President Donald Trump will address the White House Correspondents' Association at a rescheduled dinner on Friday, nearly three months after a shootingat the Washington Hilton hotel interrupted the event.
The black-tie gathering of journalists, politicians, and administration officials was called off on April 25 after a man tried to force his way through a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun outside the ballroom where Trump and members of his cabinet were taking their seats.
The suspect, Cole Allen, pleaded not guilty in May to charges including attempting to assassinate the president.
The dinner has been moved to the Waldorf Astoria hotel and will take place under heightened security.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran told reporters Wednesday that an advance team was implementing a comprehensive security plan at the hotel.
"We do expect bad people to show up," Curran said. "It's just a reality of where we are, but we're treating it no differently than any other site that the president goes to."
Trump has said the shooting in April showed the need for a $400 million ballroom being built at the White House, saying that holding such events there would increase the president's security.
Friday's dinner will honor Secret Service officer Victor Gonzales, who was shot at a security checkpoint outside the ballroom in April and credited with stopping the attack. He was wearing a protective vest and was the only person injured that night. Washington Hilton staff who assisted guests will also be recognized, the WHCA said.
The gala — an annual fixture on Washington's calendar for more than a century — raises money for journalism scholarships and celebrates the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which protects freedom of speech and the press. Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks, and mentalist Oz Pearlman will provide entertainment.
WHCA President Weijia Jiang said the event "will be a statement that violence has no place in American life and a free press will not be intimidated into silence."