More than three weeks have passed since a gunman stormed the Washington Hilton lobby and opened fire during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, an attack prosecutors have described as an attempt to kill President Donald Trump. The association has not yet rescheduled the event, and board members are now exploring smaller venues for what would be a scaled-back gathering, according to a person familiar with the situation.
The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss internal planning, said a return to the Washington Hilton or a full-scale dinner at any location is not currently foreseen. The association “continues to weigh options for rescheduling the event,” WHCA President Weijia Jiang of CBS News said last week from China, where she was traveling with Trump. Jiang was on the floor of the Washington Hilton when the shooting erupted; she said immediately afterward, “We will do this again.”
President Trump, who was unharmed in the attack, wrote on social media that the dinner would be rescheduled within 30 days, a timeline that would bring it to late this month. The decision, however, rests with the WHCA, not the president.
The attack has prompted some journalists and media critics to question whether the dinner should resume at all. The annual event, which raises money for journalism scholarships and brings together journalists, lawmakers, and administration officials, has faced growing scrutiny over its cost, security demands, and what some view as a celebration of access over accountability.
WHCA board members have acknowledged that any rescheduled event would necessarily be pared down, reflecting both financial constraints and heightened security requirements. An event that traditionally accommodated close to 3,000 people at the Hilton is unlikely to resume at the same scale, the person said.
The uncertainty leaves the fate of one of Washington’s most prominent media traditions unresolved as the calendar approaches the 30-day mark Trump referenced.