Trump condemns violence, slams press at White House Correspondents' Dinner
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
President Donald Trump speaks during the 2026 White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, DC, on July 24, 2026. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)
President Trump used his speech at Friday's rescheduled White House Correspondents' Association Dinner to condemn the political violence that postponed the annual event — and in the next breath attack and insult the gathered press.
The big picture: The president opened with jokes to the hundreds of assembled journalists and even made a little fun of himself, in a speech that started light — before descending into a litany of familiar complaints about reporters and prominent Democrats.
Zoom out: "In America we do not yield to political violence," Trump told event attendees, referencing the gunman who opened fire outside the ballroom where he and hundreds of others were gathered for the previously scheduled dinner in April.
- "In this country we believe in freedom of speech, we settle our differences not with bullets but with open and vigorous debate, and no deranged loser with a gun will ever change that. We can't let that ever happen," Trump said.
- A Secret Service agent was wounded during the shooting, and the dinner was called off, though Trump insisted it be rescheduled.
Zoom in: This year marked the first time that Trump has attended a White House Correspondents' Dinner as president, and he engaged in the long-standing tradition of poking fun at the media and his administration.
- "It's great to be back as a place (I) know very well because I built it," Trump said, referencing the Waldorf Astoria's former life as Trump International Hotel. "I'm very proud of it because I built it for $2.9 billion less than the Federal Reserve building."
- "Everyone is looking really good tonight, and I know it's not easy finding shoes to match your bulletproof vest. Many people would rather die than look 20 pounds heavier, you know that, right? They put one on me. I said, 'Are you sure? I'm not wearing this.'"
Between the lines: The speech wasn't without barbs and airing of some familiar grievances by the president, who discussed the need for the White House ballroom, complained about performers like Bruce Springsteen and Jimmy Kimmel, and warned guests not to believe any "fake news" about Iran.
- He attacked prominent reporters by name, particularly going after CNN's Kaitlin Collins (demanding she smile more) and Jake Tapper (who he called "Fake Tapper").
- CNN released a statement during Trump's speech defending its reporters, writing in part: "Honest, accurate journalism may sometimes irritate politicians, but our right to report and present that reporting without government interference is fully protected by the U.S. Constitution."
- Trump also cracked a joke about a "once-feared and powerful regime" being toppled and now being run by "a gay dictator facing internal divisions" — adding "I for one wish Bari Weiss all the best at CBS News." The line got only a muted response.
💭 Thought bubble, from Axios media correspondent Sara Fischer: The CBS jokes aside, Trump's repeated praise of Paramount chair David Ellison may complicate life for the company, which is currently facing an antitrust lawsuit from a dozen Democratic state attorneys general as it tries to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery.
Friction point: There were also a few awkward moments for the president, as the Wall Street Journal was awarded a prize for its coverage of a letter Trump allegedly wrote to Jeffrey Epstein.
- Trump chuckled at the announcement of the award, though he did congratulate the reporters when they came on stage.
- Trump also congratulated New York Times reporter Tyler Pager for another award; Pager was among those subpoenaed by the DOJ earlier this week over their reporting on the new Air Force One.
The bottom line: Trump's speech, which ran just over an hour, started on a warmer tone but quickly descended into a familiar one of confrontation.
- "For all of the trouble that you give me — you give me a lot of trouble, a lot of heartache — I hope all of you know that I believe in the free press more than anyone in this room does."
- He then donned a "Trump 2028" hat and pledged to run for another term, to chuckles and light applause.
