The White House Correspondents' Dinner restarts Friday at the Waldorf Astoria with a smaller guest list and heightened security after April's event was interrupted by gunfire. President Donald Trump plans to attend, while several high-profile guests from April — including Melania Trump, JD Vance and Marco Rubio — will not. The Secret Service reports nearly 10,000 protective-intelligence cases this year and a sharp rise in mental-health interventions tied to threats. Hundreds of journalists have urged the Correspondents' Association not to normalize the president amid ongoing attacks on the press.
White House Correspondents' Dinner Returns — Fewer Guests, Tighter Security as Trump Attends
Take two of the White House Correspondents' Dinner is set to take place on Friday with fewer attendees and heightened security after April's gala was cut short by a gunman. File Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI
The White House Correspondents' Dinner will resume Friday with a reduced guest list and heightened security after an April gala was cut short by gunfire.
What To Expect
The rematch is set for the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C. — the property formerly known as the Trump International Hotel. Several notable attendees from April will be absent, including First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. President Donald Trump, who previously boycotted the dinner while in office, plans to attend.
Secret Service agents rush to secure a scene in the Washington Hilton after shots were heard during the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington, D.C., on April 25. Shots were fired as President Donald Trump attended a press dinner for the first time as president. File Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI
Security And Threat Environment
The U.S. Secret Service has warned of an elevated threat environment around protected individuals and public venues. The agency reports it has opened nearly 10,000 protective-intelligence cases so far this year — roughly a 40% increase versus the same period last year — and says it has conducted almost 10 times as many mental-health-related interventions tied to people making threats.
"The environment has become very volatile, and that's just across the board," said Sean Curran, Secret Service director. "The threat picture and environment is as large as I've ever seen it."
Press Reaction And Stakes
Trump's attendance raises the prospect of a tense exchange with journalists. At past dinners, presidents and comedians have traded jocular barbs; this time, many expect President Trump to use the occasion to renew his criticisms of the media. In response, hundreds of journalists have urged the White House Correspondents' Association not to "normalize" the president, calling on the association to publicly defend reporters and stand up for the First Amendment.
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from Torrance, Calif., is tackled and arrested by the U.S. Secret Service after he rushed the ballroom doors of the Washington Hilton with a shotgun during the Washington Press Association Correspondents' Dinner in Washington, D.C., on April 25. File Photo posted by President Trump on Truth Social
April Incident
In April, shots were fired at the Washington Hilton during the Correspondents' Dinner, prompting Secret Service agents to secure the scene. Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, Calif., was tackled and arrested after rushing the ballroom doors with a shotgun; a photo of his arrest was later posted by President Trump on Truth Social.
Organizers and security officials say the rematch will be more tightly controlled, with fewer attendees and greater protective measures in place as authorities monitor the evolving threat landscape.
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