Trump praises the media and vows to cancel the Correspondents’ Dinner

President Donald Trump offered rare praise to the media after a shot was fired at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner that led to the evening’s rescheduling.

“This was an event dedicated to freedom of speech that should have included members of both parties and the media, and in a way, because they just came together,” Trump said at a press conference at the White House. “I saw a room that was completely unified. It was beautiful, in a way, a wonderful thing to see.”

Trump’s comments come after he confirmed the dinner would be canceled in line with security measures despite “fighting like hell” to go ahead. He reiterated his intention for the event to be postponed within the next month.

The attacker was rushing security at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night, shooting at a Secret Service officer, who was hit by a bulletproof vest and survived. The suspect has been arrested and has been charged with many crimes. The gunfire led to Trump and the Cabinet being escorted out of the dinner, and the dinner will be rescheduled.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION OF HOLY PRESS ANNOUNCES THE EVENT TO BE POSTPONED AFTER THE SHOOTING.

Adding to the chaos of the scene at the White House, Trump and many White House figures and reporters in the room were still wearing tuxedos and dresses after leaving the black-tie dinner.

“I think it’s very important that I say, anyway, and tell the representatives of the evening that they did such a good job. It was a very good night. And again, they talked about free speech in our Constitution. That’s what it is, not just the White House writers. It was really based on free speech in our Constitution. But I said it’s very important that we will do that and we will make it even better in 30 days and we will make it even better in the coming days. I want to thank everyone who participated, and I want to thank the media, the media, you have been very responsible in your writing, I will say that I have seen what has come out, and you have been very responsible.

Trump also took questions from members of the media. The first was from White House Correspondents’ Association president Weijia Jiang, where she took the opportunity to praise the CBS reporter this evening.

TRUMP, INDIZKA KABELA LEAVES WH CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER AFTER GUNS HEARD.

President Donald Trump is escorted out during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, DC, US, April 25, 2026. (Bo Erickson / Reuters)

“I want to say he did a great job. What a great evening. And we’ll reschedule. And after that, it’s very difficult for him to ask the killer question, but he did a great job,” Trump said.

Jiang asked Trump for his thoughts on the chaos, given his experience with assassination attempts. Trump said it was always a shocking incident, no matter when it happened.

Trump also shared a photo of the arrested suspect on his Truth Social account.

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Trump, first lady Melania Trump and the entire President’s Cabinet were rushed to the table after the gunshots. The Washington Hilton was also the site of an assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan in 1981.

President Donald Trump made the statement after the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner was canceled in the wake of Saturday night’s shooting. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Trump announced last month that he accepted the invitation to attend dinner this year, explaining that the country’s 250th anniversary influenced his decision.

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Trump’s presence marked the first time present at the event as president at any time. Trump previously attended the dinner as a private citizen in 2011, when he was grilled by then-President Barack Obama.

Trump faced two assassination attempts in 2024, including one in Pennsylvania where an assailant’s bullet grazed his ear.

Jasmine Baehr of Fox News contributed to this report.