The White House Correspondents’ Association introduced on Tuesday {that a} second correspondents’ dinner, with bolstered safety measures, will likely be held this summer season after April’s occasion was halted by a shooting incident on the Washington Hilton.
“I am proud to announce we will host another dinner to be held in Washington, D.C. on Friday, July 24th,” affiliation president Weijia Jiang stated in a letter to members that didn’t specify the placement or programming.
The choice to reschedule the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Jiang stated, was “not automatic” and made “after thoughtful consideration and input from our members,” including that the July occasion could have “significantly enhanced safety measures and new access procedures.”
President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and members of the Cabinet have been escorted from the Washington Hilton’s ballroom after a gunman opened hearth in a close-by hallway. Journalists and different VIPs took cowl beneath tables within the chaos.
Jiang stated the July dinner will likely be a “more intimate gathering” and that the affiliation has raised funds to cowl the prices of the second dinner for members who initially bought tickets. There are additionally plans to supply monetary assist for the scholarship winners who plan to journey again to Washington for recognition.
The occasion, she added, “will be a statement that violence has no place in American life and a free press will not be intimidated into silence.”
Jiang didn’t present particulars on the programming, noting that specifics can be communicated “directly with attendees.”
After April’s incident, Trump had expressed curiosity in attending a second dinner, nevertheless it’s unclear if he’ll. NCS has reached out to the White House for remark.