The annual event came to an abrupt end in April when a gunman plotting to assassinate the president burst into security. Organizers are trying again.
Video showing the moment the suspect at the correspondents dinner was arrested
Cole Thomas Allen, 31, was arrested by D.C. police on suspicion of firing a gun after storming into the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
WASHINGTON – The White House Correspondents’ Association will hold its annual press dinner again on July 24, nearly three months after the original event was interrupted when a gunman breached security during an assassination attempt on President Donald Trump.
In the aftermath, President Trump announced that he would reschedule his attendance at the celebration. In June, the Correspondents’ Association announced plans to hold its second dinner at the Waldorf Astoria, a smaller venue with increased safety precautions.
“This dinner is not only an opportunity to carry out our program,” said Weijia Zhang, the association’s president and a CBS News reporter. “It would be a statement that violence has no place in American life and that the free press will not be silenced under duress.”
Jiang said the schedule change “does not happen automatically, but is a choice the organization made after receiving input from our members.”
Here’s what you need to know:
What happened at the dinner party in April?
More than 2,000 journalists, lawmakers, celebrities and Trump administration officials were attending a dinner at the Washington Hilton on April 25 when Secret Service agents ordered them to the floor. Some attendees heard a loud popping sound outside the ballroom.
President Trump explained the sound at a press conference hours after the incident, saying, “I heard a noise and thought it was a tray.”
Mr. Trump, Mr. Vance and other administration officials were quickly taken away.
Authorities said a gunman, Cole Thomas Allen, 31, of California, entered the security checkpoint and exchanged gunfire with officers on the upper floor of the diner. One Secret Service agent was shot and beaten while wearing a bulletproof vest.
What to expect at the postponed press gala
The Correspondents Association, a nonprofit membership organization for journalists who cover presidents, hosts an annual dinner that brings together members of Congress, cabinet members, members of the press and celebrities.
The dinner was designed to raise money for First Amendment scholarships supported by the organization and other programs.
This year, the organization plans to award special awards to those who helped with attempted shootings.
Victor Gonzalez, a Secret Service officer who was at the security checkpoint when the gunman burst into the area, will receive the President’s Distinguished Service Award.
“During the confrontation, Mr. Gonzalez was shot through his protective vest, but continued to comply with the threats,” the Secret Service said in a statement.
Staff at the Washington Hilton Hotel will also receive an award for saving unserved meals and donating them to local shelters and assisting guests after the incident, Jiang said.
Tensions between President Trump and the media
Trump, who was unable to make his scheduled remarks at the April 25 dinner, is also scheduled to speak. His attendance at this event was significant as it was his first time as president.
Trump broke with precedent by refusing to attend press galas throughout his first term. Since Calvin Coolidge founded the annual banquet in 1924, every president has attended the banquet at least once during his term.
In a June 2 social media post, President Trump said he was debating whether to make “the same pretty damning statements” he had originally planned to include in his speech.
The postponed dinner comes at a time of turmoil between President Trump and the press corps. In early July, the Justice Department subpoenaed New York Times reporters for reporting on security concerns about Qatar’s Air Force One plane, which had been gifted to President Trump, forcing them to testify about their sources and provide access to their phone records.
The day before the dinner, Justice Department lawyers withdrew the subpoena.
More than 500 journalists, journalism organizations, and press freedom groups called on the White House Correspondents’ Association to oppose the Trump administration’s attack on the media at the postponed dinner.
When is the White House Correspondents Dinner?
Dinner begins on Friday, July 24th at 8pm ET. The event’s livestream and red carpet will begin at 6pm ET. Watch USA TODAY’s live video coverage.
Contributor: Joey Garrison, USA TODAY
