Camille Naredo

US President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 27, 2026. Kent Nishimura, AFP/File

US President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 27, 2026. (Photo by Kent NISHIMURA / AFP)

Article (news)

TRUMP-USA

<div><br/></div><p>WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump lashed out at &quot;fake news media&quot; and talked about serving a banned third term as he addressed a rescheduled White House correspondents dinner Friday, three months after the event was disrupted by an assassination attempt.</p><p>&quot;This place is really the largest group of Trump derangement syndrome people ever put together at one time,&quot; Trump told the media gala at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Washington.</p><p>The 80-year-old started with a relatively conciliatory tone, reflecting on the attack by a gunman that forced him to be evacuated from the dinner in April.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/4/26/shots-fired-trump-evacuated-from-press-dinner-in-washington-0920">READ: Trump evacuated as shooter opens fire at Washington gala</a></div><p>&quot;The show must go on,&quot; Trump said.</p><p>But he quickly pivoted to attacking a wide range of perceived enemies in an often rambling speech, starting with journalists before training his fire on Democratic opponents.</p><p>Trump had earlier thrown up his hands and laughed as he shook hands with a Wall Street Journal team that broke stories on his ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.</p><p>But he later joked that &quot;this has not been an easy evening, all these awards,&quot; Trump said after journalists received prizes for their reporting on the Republican&#x27;s second presidency.</p><p>Trump also revived talk about serving a third term, which is barred under the US constitution, even as he insisted he was joking.</p><p>&quot;Just like my presidency, the second time is always better. And the third time is better yet,&quot; Trump said, before adding: &quot;I&#x27;m only kidding.&quot;</p><p>He later doubled down, pulling out a red &quot;Trump 2028&quot; cap and saying he was &quot;pleased to announce my intention to -- and this is a somewhat of a scoop -- my intention to run for a fourth term as president of the United States.&quot;</p><p>Much of Trump&#x27;s speech seemed to recycle his campaign-style rallies, with the president even jokingly lambasting his speech writers when some lines fell flat.</p><p>But he ended the hour-long speech by saying he had &quot;tremendous respect&quot; for the journalists in the room — while adding: &quot;When I&#x27;m gone you&#x27;re all going to be broke.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>- Bad blood -</strong></div><p>Trump, who was attending his first White House Correspondents Dinner after years of bad blood with the press, added that he planned to come next year too.</p><p>He returned amid heightened security Friday, three months after an alleged assassination attempt forced his chaotic evacuation from the event after gunshots were fired at the Washington Hilton and the black-tie dinner was called off.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/4/27/gunman-sought-to-kill-trump-cabinet-at-gala-dinner-0715">READ: Gunman sought to kill Trump, cabinet at gala dinner</a></div><p>California man Cole Allen, 31, has <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/4/28/accused-media-gala-gunman-charged-with-attempting-to-assassinate-trump-0920">pleaded not guilty to charges</a> including attempting to kill the president.</p><p>This time the US Secret Service took 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.</p><p>The venue was changed from the Hilton to the Waldorf Astoria, a former Trump hotel, meaning the gala will be much smaller and &quot;more intimate,&quot; according to organizers.</p><p>&quot;Let&#x27;s try this again,&quot; said CBS correspondent Weijia Jiang, the outgoing president of the White House Correspondents&#x27; Association, who presided over the previous dinner.</p><p>&quot;Tonight our message is this: We are back. We will not be intimidated. We will not let an act of violence have the final word.&quot;</p><p>Incoming WHCA president Jacqui Heinrich said the event would return to the Washington Hilton next year.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>- &#x27;Threat picture&#x27; -</strong></div><p>US Secret Service Director Sean Curran was spotted standing in the entrance hall watching guests arrive, an AFP reporter saw.</p><p>Guests waited in a long line to show a QR code and their ID on the way into the atrium where the dinner was held.</p><p>Along with Trump&#x27;s speech, the rescheduled dinner included a performance by mentalist Oz Pearlman and a tribute to a Secret Service agent who helped stop the alleged gunman in April.</p><div><a class="fr-strong fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/4/28/trump-shooting-scare-renews-staged-conspiracy-theory-1006">READ: Trump shooting scare renews &#x27;staged&#x27; conspiracy theory</a></div><p>Curran, the head of the Secret Service, defended security at the original event, telling reporters &quot;it did work, the system worked.&quot; He insisted a cordon had prevented the alleged attacker from reaching the main hall in April.</p><p>But Curran, who was at Trump&#x27;s side when an assassin&#x27;s bullet hit the Republican&#x27;s ear at an election rally in 2024, said that current threats against top US officials were &quot;off the charts.&quot;</p><p>&quot;The threat picture and environment is as large as I&#x27;ve ever seen it,&quot; added Curran.</p>

<p>US President Donald Trump lashed out at "fake news media" and talked about serving a banned third term as he addressed a rescheduled White House correspondents dinner Friday, three months after the event was disrupted by an assassination attempt.</p>

US President Donald Trump lashed out at "fake news media" and talked about serving a banned third term as he addressed a rescheduled White House correspondents dinner Friday, three months after the event was disrupted by an assassination attempt.

Trump bashes 'fake news,' stokes 2028 furor in press gala rerun

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Trump bashes 'fake news,' stokes 2028 furor in press gala rerun

Danny Kemp,

Agence France-Presse

Published July 25, 2026 02:50 PM PHT

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United States

Donald Trump

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White House correspondents dinner

assassination attempt

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