White House correspondents' dinner rescheduled for July 24
The White House correspondents' dinner has been rescheduled for July 24, after a shooting forced the cancellation of the annual event in April, White House Correspondents' Association president Weijia Jiang said.
"Rescheduling was not automatic. It was a choice that the WHCA board made after thoughtful consideration and input from our members," she said in a statement.
Cole Allen, 31, is accused of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump at the April 25 dinner at the Washington Hilton hotel. He was tackled by law enforcement after rushing through a security checkpoint at the hotel, where thousands of journalists as well as Trump and members of his Cabinet were gathered for the annual event, according to prosecutors.
Allen allegedly wrote that administration officials were his targets, according to a criminal complaint.
Allen has pleaded not guilty to attempted assassination of the President of the United States, assault on a federal law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon, transportation of a firearm and ammunition over state lines with the intent to commit a felony and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Trump wrote on social media on Tuesday that he'll attend the July dinner.
Jiang said the rescheduled 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."
"Our thoughts remain with the officer who was injured and with everyone who experienced that evening," she added. "We are indebted to the US Secret Service, law enforcement and the hotel staff whose swift response protected our guests and our staff."
Jiang did not say where July's dinner will be held.
