Trump Returns to White House Correspondents' Dinner with Scathing Media Critique

US President Donald Trump marked his return to the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Friday night, delivering a rambling speech laden with swipes at attending media.

"I am delighted to be here," Trump told the crowd as he opened his speech. "Amazing people. A lot of people that I like. Some I don't like at all".

The event had initially been scheduled to take place in April, but it was cut short after a man armed with guns and knives attempted to break past security. Friday's rescheduled dinner was reportedly much smaller than April's event, with security also beefed up significantly.

During his hour-long speech, Trump flitted between jovial, light-hearted remarks about the press - such as saying he respects "most of them" - to direct insults to certain journalists as well as Democrats. The president appeared to be in good spirits throughout the evening, however, quipping about a third term in office and what he called "Trump derangement syndrome."

"This place is really the largest group of 'Trump derangement syndrome' people ever put together at one time," he said of the audience. "Sometimes I really do think that some of you don't like me," he joked.

The Correspondents' Dinner is organised by the White House Correspondents' Association and serves as a celebration of free press, bringing together journalists, politicians, and celebrities for a night of awards and speeches.

Trump vs. the media

Trump has had a turbulent relationship with the US media, dishing out multiple lawsuits to outlets while often lambasting them over what he has dubbed as "fake news." Last week, the president hit out at a number of networks after they did not broadcast his prime-time address on their main platforms.

"In a rare move, NBC and ABC fake news ‌have both said that they would not cover this speech," Trump said at the time. "Fraud like this should mean a revocation of their licenses," he added.

Trump has also clashed with late night presenters such as Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Kimmel. After the latter was temporarily pulled off air for comments he made following the death of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk last year, Trump celebrated the decision.

"Great News for America," Trump wrote on Truth Social in response. "Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC".