US President Donald Trump attends the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner
US President Donald Trump on Friday attended the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner, nearly three months after the annual event was postponed following a shooting outside the original venue.The US president is set to address journalists from major news organisations after months of clashes with the media over coverage and press access.Ahead of the event, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s remarks would be “a combination of unifying yet vicious, and serious yet hilarious, all at the same time.”The annual black-tie dinner, which celebrates press freedom and raises money for journalism scholarships, was postponed from April after a gunman attempted to breach a security checkpoint and opened fire outside the venue room at Washington Hilton, where Trump and members of his Cabinet were present.Friday’s event is now being held at the Waldorf Astoria hotel under heightened security.Meanwhile, the suspect in the shooting, Cole Allen, later pleaded not guilty to charges including attempting to assassinate the president.The White House Correspondents’ Association said the programme would include recognition of Secret Service officer Victor Gonzales, who was wounded while stopping the attacker, as well as Washington Hilton staff who assisted guests during the incident. Trump’s appearance comes amid continued criticism from press freedom advocates over his administration’s lawsuits against media organisations, restrictions on some journalists’ access and other actions affecting the press. The White House has defended those measures, saying they are intended to improve accountability, protect sensitive information and address media bias.
