{"id":2634593,"date":"2026-07-24T07:39:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T11:39:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-defiant-trump-to-attend-whca-dinner-redo-after-assassination-attempt\/"},"modified":"2026-07-24T07:41:50","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T11:41:50","slug":"a-defiant-trump-to-attend-whca-dinner-redo-after-assassination-attempt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-defiant-trump-to-attend-whca-dinner-redo-after-assassination-attempt\/","title":{"rendered":"A defiant Trump to attend WHCA dinner redo after assassination attempt"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fa-defiant-trump-to-attend-whca-dinner-redo-after-assassination-attempt%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2634593&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>President Donald Trump is set to attend the white House Correspondents\u2019 Association dinner again,three months after his first appearance was cut short due to an assassination attempt.During the original event in April, gunfire erupted shortly before his speech, leading to heightened security concerns. Trump will now participate in a re-scheduled, more secure event held at the Waldorf Astoria ballroom, where his tone is expected to be more subdued to reflect the somber mood. <\/p>\n<p>Despite the threat, Trump promised to follow through on his commitment to attend and celebrate American greatness and free speech, alongside numerous cabinet members and officials. Security measures, including enhanced screening and changes in event logistics like digital ticketing and the exclusion of pre-dinner parties, have been put in place. The incident garnered support and recognition for security personnel, emphasizing resilience in the face of violence.<\/p>\n<p>Some critics, including biographer Craig Shirley, argue that Trump&#8217;s decision to attend after the attack undermines his populist message and criticisms of the press and the event itself. Others note that his presence continues a tradition linked to his past and reflect ongoing political debates about security, elitism, and free speech. Trump&#8217;s participation signifies his determination to stand firm, while the event itself highlights the ongoing tension between political symbolism and security concerns.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a> will cut a defiant figure when he returns to the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/white-house-correspondents-dinner\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"2432\">White House Correspondents\u2019 Association dinner<\/a> almost three months after his first-ever appearance at the event was cut short because of an assassination attempt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before the sound of gunshots ricocheted around the Washington Hilton ahead of Trump\u2019s address on April 25, White House press secretary <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/karoline-leavitt\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11685\">Karoline Leavitt<\/a> previewed a \u201cfunny,\u201d \u201centertaining\u201d speech that would be \u201cclassic Donald J. Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4660657\/defiant-trump-whca-dinner-redo-assassination-attempt\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Promise kept: A defiant Trump to attend WHCA dinner redo after assassination attempt<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4661766\/trump-iran-money-ship-cargo-damage-hormuz-crucial-oil-shipping-tehran-governing-hormuz\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump says Iranian money in US possession will pay for ship damage<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4661279\/trump-reimposes-new-tariffs-60-countries-for-forced-labor-laws-jamieson-greer\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump reimposes new tariffs on 60 countries based on forced labor laws<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere will be some shots fired tonight in the room,\u201d Leavitt told Fox News before the proceedings began in a clip that became more significant in the aftermath of Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of California, allegedly trying to force his way into the ballroom with the intention of being a self-described \u201cFriendly Federal Assassin.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But on Friday, during Trump\u2019s appearance at the do-over dinner, this time in the smaller, more secure Waldorf Astoria ballroom, the president will help redevelop himself; his remarks are expected to be slightly more subdued to align with the more somber tone of the evening.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cStay tuned!\u201d White House communications director Steven Cheung texted the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a separate statement, Leavitt added that Trump \u201cpromised to finish the job\u201d and attend another WHCA dinner hours after the attack.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOn Friday, he will deliver on that promise,\u201d she told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cWe look forward to a great and fun evening celebrating <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/america-250\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"20120\">250 years<\/a> of American greatness and a free press.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump\u2019s decision to appear at the second dinner is reminiscent of his decision to return to the Butler, Pennsylvania, Farm Show grounds in October 2024, three months after a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-assassination-attempt\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11575\">failed assassination attempt<\/a> by Thomas Crooks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During a press conference on Thursday, Leavitt reiterated that Trump \u201clooks forward to finishing what he started before a despicable assassination attempt derailed the original event back in April,\u201d in addition to \u201ccelebrating free speech and the First Amendment alongside all of you members of the media.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI encourage everyone watching tomorrow night to tune in for what promises to be a very entertaining and memorable evening,\u201d she told reporters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To demonstrate a united front, 16 members of Trump\u2019s Cabinet and other high-ranking administration officials are anticipated to attend.