WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump addressed reporters and other guests Friday at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, which was rescheduled after ending abruptly three months ago when shots rang out, seesawing from a tone of working together with the press to lobbing insults against his political opponents and some journalists.
The speech, which lasted more than an hour and received an at-times muted response from the attendees, ended with the president donning a red cap reading “Trump 2028” after joking that he was running for another term, which is barred by the Constitution.
Trump began his remarks reflecting on the previous event that was disrupted by gunfire. “As I said three months ago, the show must go on,” Trump said at the top of his remarks.
“Tonight we come back together to answer that heinous attack with unwavering resolve,” to show that “in America we do not yield to political violence,” Trump said.
Trump said his speech planned for the initial dinner was “going to be a doozy.”
“I was so psyched. I was going to rip people, and I don’t know. Just something changed,” Trump said. “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 touched on his White House ballroom and other projects, defended the war in Iran and even offered some praise for the work of the White House press corps. “I have tremendous respect for the people in this room,” Trump said. “Sometimes I don’t feel you treat me fair. Maybe you do. I don’t know. I don’t feel that, but sometimes you treat me very fairly, and I have a lot of respect for your profession.”
But Trump also criticized some reporters by name and also attacked his frequent Democratic targets — including former President Joe Biden, Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and California Sen. Adam Schiff — often using offensive nicknames.
At the end of his speech, the president whipped out a “Trump 2028” hat as he jokingly announced, in a “scoop” for the crowd, his intention to run for another term, before thanking those in the room for having the courage to be there.
“Most of us went through a period of trauma from just a short while ago, and you know, some people said they wanted to come, but they were afraid to come, and you people weren’t afraid to come,” Trump said.
Ahead of the event, the White House promised that the president’s speech would be “unifying yet vicious.”
Trump Lobs Insults At Political Opponents, Press During Rescheduled Correspondents’ Dinner
