US President Donald Trump returned to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner amid heightened security, three months after an alleged assassination attempt forced his chaotic evacuation from the event.
Defying threats from what he called “lunatics,” Trump is set to give the speech on Friday he was prevented from delivering in April when gunshots were fired at the Washington Hilton and the black-tie dinner was called off.
California man Cole Allen, 31, has pleaded not guilty to charges including attempting to kill the president.
This time the US Secret Service is taking no chances. Police and National Guard officers sealed off nearby roads and threw up a major security cordon, although guests passing through faced only a cursory check.
The venue has been changed from the Hilton to the Waldorf Astoria, meaning the gala will be much smaller and “more intimate,” according to organisers.
US Secret Service Director Sean Curran was standing in the entrance hall watching guests arrive and later walked through the main atrium where attendees were having a pre-dinner drink, an AFP reporter saw.
Guests had to show a QR code and their ID on the way into the atrium. There was a long line for scanners on the way into the room where the dinner is being held.
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‘Finish the job’
While Trump had been expected to deliver a furious media-bashing speech at the original event, it remains to be seen what tone he will take at the rescheduled dinner.
“In April, President Trump promised to finish the job and plan another WHCA Dinner, and today, he will deliver on that promise,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to AFP.
“We look forward to a great and fun evening celebrating 250 years of American greatness and a free press.”
