Trump to speak at the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he would attend the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in July after the spring event was abruptly cut short when a gunman ran through a security checkpoint.

“I was asked to be there, and speak, by Weijia Jiang, President of The White House Correspondents’ Association, and have accepted,” Trump said in his Truth Social announcement. “I don’t know whether or not I will give the same rather nasty statements, at least as it concerns certain people, but we will soon find out.”

Jiang said the rescheduled dinner will take place July 24. Trump said in his Truth Social post that the dinner would be at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Washington.

The annual event was thrown into chaos in April when a man ran through a security checkpoint outside the dinner, armed with guns and knives, according to officials.

A suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, has pleaded not guilty to four counts, including a charge of attempting to assassinate Trump.

Jiang said in a post announcing the new dinner, “We will not allow an act of violence to have the last word, especially during a year when we are reflecting on America 250 and everything we stand for.”

Law enforcement officer respond at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25.Tom Brenner / AP file

Jiang told the White House press pool in a note detailing the decision that the board decided to reschedule the dinner “after thoughtful consideration and input from our members.”

“Our thoughts remain with the officer who was injured and with everyone who experienced that evening,” she wrote. “We are indebted to the US Secret Service, law enforcement and the hotel staff whose swift response protected our guests and our staff.”

Jiang said the association has raised enough money so members who bought tickets for the April dinner could attend the rescheduled program free. The association will offer financial support for scholarship winners to travel to the dinner, which she said “will be a more intimate gathering.”

“This dinner will not only be an opportunity to carry out our program,” Jiang said. “It will be a statement that violence has no place in American life and a free press will not be intimidated into silence. As you have all demonstrated, courage and community can and should rise above.”