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although the likes of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who are all in the line of presidential succession, are on that list, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are not, citing scheduling difficulties.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To that end, Secret Service Director Sean Curran\u00a0defended his federal agency\u2019s security precautions at the first dinner during a press conference on Wednesday, despite Allen being apprehended 120 yards from Trump.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe do expect things to happen at the magnetometers, unfortunately, but that\u2019s why they are there,\u201d Curran told reporters. \u201cAnd that\u2019s where it happened, and that\u2019s where it ended. So it did work. The system worked.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, there will be some differences between the first and second dinners, not the least of which is the change in dress code to black tie optional, but also the introduction of digital as opposed to paper ticketing and the exclusion of the traditional pre-dinner parties, which have historically increased the number of people at the Washington Hilton.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The WHCA, too, will present <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/secret-service\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1478\">Secret Service<\/a> officer Victor Gonzales, who stopped Allen at the security checkpoint and was hurt by a bullet through his protective vest in the process, and the staff of the Washington Hilton with awards for assisting guests in spite of the danger.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur first dinner is part of history, as will be the WHCA\u2019s response,\u201d now former WHCA President Weijia Jiang posted on X. \u201cWe will not allow an act of violence to have the last word, especially during a year when we are reflecting on America 250 and everything we stand for.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I\u2019m proud to share the WHCD will be held on 07\/24. Our first dinner is part of history, as will be the WHCA\u2019s response. We will not allow an act of violence to have the last word, especially during a year when we are reflecting on America 250 and everything we stand for.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Weijia Jiang (@weijia) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/weijia\/status\/2061846223875617199?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 2, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Regardless, Ronald Reagan biographer Craig Shirley contended that Trump\u2019s decision to appear at the second dinner after, like Reagan, he was the target of an assassination attempt at the Washington Hilton, undermines his populist message and repeated criticism of the press and the dinner following former President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/barack-obama\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"360\">Barack Obama\u2019s<\/a> jabs at him in 2011.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In fact, Trump\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/justice-department\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"167\">Justice Department<\/a> was in a \u200cManhattan federal court on Thursday over its subpoenas against the <em>New York Times<\/em> as part of a leak investigation into reports related to security concerns with respect to the president flying on the Qatari-gifted <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/air-force-one\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1505\">Air Force One<\/a>, though it had to rescind some of them after the judge\u2019s ruling.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThese elitists who go to such events are not his people,\u201d Shirley told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cHe should not go, but if so, he should make his disdain for them clear with humor and pointed remarks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nevertheless, Shirley argued Trump \u201chas to go because of what happened [earlier this] year, but he should deal with these elitists on his own terms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThese elitists are from a different part of the jungle,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/foreign-policy\/4659426\/zohran-mamdani-netanyahu-arrest-antisemitism-blood-libel\/\">ANTISEMITISM ALLEGATIONS, DUELING ARREST CALLS, AND \u2018BLOOD LIBEL\u2019: MAMDANI\u2019S NETANYAHU COMMENTS IGNITE FIRESTORM<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Likewise, former White House press secretary<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/sean-spicer\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1797\"> Sean Spicer<\/a> told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>, \u201cGiving left-wing legacy media that is aggressively opposed to conservatives any legitimacy is a mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump\u2019s appearance at Friday\u2019s dinner will be his second as president after that in April. He boycotted the event during his first administration, particularly after comedian Michelle Wolf\u2019s quip about how then-White House press secretary <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/sarah-huckabee-sanders\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"10129\">Sarah Huckabee Sanders <\/a>\u201cburns facts and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smokey eye\u201d in 2018.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump to return to WHCA dinner after attempted attack<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2652,"featured_media":2634594,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26116197134310.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[34943,10304,32603,3634,78650],"class_list":["post-2634593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-assassination-attempt","tag-defiant","tag-political-news","tag-trump","tag-whca-dinner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26116197134310.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2634593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2652"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2634593"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2634593\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2634596,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2634593\/revisions\/2634596"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2634594"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2634593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2634593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2634593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}