President Trump to attend rescheduled White House Correspondents' Dinner on Friday
The White House confirmed President Donald Trump will attend the postponed White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Friday, now held at the Waldorf Astoria, with security measures in place following the April shooting at the Washington Hilton.
President Donald Trump is set to attend the rescheduled White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Friday night, the White House announced on Thursday. The event, originally disrupted in April when gunfire broke out at the Washington Hilton, will be held at the Waldorf Astoria hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president looks forward to completing the program that was halted by the "assassination attempt" in April. The shooting, carried out by Cole Allen, resulted in charges including attempted assassination of the president and assault on a federal officer. Secret Service officer Victor Gonzales was wounded but continued to respond, according to the agency.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran briefed that security preparations for the Friday dinner are underway and that an advance team is assessing the new venue. The White House Correspondents' Association will present a President's Award for Exceptional Service to Officer Gonzales and the Washington Hilton staff for their actions during the incident.
Weijia Jiang, president of the WHCA, said the award recognizes the officer’s “courage” and the hotel staff’s “professionalism and commitment to service.” The dinner will also feature the previously scheduled entertainment by mentalist Oz Pearlman, as the association aims to complete the program interrupted by the April shooting.