President Donald Trump hosted the buzzing first White House Correspondents Association Dinner on Friday night, July 24, 2026.
The night marks the first time that President Trump addressed the gathering at the WHCA dinner in either of his two terms.
President Trump wore a “Trump 2028” hat while he addressed the 2026 WHCA Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C., on July 24.
Here are five key takeaways from Friday night, which saw a large attendance of White House journalists.
ABC’s Jon Karl offered a welcome note addressing President Trump and said, “Mr. President, I want to say it matters that you came here tonight.”
“For more than 100 years, presidents have chosen to sit in a room of reporters who asked tough and often uncomfortable questions, and who report without fear or favour. It’s important. Thank you for being here,” Karl continued.
The event has been rescheduled after journalists and the president shared a scary moment in April when gunmen entered the arena and opened fire.
The incident didn’t result in any loss of life after the secret service knocked the suspect down.
In his concluding remarks, Trump said, while keeping it casual, “I just want to say, this room—I have tremendous respect for the people in this room.”
“Sometimes I don’t feel you treat me fair, maybe you do, I don’t know,” he continued.
“I don’t feel that, but sometimes you treat me fairly, and I have a lot of respect for your profession.
“It’s amazing. And I just want to thank you for having me, and it’s been fun,” Trump added.
Trump razzes the press with his familiar phrases—referring to the press as “fake news”—but takes some jabs aimed at certain outlets and media personalities.
2026-07-25 18:21:00
