White House Correspondents' Dinner Set for July 24 With President Trump to Speak

Overview

• Gunfire at the Washington Hilton on April 25 forced Secret Service agents to rush the room and evacuate President Trump, the first lady and other senior officials while journalists were held for checks.
• The suspect was identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, a Caltech-educated mechanical engineer from Torrance, California, who was taken into federal custody after officers recovered two firearms and several knives.
• Allen pleaded not guilty in federal court on May 11 to charges related to the attempted attack and his prosecution in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., remains active.
• Officials announced the rescheduled dinner on June 2 and shifted the event to the Waldorf Astoria, a move presented by organizers and the White House as a security and logistical adjustment.
• Reporters who were at the April dinner said security checks had been limited to ticket scans with no bag searches, a detail that has prompted scrutiny of venue screening and is likely to shape new protocols for the July gathering.