Trump cracks jokes, targets media at White House Correspondents’ Dinner

US President Donald Trump returned to the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner on Friday, using the occasion to joke about the media, praise the Secret Service, and reaffirm support for press freedom after a shooting forced the event’s postponement earlier this year.

Speaking in a lighter tone, Trump mixed humor with criticism of what he called the “fake news media,” while also taking swipes at journalists Don Lemon and Lawrence O’Donnell, politicians Chris Christie and Adam Schiff, and celebrities Bruce Springsteen and Jane Fonda.

“This place is really the largest group of Trump derangement syndrome people ever put together at one time,” Trump quipped, adding that attendees were fortunate the original dinner in April had been cut short because he had planned a much harsher speech.

The black-tie event was originally scheduled for April 25 at the Washington Hilton but was canceled after a gunman attempted to breach a security checkpoint and opened fire outside the ballroom. The suspect, Cole Allen, has pleaded not guilty to charges that include attempting to assassinate the president.

Held this time under tight security at the Waldorf Astoria hotel, the dinner opened with a message of resilience from outgoing WHCA president Weijia Jiang, who declared, “We are back. We will not be intimidated.”

Echoing that sentiment, Trump said, “We do not yield to political violence. No deranged loser with a gun will ever change that.”

The evening honored Secret Service officer Victor Gonzales, who was wounded while stopping the attacker, along with Washington Hilton staff members who helped guests during the incident.

A century-old Washington tradition, the WHCA dinner raises funds for journalism scholarships and celebrates press freedom under the First Amendment. Instead of the usual comedian, this year’s entertainment featured mentalist Oz Pearlman.

Closing with another joke, Trump teased reporters about wearing bulletproof vests, saying some “would rather die than look 20 pounds heavier.”