'Fourth term', cheesecake joke, insults: Trump takes aim at Schiff, Christie, Springsteen in loose dinner speech

Donald Trump delivered a relaxed and insulting speech at the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Friday night, mixing sarcastic jabs at reporters with mocking political rivals before capping it off with a sharp joke about seeking a fourth term.

The president returns to the dinner he has long boycotted

The speech was the first time Trump addressed the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in either of his two terms, having stayed away during his first presidency. His appearance came a day after his administration shelved for now an unusual attempt to subpoena reporters for their coverage, and three months after the original dinner was abandoned when a man opened fire at a security checkpoint outside the venue.

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The gathering this time was held at the Waldorf Astoria rather than the Washington Hilton’s cavernous ballroom evacuated in April, bringing an extra layer of security. Sean Curran, director of the US Secret Service, told reporters before the dinner that agents were prepared for trouble in the black-tie affair as well.

Trump mixes praise for the press with familiar “fake news” jabs

Trump took a light-hearted, sarcastic tone for most of the hour-long speech, at one stage conceding a measure of respect for the profession he has attacked for years, telling the room that journalists do a “wonderful job”. The goodwill did not last long. As for his dealings with Iran, Trump insisted the conflict was going smoothly, telling the assembled press corps: “Don’t believe the fake news.”

Scripted jokes Focus on Kennedy, Christie, Springsteen and Schiff

The speech featured a run of prepared punchlines aimed at familiar targets. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vocal proponent of beef tallow and animal protein, was jokingly accused of delivering the evening’s main course, with Trump suggesting he personally ran over the cow that became “a very delicious beef tenderloin.”

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Trump also poked fun at the character of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and New York Congressman Jerry Nadler as he imagined the pair fighting over a slice of cheesecake. Musician Bruce Springsteen was told he “looked like hell,” while CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, honored earlier in the evening for her White House coverage, was chastised for not smiling enough. California Sen. Adam Schiff, a persistent congressional critic, drew some of the sharpest words of the night, with Trump saying he “hated” him while mocking the size of his head and neck.

After not a single sentence about deadlines, Trump paused to speak directly to the room, asking if anyone actually understood “this whole damn stupid speech they wrote.”

The final joke brings to life the third semester interview with the iconic red cap

Trump ended on a note that struck a chord with some in the audience when he said he intended to run for and win a fourth election, an allusion to both his baseless claim to win the 2020 race and his repeated musings about pursuing a third term despite the constitutional two-term limit. “I’ve won three times, now I’m going to do it again,” he said, donning a red “Trump 2028” cap.

The awards honor reporters for the stories Trump fought in court

The evening before the president’s remarks, journalists were credited with some of the year’s most serious reporting on the administration, including the Wall Street Journal team behind a 2003 story that Trump sent a “lewd” letter to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein in which Trump has since sued the paper.

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White House Correspondents’ Association President Weija Jiang used her remarks to highlight the shared responsibilities of both the press and the presidency. “No matter how complicated or strained the relationship between the press and the presidency is, what we share is more important than anything else, and that is our duty: to serve the American people,” Jiang said at the rally.

In opening his own remarks, Trump indicated that his originally prepared speech would “be goofy,” before appearing to tone down his approach. “Just like my presidency, the second time is always better and the third time will be even better … just kidding,” he said.

Dinner dedicated to the officer injured in the April shooting

A portion of the evening was dedicated to honoring Victor Gonzales, the Secret Service officer injured while helping stop the gunman at the original April dinner, along with hotel staff who assisted guests in the attack. Cole Allen, the man accused of the shooting, has pleaded not guilty to attempting to assassinate the president.

ABC News Washington chief correspondent Jonathan Karl told Trump on stage that his participation carried weight in itself. “It matters that you came here tonight,” said Karel.

Absence and continued inactivity with the press

Notably absent from this year’s dinner were First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who all attended the original event in April. Their absence comes amid a broader dispute between the administration and the press, with Trump suing several news organizations over their reporting and routinely dismissing adverse reports as “fake news.” His administration went even further, banning the Associated Press from the White House press pool and restricting other journalists’ access to the Pentagon.