Donald Trump took a light‑hearted approach at the second White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, held after the shooting that halted the first event three months earlier. He opened with a reminder that “the show must go on,” and praised the journalists for their work, saying he respects “most of them.”
The former president also made the familiar point that the news media are full of “fake news” and called on many of the reporters present to face a “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” He joked that this dinner had “the largest group of ‘Trump derangement syndrome’ people ever put together at one time,” while masking the continued tension with a smile.
Trump’s remarks came amid heightened security. A heavy police presence, the blocking of several streets and two Secret Service officers with rifles secured the venue, while guests were screened twice, issued QR codes, shaken hands, and wore wristbands. The event drew around 700 people, far fewer than the 2,000 who attended the April dinner.
In addition to the president’s comments, the ceremony highlighted the secret service agent who tackled the gunman, awarding him for his actions that night. Trump also shook hands with a Wall Street Journal team that had covered his alleged ties to financier Jeffrey Epstein.
While Trump kept his tone friendly—remarking that “sometimes I really do think that some of you don’t like me”—he underlined that the United States would address differences “with bullets” only if necessary, and insisted that the country would not be swayed by a “deranged loser with a gun.” He urged Americans to preserve freedom of speech and to resolve disagreement through debate.
The event also brought together key officials such as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, reinforcing the bipartisan importance of press coverage and security at the capital’s high‑profile gatherings.
