. Kelly McBride of the Poynter Institute said during the debate over the event, "It undermines the public faith in how the press does its work, and it makes it look like we are pals with the people we cover." The dinner took place at a time of rising tension between Trump and the media, with pressure ranging from sanctions against members of the White House press corps to regulatory action and lawsuits. Trump ended the night by trying, to a point, to soften the tone, telling journalists, "I have a lot of respect for your profession," while also boasting about his own success and saying, "When I'm not around, you're all gonna be broke." He closed with another jab at the evening itself, saying, "I didn't know what to expect. It's far worse than I originally thought." In all, the rescheduled dinner mixed efforts to move on from April's violence with a fresh reminder of the strained ties between Trump and the press.

With PTI Inputs

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