What is the White House Correspondents’ Dinner? | World News

2 min readUpdated: Apr 26, 2026 02:14 PM IST

The White House Correspondents’ Dinner — or WHCD — became the unlikely backdrop for a shooting that put the world on edge on Saturday night.

Organised by the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), the dinner brings together the journalists who cover the US presidency, senior government officials, members of Congress, and a rotating cast of celebrities and business leaders, under one roof at the Washington Hilton hotel.

The WHCA was founded on February 25, 1914, by journalists seeking to protect their access to the president, after an unfounded rumour spread that a US congressional committee would decide which reporters could attend President Woodrow Wilson’s press conferences.

Trump and the dinner

United States President Donald Trump attended the 2011 dinner as a private guest and was publicly mocked by President Barack Obama and comedian Seth Meyers — an evening Fox News described as a defining moment in Trump’s political story. Once in office, he skipped it entirely across his first term and the first year of his second, telling Fox News the press had treated him “rudely and crudely”.

Saturday was his first appearance as a sitting president. On the eve of the dinner, nearly 500 retired journalists signed a petition opposing Trump’s attendance, CBS News reported. They argued that it risked normalising his administration’s attacks on press freedom.

Shirtly into the evening, shots were fired near a Secret Service screening checkpoint, according to the AP. Trump was evacuated from the ballroom. The suspect, reportedly identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of California, was taken into custody.

The Express Global Desk at The Indian Express delivers authoritative, verified, and context-driven coverage of key international developments shaping global politics, policy, and migration trends. The desk focuses on stories with direct relevance for Indian and global audiences, combining breaking news with in-depth explainers and analysis.

A major focus area of the desk is US immigration and visa policy, including developments related to student visas, work permits, permanent residency pathways, executive actions, and court rulings. The Global Desk also closely tracks Canada’s immigration, visa, and study policies, covering changes to study permits, post-study work options, permanent residence programmes, and regulatory updates affecting migrants and international students.

All reporting from the Global Desk adheres to The Indian Express’ editorial standards, relying on official data, government notifications, court documents, and on-record sources. The desk prioritises clarity, accuracy, and accountability, ensuring readers can navigate complex global systems with confidence.

Core Team

The Express Global Desk is led by a team of experienced journalists and editors with deep expertise in international affairs and migration policy:

Aniruddha Dhar – Senior Assistant Editor with extensive experience in global affairs, international politics, and editorial leadership.

Nischai Vats – Deputy Copy Editor specialising in US politics, US visa and immigration policy, and policy-driven international coverage.

Mashkoora Khan – Sub-editor focusing on global developments, with a strong emphasis on Canada visa, immigration, and study-related policy coverage. … Read More

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