(AFP) – A White House correspondents gala at which a gunman tried to storm the event attended by President Donald Trump has been rescheduled for next month with enhanced security, the organizers said Tuesday. Trump had to be evacuated from the dinner at a downtown Washington hotel on April 25 after shots erupted at a security checkpoint outside the ballroom venue. California man Cole Allen, 31, has pleaded not guilty to charges including attempting to kill the president.
“I am proud to announce we will host another dinner to be held in Washington, DC on Friday, July 24th,” White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) president Weijia Jiang said in an email to members. “We will not allow an act of violence to have the last word, especially during a year when we are reflecting on the 250th anniversary of America and everything we stand for.”
The WHCA chief did not say if Trump himself would attend the rescheduled dinner. “The event will feature significantly enhanced safety measures and new access procedures,” Jiang said, adding that it would be a “more intimate gathering” than the disrupted event. “Details on the venue, tickets, and programming will follow soon,” she said.
Thousands of journalists and officials normally attend the glitzy dinner at the Washington Hilton hotel. Trump had been due to give a speech at the April dinner. He has called for it to be redone, while also using the incident to back his building of a controversial ballroom at the White House.
© 2024 AFP
