United States President Donald Trump took advantage of his return to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner to recall the attempted attack that led to the suspension of its previous edition and assured that political violence “will not change” the American democratic system, while highlighting the additional security measures adopted by his Administration.
At Friday night’s event, Trump stated that the resumption of the event represents a response to the episode that occurred months ago, which he described as an “attack” against American democracy.
“The attempted mass assassination at the Washington Hilton was an assault on our very democracy”, the Republican leader pointed out to journalists, politicians, and members of his Government.
The president noted that that night highlighted the need to strengthen the protection of authorities and thanked the Secret Service and the security forces present at the event for their actions. In particular, he praised agent Víctor Gonzales, who was injured during the intervention against the attacker.
“In this country, we believe in freedom of expression. We resolve our differences not with bullets, but with open and firm debates,” he declared, insisting that no armed aggressor should alter the political functioning of the country.
The New York magnate also asserted the U.S.’s response capability against internal threats and categorized the dinner’s return as a symbol of institutional resilience.
“The show must go on,” he declared, recalling a phrase that, as he explained, he had used after the attack on April 26 to defend the holding of the event.
During his speech, Trump interspersed political messages with references to his national security plans, focusing especially on the construction of new infrastructure at the White House.
Along these lines, he defended the creation of a new underground complex and a protected ballroom, which, in his opinion, will improve the security of future leaders.
“I am building it for the future,” he argued, in response to critics who believe the project is designed for his own use. As he explained, the facilities will include advanced protection elements and will represent a strategic improvement for the presidential residence.
The president also linked these measures to the growing concern for the security of U.S. authorities and insisted that the experience of the failed attack highlights the need for greater protection systems.
Read more Street Fighter II and Yoko Shimomura’s music
In turn, the White House occupant again offered signs of a possible candidacy for the 2028 presidential elections, for which he could not legally run because the U.S. Constitution limits the maximum number of terms to two.
In fact, Trump put on a hat with the slogan “Trump 2028” and warned that he has already won three times, and will do so again “for a fourth,” although, officially, he only won twice, but continues to claim that his predecessor, Joe Biden’s, victory in 2020 was “manipulated.”
“I am grateful to share my intentions to run for a fourth term to be the president of the United States. I’m going to do it again. I’m good at running”, he noted.
Likewise, the American head of state took the opportunity to lash out at some of the media and accused some journalists of maintaining a deliberately hostile attitude towards him.
“Sometimes I really think some of you don’t like me,” he stated, before questioning the data on negative coverage of his presidency.
Against this, he again used one of his usual arguments against his political adversaries or figures from the media and cultural scene, although the central theme of his speech was the defense of freedom of expression, presidential security, and the institutional response to political violence.
In the international arena, meanwhile, Trump made a brief reference to his recent visit to China, comparing American infrastructure projects with large foreign facilities, and assured that the new construction he plans at the White House will be “something no country has.”
Amid jokes, the U.S. president’s speech also hinted at a momentary tone of reconciliation with the press, whom he thanked for their presence despite his frequent clashes with some media outlets.
Thus, he highlighted the work of the White House Correspondents’ Association and recognized the role of its leaders in reorganizing the dinner after the April attack.
“Tonight we meet again to respond to that despicable attack with absolute determination,” he noted after the event in a social media post, in which he later insisted that his country must not allow political violence to condition public debate.
Read more Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra: what the experts say
