Trump Returns to Correspondents' Dinner After Gunfire Incident
WHO:
Fox News - Trump returns to the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
ABC News - White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that President Trump will attend the rescheduled dinner.
ABC News - Cole Allen is identified as the suspect who opened fire during the original event.
ABC News - Secret Service officer Victor Gonzales was shot during the incident.
WHAT:
ABC News - The White House press secretary stated that President Trump looks forward to "finishing what he started before a despicable assassination attempt derailed the original event back in April."
ABC News - The shooting incident occurred before the scheduled program that included the presentation of journalism awards and remarks from the president.
ABC News - The WHCA will present a special award, the President's Award for Exceptional Service, to Gonzales and the staff of the Washington Hilton during the rescheduled dinner.
Fox News - The WHCA honors Secret Service Officer Gonzales for stopping the armed suspect.
ABC News - The original dinner ended abruptly due to gunfire.
ABC News - Allen pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including attempting to assassinate the president.
ABC News - The President's Award for Exceptional Service will be presented to Gonzales and the staff of the Washington Hilton during the rescheduled dinner.
ABC News - The rescheduled dinner will feature entertainment from mentalist Oz Pearlman.
WHERE:
ABC News - The original event took place at the Washington Hilton hotel.
ABC News - The rescheduled dinner will be held at the Waldorf Astoria on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.
WHEN:
ABC News - The rescheduled dinner is set for Friday night.
WHY:
ABC News - The original event was interrupted by a shooting incident, described as a "despicable assassination attempt" by Leavitt.
HOW:
ABC News - Secret Service director Sean Curran stated that the agency's measures worked during the April incident and that they are preparing for the rescheduled dinner with an advance team at the new location.
ABC News - Secret Service officer Gonzales was shot but continued to respond to the threat due to his protective vest.
ABC News - The Secret Service is preparing for the rescheduled dinner with an advance team at the new location.
(UPDATED July 24, 2026 12:23 UTC)
The White House press secretary announced that President Trump is eager to "finish what he started" after an assassination attempt disrupted a previous event in April. The original program was meant to include a presentation of journalism awards and remarks from the president, and now the White House Correspondents' Association will honor Gonzales and the staff of the Washington Hilton with the President's Award for Exceptional Service during the rescheduled dinner. Secret Service director Sean Curran confirmed that their security measures were effective during the April incident and that they are preparing for the upcoming event with an advance team at the new location.
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(UPDATED July 24, 2026 11:31 UTC)
President Trump will return to the White House Correspondents' Dinner, which has been rescheduled to Friday night at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C. During the event, the WHCA will honor Secret Service Officer Victor Gonzales for his bravery in stopping an armed suspect, Cole Allen, who has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including attempting to assassinate the president. The evening will also feature entertainment from mentalist Oz Pearlman, as the dinner aims to commemorate the original event, which was interrupted by a shooting incident described as a "despicable assassination attempt."