By Kerry Picket (The Washington Times)
President Trump is expected to reappear at the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Friday, almost three months after a gunman breached the event in an alleged assassination attempt against him.
Most of Mr. Trump’s Cabinet will be at the dinner, but first lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not be in attendance.
The White House confirmed administration officials expected to attend the dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C. are:
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche
- FBI Director Kash Patel
- Education Secretary Linda McMahon
- Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler
- Interior Secretary Doug Burgum
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright
- Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
- Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick
- Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
- Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling
- NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman
- U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer
- Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll
- Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz
Fox News first reported the list of administration officials expected to attend.
Although the annual dinner traditionally has been hosted at the Washington Hilton, it was interrupted April 25 when an armed suspect stormed the event in what authorities say was an attempt to assassinate the president.
The president, vice president, White House officials and their families were immediately whisked away from the stage at the time as the suspect was quickly apprehended before guests dove underneath tables to take cover.
Guests were later informed the dinner had been canceled for the evening, but Mr. Trump later said it would be rescheduled for a later date.
Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), said when the new date was announced in June that the event would be a “more intimate gathering.”
Ms. Jiang announced the rescheduled date was decided by the WHCA board in an email to association members.
“This dinner will not only be an opportunity to carry out our program. It will be a statement that violence has no place in American life and a free press will not be intimidated into silence. As you have all demonstrated, courage and community can and should rise above,” she said.
Additionally, the Secret Service officer who helped stop the suspect at the April gathering is expected to receive a special award from the correspondents’ association.
The WHCA is presenting the “President’s Award for Exceptional Service to the WHCA” to Victor Gonzales, the Secret Service officer who lunged at Cole Tomas Allen when he tried to get through a security checkpoint.
Another award will be given to the staff of the Washington Hilton, who helped attendees following the shooting.
Both awards will be presented during the dinner.
During the confrontation, Mr. Gonzales was hit in his protective vest, the Secret Service said in a statement, but was able to stop the gunman from proceeding beyond the event’s security perimeter.
“Officer Gonzales played a significant role when he ran toward danger so that thousands of others could make it home safely. His courage stemmed from a dedication to service, which we are looking forward to honoring this week,” Ms. Jiang said.
Mr. Allen has pleaded not guilty to all charges, including attempted assassination of the president, assault on a federal officer, and numerous firearms violations. He is currently in federal custody and faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted.
Mr. Allen’s lawyers have attempted to disqualify senior Justice Department attorneys from prosecuting the case, saying that Mr. Blanche and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who were at the dinner, could be seen as victims or witnesses.
This article was made available to WMAL via The Washington Times.
