A new date has been set for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner after the annual event was abruptly canceled in April when a gunman allegedly attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump.
The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) announced that the dinner, originally scheduled for April 25, has been rescheduled for July 24 at the Washington Hilton hotel.
The event was thrown into chaos when 31-year-old California resident Cole Tomas Allen allegedly rushed through a security checkpoint and fired several shots near the venue, where thousands of journalists, administration officials, and members of Congress had gathered. Secret Service agents immediately evacuated President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Cabinet members from the hotel.
Allen was quickly apprehended by law enforcement and now faces multiple federal charges, including attempted assassination of the President of the United States, assault on a federal law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon, transportation of a firearm and ammunition across state lines with the intent to commit a felony, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
According to federal prosecutors, Allen allegedly wrote that administration officials were among his intended targets. If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
In announcing the new date, WHCA President Weijia Jiang said the board carefully weighed whether to proceed with the event following the shocking attack.
“Rescheduling was not automatic. It was a choice that the WHCA board made after thoughtful consideration and input from our members,” Jiang said in a statement.
She added that the rescheduled dinner will send a message that political violence and intimidation will not prevail.
“The rescheduled 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,” Jiang said.
“Our thoughts remain with the officer who was injured and with everyone who experienced that evening. We are indebted to the U.S. Secret Service, law enforcement, and the hotel staff whose swift response protected our guests and our staff.”
President Trump also confirmed that he plans to attend the rescheduled event.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that he looks forward to attending the July dinner and praised law enforcement officers whose actions prevented what authorities describe as a potentially devastating attack.
