Trump Returns to White House Correspondents' Dinner, Taunts Media and Rivals

According to Lianhe Zaobao citing CNN, U.S. President Donald Trump attended the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Friday, July 24, ending years of boycotting the event. In a roughly one-hour speech, he repeatedly mocked reporters and political opponents, though much of the room reacted coldly. The dinner had originally been scheduled for April 26 but was postponed after a gunman tried to enter the ballroom at the Washington Hilton and was later held at the Waldorf Astoria hotel.

Trump used old nicknames for political rivals, joked about weight, and complained about the quality of his prepared remarks. Some guests looked down at their phones, talked, or left early. He also praised the Secret Service and condemned political violence, saying the United States believes in free speech and that political differences should be resolved through open debate rather than violence.

Trump later singled out several CNN journalists for criticism. CNN CEO Thompson said honest and accurate reporting can sometimes upset politicians, but the right to report without government interference is protected by the U.S. Constitution. Trump also praised media executives he views as allies, including the Ellison family, which controls Paramount, and said CBS, a Paramount unit, would see a "very good change." Near the end of the speech, he put on a red "Trump 2028" hat and joked again about the constitutional ban on a third presidential term, while saying he did not intend to run again.

A separate highlight was the awarding of journalism prizes. Trump watched a Wall Street Journal team receive recognition for reporting on his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump is suing the newspaper's parent company over the reporting, but still stood to shake hands with the winning journalists one by one. Outgoing White House Correspondents' Association President Weijia Jiang said there is a fundamental difference between criticizing the media and trying to weaken it, and told Trump that mutual scrutiny between presidents and journalists is part of democracy and that press freedom protected by the First Amendment is not negotiable.