President Donald Trump struck a more conciliatory tone Friday at the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner, scrapping the combative speech he had prepared before an assassination attempt upended the annual event in April. The rewrite emphasized unity and gratitude, though the president still couldn’t resist slipping in a few familiar jabs at the press while insisting: “The show must go on.”
Trump returned to the stage just months after gunfire abruptly ended the organization’s annual banquet. An armed suspect, Cole Allen, stormed the event in what authorities say was an attempt to assassinate the president.
“The speech that I had ready just a short while. Oh, that was going to be a doozy. I was so psyched. I was going to rip people. And I don’t know, just something changed it — really for the better. But I just wouldn’t want to do that,” Trump said to a room full of journalists and government officials.
“But we’ll do a little ripping, if you don’t mind. But it is true. I said, how do we handle this is going to be a different kind of evening. And it is. And in many ways it’s a more beautiful evening, actually,” he added.
TRUMP HEADS BACK TO CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER MONTHS AFTER GUNFIRE FORCED EVACUATION
Trump teed up his typical walk-out song — Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” — and quickly jumped into joking about seeking a third term before striking a more serious chord as he thanked the Secret Service for its work, not only during the attack at the original Correspondents’ Dinner, but for protecting him every day.
He delivered a speech that went longer than expected, talking for an hour and four minutes.
“Just like my presidency, the second time is always better. It’s always better, and the third time will be better yet. I’m only kidding,” Trump said to some chuckles throughout the room.
The president said he could not deliver the same speech he had planned for the first dinner, “ripping” the press, but said “it was for the better” that he changed his remarks for the second time around.
COLE ALLEN INDICTED BY GRAND JURY ON FOUR CHARGES RELATED TO ALLEGED TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
He made various jokes aimed at not just Democrats but his own cabinet members.
“I hope that everyone finally got to enjoy their entire very delicious beef tenderloins, very special beef. And I want you all to know that Bobby Kennedy, who’s right here personally, ran over the cow and his car,” said Trump.
TRUMP HEADS BACK TO CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER MONTHS AFTER GUNFIRE FORCED EVACUATION
He took aim at California Governor Gavin Newsom, former vice president Kamala Harris, possible 2028 presidential candidate Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker among other Democratic lawmakers and candidates.
” You can’t have somebody like a J.B. Pritzker who I understand is not president, sadly. But, you know, some people say never used a fat word. And I know I would never call anybody fat,” said Trump.
“I have my own problems, you know, it’s not like I’m perfect, sir. In the back. Don’t call him a fat pig, okay? That’s. I’m sticking up for him. Don’t call him you. You can’t do that, sir. You can’t call J.B. Pritzker a fat pig,” said Trump.
Trump mocked Chuck Schumer’s criticism of Israel and his increasingly vocal positions on the Israel-Hamas war.
“I’m going to send him a beautiful Palestinian outfit tomorrow so he can greet Bibi Netanyahu when he comes to town next week,” joked Trump.
He used the moment to call for term limits, saying, “all joking aside, I do think we need term limits in Congress.”
“The other day, a senator I knew got a text… ‘When you get home, I want to have you immediately come up the stairs and make love to me.’ And he said, ‘I can’t do both,” joked Trump, saying that he can’t both walk upstairs and have sex—he only has enough energy for one of those activities.
The WHCA honored U.S. Secret Service Officer Victor Gonzales during Friday’s dinner in recognition of his actions in helping stop Allen from entering the ballroom.
The computer scientist from Torrance, California, traveled from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. by Amtrak after purchasing a one-way ticket. Court filings say he sent a manifesto to family and friends shortly before the attack, describing political motivations and apologizing for his actions.
Allen has pleaded not guilty to charges including attempting to assassinate the president, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, transporting a firearm across state lines and assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon.
“The attempted mass murder at the Washington Hilton, that’s what it could have been, was an assault on our democracy itself,” Trump said in his speech, which spanned from jabs at Democrats, the press and some jokes at the expense of his own Cabinet.
“One officer placed himself directly in harm’s way and engaged the armed suspect, even after gunfire struck his protective vest. He stayed in the fight and the attacker was stopped,” said Weijia Jiang, former WHCA president presenting the award to Gonzales.
“I know many of us have wondered. What if he hadn’t acted in that exact way? What if he had waited a few more seconds? His courage that night reflects the core values of Secret Service duty, justice, courage, honesty and loyalty, and as a commitment to safeguarding his country and community,” said Jiang.
During the speech, Trump highlighted his White House Ballroom following heat for the $200 million project, pointing to the lawsuits.
“In light of what we went through, I think, people understand it. It’s going to be amazing, a phenomenal one of the biggest drone ports anywhere in the world,” Trump said, referencing gunfire at the first WHCA Dinner.
Trump said that he “predicts” the WHCA would use the space for future dinners.
He also vowed to attend next year’s WHCA dinner.
“They said, ‘Would you do it next year?’ I said, ‘I will be back next year,'” Trump said. “Now, if you get really, really nasty, maybe not. I don’t know. But we’re going to be back next year.”
In his closing remarks, Trump said he has a “scoop” for the press announcing he is running for the fourth time.
He put on a red “TRUMP 2028” hat.
