President Trump delivers hour-long remarks at White House Correspondents' Dinner
Donald Trump spoke for about 62 minutes at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in the Waldorf Astoria, delivering a mix of jokes, personal comments and remarks about the press, while audience reaction was muted.
President Donald Trump addressed the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Friday evening at the Waldorf Astoria ballroom, delivering a monologue that lasted roughly one hour and two minutes. The speech combined humor, references to his political rivals and commentary on his relationship with the media.
Reporters noted that many of the jokes received little response, and some attendees appeared disengaged as the remarks progressed. Trump also made remarks about public figures such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and reiterated his practice of monitoring front-page coverage in the New York Times. He offered advice to reporters on contacting him directly, saying that speaking to the press can lead to more favorable stories.
The event, which was smaller than previous dinners held at the Washington Hilton, included senior administration officials and members of the press corps. WHCA president Weijia Jiang delivered a speech emphasizing the importance of the First Amendment and the need for balanced criticism of the media. A video segment featured an AI-generated James Madison and clips of former presidents highlighting the press’s role in democracy.
Wolf Blitzer presented an award to the Wall Street Journal for its reporting, and a mentalist performance by Oz Pearlman concluded the evening with a series of tricks involving several attendees. Trump indicated that he intends to return to the dinner next year.