The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) has announced a rescheduled date for its annual dinner following a shooting that disrupted the event in April. The new dinner is set for Friday, July 24, in Washington, D.C., marking an effort by the WHCA to uphold press freedom despite the violent incident.

President Donald Trump initially pledged at a White House news conference on April 25 that the event would be rescheduled within 30 days. Although the original deadline was missed, the dinner will now take place at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, located in the Old Post Office building. Trump, who confirmed he would attend and speak at the event, emphasized on his Truth Social platform that the rescheduling was “a very good thing” and that society “cannot allow Lunatics to change our way of life.” He indicated the potential for a provocative address, stating, “I don’t know whether or not I will give the same rather nasty statements, at least as it concerns certain people, but we will soon find out.”

The shooting at the April event led to the indictment of suspect Cole Tomas Allen on four felony charges, including attempted assassination of the president. In response to the disruption, WHCA President Weijia Jiang, also a senior White House correspondent for CBS News, affirmed in an email to members that the association would not let violence silence what was meant to be a celebration of First Amendment protections. Jiang described the decision to reschedule the dinner as a deliberate choice made after careful consideration and consultation with members. She also noted that the upcoming event will have increased security measures and new access protocols.

The dinner, a tradition dating back to 1921, has often drawn mixed reactions. Some critics question the event’s relevance, arguing that it fosters an overly cozy relationship between journalists and political figures. This critique has intensified during Trump’s presidencies, given his public battles with the media and frequent critiques labeling news outlets as “fake news” and “the enemy of the American people.” Steven L. Herman, executive director of the University of Mississippi’s Jordan Center for Journalism Advocacy and Innovation, expressed opposition to the rescheduling. He argued that featuring Trump prominently is problematic due to his antagonistic stance toward the press, saying, “I think he’s made it pretty clear he is not a champion of free speech or the free press. He only likes press or speech when it reflects positively on him.”

Jiang also announced that the WHCA has raised funds to cover the cost for members who purchased tickets to the original event, ensuring they will not have to pay again to attend the July dinner. Unlike the prior gathering, which hosted several hundred attendees at the Washington Hilton, the rescheduled event is planned as a smaller, more intimate affair. While news organizations generally purchase their own tables, some have chosen not to participate in the dinnertime tradition in recent years.