Trump attacks media at 2026 WHCD, criticized as racist and vindictive

Published Jul 27, 02:09 PM UTC

The article analyzes President Donald Trump's speech at the 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner (WHCD), held at the Waldorf Astoria Washington DC, formerly the Trump International Hotel. The author, Jeet Heer, describes the speech as racist, homophobic, vindictive, and unfunny, noting that journalists in the audience appeared indifferent. Trump bragged about his former ownership of the hotel, acknowledging it was packed mostly with Republicans, which the author argues demonstrates a guilty mind regarding constitutional emoluments prohibitions. The piece criticizes the WHCD as a backslapping affair that fosters elite impunity rather than accountability, citing a previous critique by Chris Lehmann. The dinner was a second edition after a failed assassination attempt interrupted the first in April. The article condemns both Trump's corruption and the media's complicity in attending the event.