The White House Correspondents' Association will hold its rescheduled annual dinner tonight under significantly tighter security. The event has been moved from the Washington Hilton ballroom to the Waldorf Astoria Washington, D.C., where a sharply reduced crowd is expected to gather.
About 2,600 people attended the original April dinner, which was cut short after a gunman charged a security checkpoint and was stopped. Now, only about 700 people are expected to attend after the shooter made President Donald Trump and other key officials a top target of his violent entry into the last event. The Justice Department has described the shooter's intentions.
The smaller event is being held at the Waldorf Astoria, a more contained security environment than the Hilton. Secret Service officials said attendees will face airport-style screening, fewer access points, and restricted surrounding streets. Guests will be directed to a separate entrance rather than entering through the hotel's main lobby.
The Waldorf also has fewer ballroom doors and possible entry points than the Hilton's expansive ballroom complex, a factor that has shaped planning for an event where the president, Cabinet officials, prominent journalists, and other guests will be in attendance. Electronic ticketing is another major change, with guests receiving individual QR codes and wristbands tied to their access.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran has defended the April security operation, saying that the fact the shooter was intercepted before entering the ballroom showed "the system worked." However, the changes underscore how seriously officials are taking vulnerabilities exposed by the incident. A Secret Service officer survived a gunshot wound during the encounter with the shooter in April thanks to a bulletproof jacket.
The evening will honor the officer with the WHCA's President's Award for Exceptional Service. It will also recognize journalists who have faced sharp criticism from Trump and his administration, including a New York Times reporter, CNN's Kaitlan Collins, Wall Street Journal reporters, and Associated Press journalists.
The president is scheduled to speak tonight after missing his planned April remarks because of the abrupt evacuation. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are not expected to attend due to scheduling conflicts, but other officials are expected to be in attendance.
The dinner begins at 8 p.m. EDT, with red-carpet arrivals and a livestream starting at 6 p.m. It will be the first time since 1972 that the event has not been held at the Hilton.
