On Saturday, July 25th, 2026, the White House Correspondents' Dinner was held at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C., after being rescheduled due to a shooting incident in April at the originally planned venue, the Washington Hilton. The change followed criticisms regarding security at the Hilton.

WHCA President Weijia Jiang of CBS News announced that next year's dinner would return to the Washington Hilton, the site of the April shooting. The outgoing WHCA head emphasized a commitment to resilience, stating she would "refuse to let an act of violence have the final word," referencing the gunman tackled at the first dinner.

Former President Donald Trump, attending the event, praised the response to the earlier violence and underscored the importance of continuing the tradition, saying, "As I said three months ago, the show must go on." He also awarded officer Victor Gonzalez of the US Secret Service for his actions during the shooting.

Trump made several remarks about political discourse, stating, "We settle our differences not with bullets, but with open and vigorous debate," and added, "And no deranged loser with a gun will ever change that. We can't let that ever happen."

In a lighter moment, Trump joked about his presidency, saying, "Just like my presidency, the second time is always better – and the third time will be better yet … I'm only kidding," while joking about running for a third term. He also humorously suggested the news industry would "be broke" after he leaves office because "there's not going to be anybody to report on," donning a Trump 2028 hat as he hinted at another run.

The dinner also recognized a Wall Street Journal team for their coverage of Trump's connections to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951 after President Franklin D Roosevelt served four consecutive terms, limits U.S. presidents to two terms in office.

Sources