President Donald Trump made his first appearance as president at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Friday, attending the rescheduled event after a gunman disrupted the original gathering in April. Held under heightened security at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, the annual dinner resumed with tributes to those affected by the shooting and renewed emphasis on the association's mission of supporting journalism and First Amendment freedoms. Trump's return marked a departure from his first term, during which he repeatedly boycotted the event.

Trump's address, which lasted more than an hour, mixed humour with sharp criticism of Democrats, journalists, media organisations and even members of his own administration. While some opening jokes received laughs, much of the speech was met with restrained reactions, with many attendees responding in silence as the president mocked reporters, political rivals and public figures and revived familiar complaints about news coverage. He also joked about serving another presidential term and veered away from prepared remarks several times, underscoring the often-tense relationship between his administration and the White House press corps.