Prominent journalists have questioned its purpose, optics and ethics, particularly given Trump\u2019s pugnacious approach to the press. The recent subpoena<\/a> of New York Times journalists has further piqued those criticisms.<\/p>\n Nicholas Lemann, former dean of Columbia University\u2019s Graduate School of Journalism, called the event \u201cWashington journalism as a Rotary Club meeting\u201d.<\/p>\n The dinner with the president \u201cis an outdated tradition\u201d that \u201charms all of journalism<\/a>\u201c, according to Kelly McBride, senior vice president of The Poynter Institute.<\/p>\n For her part, Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents\u2019 Association (WHCA), said that rescheduling the event was \u201cnot automatic\u201d and was only happening \u201cafter thoughtful consideration and input from our members\u201d.<\/p>\n So, what is the controversial dinner, when was it rescheduled for, how will it be different, and why is Trump on board?<\/p>\n When is it?\u00a0<\/p>\n The dinner will be held on Friday, July 24.<\/p>\n Doors open at 6pm local (22:00 GMT) and the dinner begins at 7pm (23:00 GMT).<\/p>\n Where is it?\u00a0<\/p>\n The event will be held at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, DC, formerly known as the Trump International Hotel.<\/p>\n It is a change of venue from the Washington Hilton, where the April dinner was held. The initial choice of the sprawling complex has been criticised as difficult to secure.<\/p>\n What is this dinner?<\/p>\n The WHCA hosts an annual black-tie gala for politicians and reporters, although it is well attended by other celebrities.<\/p>\n The night is actually a fundraising event for the WHCA, which charges $480 per ticket. The WHCA then directs the proceeds towards journalism awards and scholarships.<\/p>\n The dinner has often been criticised for appearing to be an event for the Washington press corps to hobnob with the political elites who are regularly the subject of their reporting, raising questions of impartiality.<\/p>\n Former Columbia Journalism School dean Nicholas Lemann, speaking to The New York Times, suggested that seeing journalists being chummy with public officials probably fails to help \u201creverse journalism\u2019s falling public trust numbers\u201d.<\/p>\n The dinner has also been criticised for its Hollywood-like glitz, with critics charging media networks with using it to market their on-air personalities and celebrities, shifting the emphasis from hard news reporting.<\/p>\n On occasion, the event has come under fire for its programming.<\/p>\n In 2018, Michelle Wolf\u2019s performance, which held few punches when it came to Trump and the press corps that covers him, divided attendees. The night prompted the WHCA to move away from headlining comedians.<\/p>\n This year, mentalist Oz Pearlman was scheduled to perform.<\/p>\n Sitting US presidents have customarily attended at least one White House Correspondents\u2019 Dinner during their tenure.<\/p>\n Why was it delayed?<\/p>\n The original 2026 White House Correspondents\u2019 Dinner was disrupted and ended early when Cole Tomas Allen stormed the gala venue<\/a>, the Washington Hilton, armed with guns and knives.<\/p>\n Allen raced through a security checkpoint, shooting a Secret Service officer and allegedly attempting to assassinate President Trump, who was in attendance.<\/p>\n Trump was hurried from the dinner, Allen was captured, and the injured Secret Service officer survived.<\/p>\n Trump subsequently claimed that the attack highlighted the need for his planned White House ballroom<\/a>, which he said would be \u201cmuch more secure \u2026 we need the ballroom\u201d.<\/p>\n The project has been scrutinised for transforming the iconic image of the White House and for its high price tag for taxpayers.<\/p>\n Trump has been heavily critical of security at the Washington Hilton, which hosts many events in Washington, DC. It was also the site of the 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan.<\/p>\n After the April incident, Trump almost immediately said that the dinner would be rescheduled. It was not until early June that the WHCA confirmed it would take place on July 24.<\/p>\n The answer in the short term appears to be defiance.<\/p>\n Both WHCA\u2019s president Jiang and the US president emphasised that rescheduling the gala was important to demonstrate a refusal to be intimidated by political violence.<\/p>\n Jiang, who is also a reporter for US broadcaster CBS, said the association \u201cwill not allow an act of violence to have the last word\u201d.<\/p>\n Trump asserted that Americans \u201ccannot allow Lunatics to change our way of life\u201d and that he intended to give remarks at the event.<\/p>\n What will be different this time?<\/p>\n Instead of the Hilton, the upcoming July event will be held at the Waldorf Astoria, formerly Trump International Hotel. The Trump Organization sold the leasing rights in 2022.<\/p>\n The New York Post reported that the ballroom at the Waldorf Astoria holds only about 1,000 people, down from the 2,500 who reportedly attended the dinner at the Hilton.<\/p>\n The smaller number of attendees is intended to ease the burden of on-site security.<\/p>\n Access to the event will be limited to a single entrance with security coordinated between a private security firm and the US Secret Service \u2013 employing magnetometers, according to the New York Post. All other entrances will be sealed during the event.<\/p>\n Attendees have been warned to expect additional time to clear security screening. There will be cocktail receptions prior to the programme.<\/p>\n According to The Well News website, the original programming<\/a>, including mentalist Pearlman, will be retained.<\/p>\n Although Trump is still scheduled to give remarks, the US president has indicated that the character of his speech may have changed.<\/p>\n After the April 25 dinner was attacked, Trump struck a mild tone, saying that he was unsure if he could \u201cever be as rough\u201d as he had planned to be in his speech that night.<\/p>\n Trump initially said he intended to attend the dinner for the first time because the reporters had accepted him as one of the greatest US presidents, if not the greatest.<\/p>\n Still, he said that he had been \u201call set to really rip it\u201d and give \u201cthe most inappropriate speech ever made\u201d.<\/p>\n However, after the attack, he said he might change the \u201crather nasty statements\u201d he had planned to give at the original venue.<\/p>\n Will the detente hold?<\/p>\n Trump said that the aborted dinner \u201cwas supposed to bring together members of both parties with members of the press, and in a certain way, it did\u201d, and that the attendees were \u201ctotally unified\u201d.<\/p>\n He went on to offer a conciliatory message, saying that the various parties and ideologies needed to resolve their differences.<\/p>\n However, any bonhomie between Trump and the press corps has proven ephemeral.<\/p>\n The US president walked out of a contentious interview with an NBC reporter in June. In early July, Trump\u2019s Department of Justice subpoenaed several New York Times journalists regarding an article about the new Qatari-funded Air Force One, prompting outrage from many major news networks and accusations of stifling freedom of speech.<\/p>\n![\"Law](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-04-26T151014Z_1775999369_RC2RWKAJ5E7D_RTRMADP_3_USA-TRUMP-DINNER-1784834094.jpg\")
Law enforcement personnel detain Cole Tomas Allen, a suspect in the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents\u2019 Association dinner, in Washington, DC, on April 25, 2026 [Reuters]Why was it rescheduled?<\/p>\n