Melania Trump will not attend her husband's speech at the rescheduled White House Correspondents' Association Dinner on Friday. Her absence is part of a larger trend, as several prominent figures associated with the MAGA movement will also be missing from the event, which follows an incident in April where an armed suspect attempted to enter the original dinner. The suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, was apprehended before entering the venue.
The rescheduled dinner will take place at the Waldorf Astoria, accommodating approximately 680 guests, a reduction from the 2,600 who attended in April. Alongside Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will also be absent due to prior commitments, including the recent birth of the second lady's child.
A White House spokesperson confirmed their absences. Melania Trump had attended recent public events, including the World Cup and a Fourth of July speech by her husband. A senior adviser previously stated that she would not be deterred from public appearances following the April incident.
Members of the Trump administration expected to attend include White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and other cabinet officials. President Trump is set to deliver the speech he was unable to give in April, which was anticipated to criticize the media.
In advance of the dinner, press freedom groups sent a letter urging the WHCA to address the administration's actions against press freedom. Security measures for the event have been heightened, with pre-vetting for guests and enhanced police presence around the venue. The suspect from the April incident has pleaded not guilty to charges including attempted assassination of the president and remains in federal custody.