Weijia Jiang at the 2026 White House Correspondents Association Dinner. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images A redo of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is set for next month, White House Correspondents Association president and CBS News’ senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang told members Tuesday, with “significantly enhanced security” after April’s dinner was cut short when a shooter entered the Washington Hilton, forcing an evacuation of the event.
The dinner will be held July 24, with the venue and programming still TBD, though Jians said that the event will be more “intimate” than the traditional dinner, which hosts thousands of guests.
“Rescheduling was not automatic. It was a choice that the WHCA board made after thoughtful consideration and input from our members,” Jiang told members in her note. “I want to thank board members for the time and care they brought to this decision, particularly on the security front. The event will feature significantly enhanced safety measures and new access procedures. We will share additional details directly with attendees.”
The April 25 event was interrupted shortly after it began when a gunman fired shots as he attempted to breach security and attack Trump administration officials.
The alleged shooter Cole Tomas Allen, 31, has been charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump.
In one of the messages shared on his Truth Social platform after the event was canceled in which the president indicated that First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and all cabinet members were safe, he stated that the dinner would be rescheduled.
“We’re not going to let anybody take over our society. We’re not going to cancel things out,” he said of the dinner during the press conference after the incident, echoing his initial Truth Social post.
“I have spoken with all the representatives in charge of the event, and we will be rescheduling within 30 days,” Trump wrote in the post. Earlier in the evening, Trump, who indicated he wanted to continue with the dinner that night, posted on the platform: “I have recommended that we ‘LET THE SHOW GO ON’ but will be entirely guided by Law Enforcement. They will make a decision shortly. Regardless of that decision, the evening will be much different than planned, and we’ll just, plain, have to do it again.” Throughout his presidency, Trump has had a combative relationship with the press and chosen not to attend the WHCD, which functions as a banquet, fundraiser and roast of the media and current administration. Traditionally, a comedian has graced the stage to deliver laughs, often leaving some politicos red in the face. Ahead of April’s abbreviated event, Trump said he planned to attend in honor of the country’s 250th anniversary.
The WHCA had booked the mentalist Oz Pearlman to attend April’s dinner instead of a comedian.
He was scheduled to take the podium for a much-anticipated speech that was reportedly expected to last 40 minutes. Speculation that he would be giving a major dressing down to the media grew as the event approached.
And at his Saturday night press conference, Trump indicated his initially planned remarks would have been rough.
“I was all set to really rip it,” he said. “I’ll be very boring the next time, but we’re going to have a great event.”
It’s unclear if Trump will speak at the rescheduled event. But on Monday afternoon a few days after the shooting, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed with reporters that “the president intends to attend the event.”
Read Jiang’s note, below.
Dear colleagues, The White House Correspondents’ Dinner has served as a celebration of a free press and the vital role of journalism in our democracy for over a century. When gunfire interrupted this year’s event, it further clarified the WHCA’s mission to advocate for the freedoms that are protected in the First Amendment. We will not allow an act of violence to have the last word, especially during a year when we are reflecting on the 250th anniversary of America and everything we stand for. I am proud to announce that we will host another dinner to be held in Washington, D.C. on Friday, July 24th. Rescheduling was not automatic. It was a choice that the WHCA board made after thoughtful consideration and input from our members. I want to thank board members for the time and care they brought to this decision, particularly on the security front. The event will feature significantly enhanced safety measures and new access procedures. We will share additional details directly with attendees. Our thoughts remain with the officer who was injured and with everyone who experienced that evening. We are indebted to the US Secret Service, law enforcement and the hotel staff whose swift response protected our guests and our staff. In the weeks since the last dinner, we have raised funds to ensure WHCA members who purchased tickets will not have to pay if they attend the second event, which will be a more intimate gathering. We will also offer financial support to our scholarship winners for travel back to Washington. They, along with our journalism award winners, deserve to be recognized for their hard work and dedication to reporting. This dinner will not only be an opportunity to carry out our program. It will be a statement that violence has no place in American life and a free press will not be intimidated into silence. As you have all demonstrated, courage and community can and should rise above. Details on the venue, tickets, and programming will follow shortly. Sincerely, Weijia
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