Trump Attacks Media at WHCA Dinner, Praises Press Freedom Amid Tensions

US President Donald Trump took swipes at the media at the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner, a night celebrating press freedom, after the first event was cancelled by a shooting three months ago. The president sat as reporters from outlets he has sparred with and even sued, including the New York Times, CNN and the Wall Street Journal, came up to be honoured with awards.

Typically the president takes a lighter-hearted tone at the annual dinner, and Trump joked "the second time is always better" and praised the media - saying he respects "most of them". But the tone shifted as he aimed barbs at "fake news" and accused many in the room of having "Trump Derangement Syndrome".

In her remarks, WHCA President Weijia Jiang of CBS News said the event would return to the scene of the April shooting, the Washington Hilton, next year. Friday's rescheduled event was held at the Waldorf Astoria a few miles away from that site, following criticisms that security at the Hilton was inadequate. The outgoing WHCA head said she would "refuse to let an act of violence have the final word", referring to the gunman tackled at the first dinner in April.

The officer shot at the scene, officer Victor Gonzalez of the US Secret Service, was given an award by Trump for his actions on the night of the shooting. "As I said three months ago, the show must go on," Trump said. "Just like my presidency, the second time is always better – and the third time will be better yet … I'm only kidding," Trump said, joking that he would run for a third term in office.

Trump stood and shook hands with award winners, including a Wall Street Journal team who was given an award for coverage of Trump's links to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Ahead of the event, many in the White House press corps theorised that Trump - who often criticises many of the reporters seated just metres away in the room - would deliver a stern rebuke of the media.

Trump's speech included pointed insults directed at several journalists, some of whom were in the room. The harsher tone and personal attacks extended to Democratic politicians and celebrities as his hour-long speech also took aim at familiar targets. But the US president also called on Americans to respect freedom of speech. "We settle our differences not with bullets, but with open and vigorous debate," Trump said. "And no deranged loser with a gun will ever change that. We can't let that ever happen."

Trump appeared to be in a good mood throughout the event, jokingly telling the media that "sometimes I really do think that some of you don't like me". "This place [the dinner] is really the largest group of 'Trump derangement syndrome' people ever put together at one time," he said. "I suspect some of you are lucky that our last dinner was cut short...I was going to go after you."

The president joked the news industry would "be broke" after he leaves office because "there's not going to be anybody to report on", before putting on a Trump 2028 hat and saying he would run for another term. "I'm pleased to announce my intention to, and this is somewhat of a scoop, my intention to run for a fourth term as president of the United States," Trump joked, apparently meaning he would run a fourth time.

Since his second term began, Trump has repeatedly suggested he would run for a third term, despite the 22nd Amendment of the US Constitution mandating a two-term limit. The amendment was ratified in 1951 after President Franklin D Roosevelt served four consecutive terms. Trump has campaigned for president three times, and won two of the elections.