President Trump attended a remounted White House Correspondents' Association dinner where reporters from The Wall Street Journal — whose Jeffrey Epstein coverage prompted a dismissed $10 billion suit from Trump — won multiple awards. Trump often smiled or shrugged during the honors, joked about having a say, and later launched into a combative speech that included calling a WSJ reporter "unhireable." The event followed an April assassination attempt on the original dinner and highlighted ongoing tensions over press access, attempts to compel reporters to testify, and disputes about media ownership and influence.
Trump Smiles and Shrugs as WSJ Reporters He Sued Over Epstein Coverage Win WHCA Awards
Trump smiles and shrugs after Epstein reporters he sued for $10B win awards for exposing birthday card
President Donald Trump stood awkwardly as reporters from The Wall Street Journal were honored at the remounted White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner for their reporting on the Jeffrey Epstein scandal — the same coverage that prompted him to file a now‑dismissed $10 billion defamation lawsuit last year.
WSJ journalists collected multiple awards during the Friday event. As their work was recognized, the president frequently smiled or shrugged and even shook hands with some of the winners. When he spoke, Trump quipped that it had "not been an easy evening" hearing about their reporting and joked, "All these awards. Do I have a say?"
President Trump spoke Friday at the remounted White House Correspondents' Association dinner, after April's original WHCA event was disrupted by a gunman who allegedly sought to kill the president (Reuters)
Later in his remarks — an extended, often combative address — he attacked various media figures and repeatedly labeled The Wall Street Journal's Josh Dawsey "unhireable." The speech leaned more toward grievances than the lighthearted tone typical of the dinner.
Voices From the Evening
Reporters who preceded the president mixed humor with serious reminders of journalism's civic role. Weijia Jiang of CBS News, recently the WHCA president, quipped that mentalist Oz Pearlman didn't need to divine the president's phone number because, she said, "Half the reporters in this room already have it," a nod to Trump's penchant for unexpectedly picking up reporters' calls. Jacqueline Heinrich, the new WHCA president and a Fox News correspondent, thanked the president for participating and stressed the importance of press freedoms amid rising political violence: "The freedoms we cherish must never be taken for granted."
The president's speech was light on jokes and heavy on grievances, with the Republican using the appearance to slam anti-Trump comedians and critics of the White House ballroom project, while complaining of his years of being treated 'unfairly' by the media in the room (Getty)
Broader Context
The ceremony was a remount of April's event, which was disrupted when a gunman allegedly attempted to kill the president. Prosecutors have charged Cole Thomas Allen in connection with the April 25 attack; Allen pleaded not guilty to four counts in May.
The evening's awards came amid ongoing tensions between the White House and the press. Earlier in the week, the government withdrew a controversial effort to compel three New York Times reporters to testify about their sources after reporting related to the Qatari‑gifted replacement jet for Air Force One. Last week, the president urged that NBC and ABC lose their broadcast licenses for not airing his recent primetime address in which he alleged foreign "election interference."
Cole Tomas Allen has pleaded not guilty to attempting to kill President Trump at the original correspondents' dinner in April (Getty)
Critics have also accused the administration of empowering political allies to reshape parts of the U.S. media and social media ecosystems in a more conservative direction. They point to recent approvals and endorsements connected to a deal for backers to acquire the parent company of CBS News and to a pending bid for the parent company of CNN.
"Your work is invaluable, especially as our nation is at war," Weijia Jiang said, singling out Pentagon reporters for their reporting on defense and national security topics.
Despite the awards and the evening's calls to defend press freedoms, the night underscored the deep and continuing rift between the administration and much of the national media.
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