Trump to give ‘unifying yet vicious’ speech at rescheduled White House correspondents’ dinner: Leavitt

President Donald Trump will make “unifying yet vicious” remarks throughout Friday evening’s rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, the White House stated.

“The president’s speech will be a combination of unifying yet vicious, and serious yet hilarious, all at the same time, if you can imagine that,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to ABC News on Friday. “One factor I can guarantee you, it will likely be entertaining.”

The annual event was rescheduled for Friday after ending abruptly three months ago when shots rang out.

The dinner in April devolved into chaos after authorities say Cole Allen opened fire inside the Washington Hilton hotel, where thousands of journalists and guests gathered for the annual celebration of the First Amendment. The president and top government officials were also in attendance.

Allen pleaded not guilty in May to expenses of making an attempt to assassinate the president, transportation of a firearm with intent to commit a felony, discharge of a firearm throughout against the law of violence and assaulting a federal officer with a lethal weapon.

Secret Service officer Victor Gonzales was shot in the incident, but the bullet struck “his protecting vest and [he] continued responding to the menace,” the Secret Service stated.

Sean Curran, the Secret Service director, said in a briefing on Wednesday that the company measures labored in April and that they have been getting ready for Friday’s rescheduled dinner with an advance workforce at the location.

Friday’s dinner is taking place at a different Washington, D.C., hotel, the Waldorf Astoria on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Guests will see an increased and “seen” security presence at the hotel, according to the chief spokesman for the Secret Service. 

“We are assured that our sturdy safety plan will guarantee the protection of our protectees and attendees, simply as our plan did in April,” the spokesman, Anthony Guglielmi, said in a statement on Friday. “Our company grows and adapts from each occasion we safe, and we now have engaged with [White House Correspondents’ Association] to guarantee attendees are given well timed data within the unlikely occasion of an emergency through the occasion.”

The White House Correspondents’ Association announced on Tuesday that it will present a special award, the President’s Award for Exceptional Service, during Friday night’s dinner to Gonzales and the staff of the Washington Hilton.

“Officer Gonzales performed a major position when he ran towards hazard in order that hundreds of others might make it house safely,” Weijia Jiang, who presided over the April dinner as WHCA president, said in a statement. “His braveness stemmed from a dedication to service, which we’re trying ahead to honoring this week.”

Jiang said the Hilton staff is being recognized for their “professionalism and dedication to service” by continuing to “deal with friends” after experiencing the “harrowing scenario” themselves.

The shooting took place before the scheduled program that features the presentation of journalism awards, remarks from the president, and entertainment from an invited headliner. This year’s entertainer was mentalist Oz Pearlman, who will be back for the redo dinner, the association said.

The association added that it was determined “to end this system that was interrupted.”

Vice President JD Vance, who was at the spring dinner, shouldn’t be anticipated to attend Friday evening’s occasion, a supply accustomed to the matter confirmed to ABC News. His absence follows information of him and his spouse, second girl Usha Vance, welcoming their fourth child on Sunday.

ABC’s Nicholas Kerr and Luke Barr contributed to this report.