President Trump took the stage at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Friday, delivering a speech that drew mixed reactions from the audience. Just months after an assassination attempt at the same event, Trump began by thanking law enforcement but quickly turned to targeting reporters and political rivals.
Trump singled out CNN's Kaitlan Collins, repeating his criticism that she "never smiles." He urged her to smile, adding, "You're at CNN fake news. You should be a happy person." He also jabbed at CNN's Jake Tapper and The Wall Street Journal's Josh Dawsey.
The president didn't spare Democratic leaders, taking shots at Gavin Newsom, Chuck Schumer, Kamala Harris, JB Pritzker, Elizabeth Warren, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He repeatedly insulted former President Biden, quipping about Biden's mental acuity: "Before I came along, if you wanted to see someone lose consciousness on the South Lawn of the White House, all you had to do is ask Joe Biden a question."
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was also a target. Trump joked that Kennedy "personally ran over the cow in his car" for the dinner's beef tenderloins and suggested an appetizer of "Mel raccoon roadkill." The line drew one of the night's biggest laughs.
Trump expressed frustration when some jokes fell flat, asking the crowd, "Does anybody get that?" He added, "That was the only thing I thought was good in this whole freaking stupid speech that they wrote."
WHCA President Weijia Jiang stressed the importance of a free press in her introduction, saying, "There is a difference between criticizing the press and trying to undermine it." Trump countered at the end, claiming, "I believe in the free press more than anyone in this room does," though he added, "Maybe not quite."
Trump concluded the night by donning a "Trump 2028" hat, sarcastically hinting at another run. The evening highlighted ongoing tensions between the administration and the media, as well as concerns about election integrity and feuds within the GOP.
