President Donald Trump mixed lighthearted jabs with praise for the news media during his appearance at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Friday, offering relatively mild criticism of the press.
But midway through his speech — an event that was rescheduled following an assassination attempt that forced organizers to postpone the original program — the president pivoted to slamming a raft of familiar targets in what resembled a campaign stump speech.
Although Trump said he had abandoned a much harsher speech after the assassination attempt, he still peppered his remarks with jokes aimed at the media, political rivals and even members of his own administration.
“I was going to rip people, and I don’t know. Just something changed, and it’s really for the better. But I just wouldn’t want to do that. But we’ll do a little ripping if you don’t mind,” Trump said at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C.
Trump said he and Weijia Jiang, CBS News White House correspondent and former White House Correspondents’ Association president, had developed a “friendly” relationship. He also admitted the White House press corps includes “a lot of great reporters,” adding “you can get your point across, and that’s a that’s a good thing.”
The president then pivoted into a comedic routine, ticking through a series of jabs.
Trump took a swipe at his predecessor, joking that before he returned to office, “if you wanted to see someone lose consciousness on the South Lawn of the White House, all you had to do is ask Joe Biden a question.”
Trump took aim at Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s history of discussing roadkill, saying Kennedy had “personally ran over the cow” served for dinner and had suggested a roadkill raccoon appetizer before organizers “drew the line.”
He also mocked former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., saying Christie would be among the participants in a hypothetical lineup of heavyweight fighters and calling him “one of the sloppiest human beings you’ll ever meet.”
The president targeted comedian and Trump critic Rosie O’Donnell, who lives in Ireland, claiming she wanted to attend the dinner to “honor” him before calling her “one of the greatest sufferers of Trump derangement.” He also directed one of his barbs at Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., quipping that organizers of the dinner wanted a “professional clown” for entertainment but Schiff “was not available.”
Taking aim at late-night television hosts, Trump called Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert “people without talent.” The president has long feuded with all three comedians, who have frequently mocked him and his administration in their shows’ monologues.
Trump then returned to a familiar script, reviving long-running attacks Democrats widely viewed as potential 2028 presidential contenders, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, as well as Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.
Trump spent several minutes fixated on the new White House ballroom currently under construction, describing it as a major security upgrade. He said the project was ahead of schedule, though he acknowledged he will most likely only be able to use it for the last six months of his term.
“We’re right on budget,” Trump said, “and it’s going to be something like I think no country has.”
A dinner postponed by violence
The initial dinner, originally scheduled for April, was interrupted after gunfire erupted outside the Washington Hilton as Trump and other administration officials attended the event. Secret Service agents quickly evacuated Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and members of the Cabinet, while hundreds of attendees sheltered under tables as law enforcement secured the scene.
Authorities later charged a California man with attempting to assassinate the president, alleging he tried to breach security while armed.
The rescheduled event had significantly heightened security, including a lengthier screening process and a smaller guest list, though hundreds were still in attendance.
“An assassination attempt on our president is an attack on democracy itself,”Jiang said in her opening remarks.
“Tonight, our message is this: We are back. We will not be intimidated. We refuse to let an act of violence have the final word,” Jiang added.
The president said on Friday the gathering was a show of resolve after the chaotic assassination attempt, and said Americans must reject political violence.
“In this country, we believe in freedom of speech. We settle our differences not with bullets, but with open and vigorous debate — and no deranged loser with a gun will ever change that,” he said.
The first lady, who attended the original dinner, did not attend the rescheduled gathering, a White House official confirmed to MS NOW. The Office of the First Lady did not provide a reason for her absence. Several administration officials were spotted, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, White House communications director Steven Cheung and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
U.S. Secret Service officer Victor Gonzales, who was struck by gunfire during April’s shooting, and the Washington Hilton staff were recognized Friday night for their response.
The annual dinner has long served as one of Washington’s signature bipartisan social events, bringing together journalists, lawmakers, administration officials, entertainers and business leaders. It is held each year to celebrate the First Amendment, recognize excellence in journalism and raise money for scholarships. It is also known to be a night of humor and lighthearted exchanges.
Presidents from both parties have traditionally used the event to poke fun at themselves, the press and the political establishment, though participation has varied in recent years.
Jiang, who recently completed her term, said the board chose to hold a second dinner after consulting members argued that the gunfire that disrupted the original event underscored — not diminished — the organization’s mission to defend the First Amendment and a free press.
She said in a letter that the association would “not allow an act of violence to have the last word,” particularly during the nation’s 250th anniversary year.
Trump previously skipped the annual dinners throughout his first term and did so again in 2025 after returning to the White House. He has spent years publicly criticizing many national news organizations and reporters, including MS NOW’s journalists. He has also routinely labeled many mainstream news organizations as “fake news” and accused journalists of biased coverage, while his administration has repeatedly sparred with reporters over access and media policies.
Ahead of the dinner, hundreds of journalists and several press freedom organizations urged the White House Correspondents’ Association to “forcefully” stand against what they described as the Trump administration’s “egregious” attacks toward journalists, including restrictions on media access. The letter specifically cited the Justice Department’s subpoenas of New York Times reporters over their reporting on a Qatari-gifted Air Force One. The DOJ withdrew those subpoenas on Thursday.
Emily Hung and Soorin Kim contributed to this story.
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