White House Correspondents’ Dinner 2026 returns after April attack
Trump is due at the rescheduled gala in Washington, where organizers moved venues and tightened security after an April attack.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
The White House Correspondents' Dinner 2026 is set to resume Friday in Washington, DC, after an April event was cut short by an armed attack that authorities said targeted President Donald Trump. The reset puts a closely watched media-political gathering back on the calendar under tighter security and amid renewed criticism of the dinner itself.
The White House Correspondents’ Association said the event will take place July 24 at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, formerly the Trump International Hotel. Doors open at 6pm local time, with dinner scheduled for 7pm, according to the association’s plans reported by Al Jazeera.
When is the White House Correspondents' Dinner 2026?
The rescheduled dinner is Friday, July 24. The WHCA moved it from its usual April timing after the earlier gathering at the Washington Hilton ended during a security emergency.
Weijia Jiang, the WHCA president and a CBS reporter, said rescheduling was not automatic and followed discussion with members. She said the association would not let violence determine the final word on the event.
Why was the dinner delayed?
Al Jazeera reported that the April dinner was disrupted when Cole Tomas Allen entered the Washington Hilton with guns and knives, passed through a security checkpoint and shot a Secret Service officer. Authorities accused him of trying to assassinate Trump, who was at the dinner.
Trump was removed from the venue, Allen was detained, and the Secret Service officer survived, according to Al Jazeera. Trump later argued that the attack showed the need for his proposed White House ballroom, which he said would be more secure.
The Washington Hilton has drawn scrutiny over security after the incident. Al Jazeera noted that the hotel was also the site of the 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan.
What will change at the July event?
The biggest change is the venue. The dinner is moving to the Waldorf Astoria, where the New York Post reported the ballroom holds about 1,000 people, compared with about 2,500 attendees at the Hilton event.
The New York Post reported that organizers plan to limit access to one entrance, with screening coordinated by a private security firm and the US Secret Service. The paper said magnetometers will be used and other entrances will be closed during the event.
Guests have been told to allow extra time for security checks. The Well News reported that the original program is expected to remain in place, including a performance by mentalist Oz Pearlman.
What is the dinner for?
The WHCA dinner is an annual black-tie fundraising event attended by journalists, politicians and public figures. The association charges $480 per ticket and uses proceeds for journalism awards and scholarships, according to Al Jazeera.
The event has long drawn complaints from journalists and media critics who say it can make the Washington press corps appear too close to the officials it covers. Nicholas Lemann, a former dean of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, told The New York Times that the dinner resembles Washington journalism operating like a civic club meeting.
Kelly McBride of The Poynter Institute called the dinner with the president an outdated tradition and argued that it damages journalism. Criticism increased after the April attack and after the Trump administration subpoenaed New York Times reporters in July over coverage involving a Qatari-funded Air Force One, according to Al Jazeera.
Why is Trump attending?
Trump skipped the dinner throughout his first term after calling it “dead” in 2017, but he has promoted this year’s event and called it a “very good thing” and a “HOT ticket.” He is scheduled to attend Friday and give remarks.
After the April attack, Trump said Americans could not allow “Lunatics” to alter their way of life. He also said the evening had been intended to bring together politicians and the press, while acknowledging that he might soften remarks he had planned for the original dinner.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.