President Donald Trump took center stage at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner Friday night, delivering an hour-long comedic address that targeted journalists, political opponents, and members of his own administration with characteristic humor. The dinner, originally scheduled three months earlier, had been postponed after a shooting incident at the Washington Hilton.
“As I said three months ago, the show must go on,” Trump told attendees at the rescheduled event, held at the Waldorf Astoria.
The president didn’t shy away from referencing the April shooting, which he described as “an assault on our democracy itself.” He credited Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller with displaying “extreme bravery” during the attack. Trump acknowledged that the original speech he’d prepared would have struck a different tone, saying, “I was so liked” before the incident changed his approach.
Jokes and Jabs
True to form, Trump’s humor quickly turned pointed. He described the gathering as “the really the largest group of Trump Derangement Syndrome people ever put together at one time, I suspect.” He also referenced the dinner’s original cancellation, joking that some reporters were “lucky” the previous event was interrupted.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. received particular attention during the roast. Trump called him a “piece of work” and, referring to the beef tenderloin being served, quipped that Kennedy “personally ran over the cow with his car.” He added that Kennedy “also suggested an appetizer featuring his favorite cut of male raccoon roadkill.”
The president also made jokes about seeking a third term, donning a “Trump 2028” hat near the end of his remarks before clarifying he was “only kidding about running for a third term.” He suggested he might attend again next year, having previously skipped the dinner during his earlier presidency.
Media Reaction
While attendees reportedly laughed throughout much of the evening, several major news outlets offered sharp critiques the following day. The Associated Press characterized Trump’s address as “a rambling, hour-long speech that praised some journalists, took potshots at others, made jokes about public figures’ weight and intellect, and quipped about a third presidential term.”
The outlet noted that “the audience, reacting at first with some friendly laughs, slowly quieted to scattered titters as the insults piled up.”
ABC News compiled a list of Trump’s targets, which included former President Joe Biden, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Gov. Gavin Newsom, Rep. Ilhan Omar, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Sen. Adam Schiff, taking issue with what it described as “offensive nicknames.”
The New York Times described the speech as “meandering” and “full of ad hominem attacks,” reporting that Trump “mocked the appearances and careers of individual reporters, some of whom were in the room.” The paper noted that “much of the speech had little to do with the press,” as Trump “widened the aperture to target his longtime political enemies, politicians and celebrities who had nothing to do with the dinner.”
Political Context
The criticism highlighted a tension between media coverage and political comedy at such events. Trump’s supporters have pointed out that previous presidents, including Joe Biden, made pointed jokes about political opponents at similar gatherings without facing the same level of criticism.
Trump concluded his remarks by thanking the press and describing the current period of his presidency as “the golden age of America.” He also joked that the evening had gone “far worse than he actually thought.”
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner has long served as a venue where presidents and journalists gather in a lighter atmosphere, though the balance between humor and political commentary remains a subject of debate.
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