‘Fourth term’, cheesecake joke, insults: Trump takes aim at Schiff, Christie, Springsteen in freewheeling Dinner Speech

Published 25 July 2026 · us

Donald Trump delivered a freewheeling, insult-laden address at the rescheduled White House correspondents' dinner on Friday evening, mixing sarcastic jabs at journalists with mockery of

Donald Trump delivered a freewheeling, insult-laden address at the rescheduled White House correspondents' dinner on Friday evening, mixing sarcastic jabs at journalists with mockery of political rivals before closing with a pointed joke about seeking a fourth term in office. President Returns to a Dinner He Long Boycotted The address marked the first time Trump has spoken at the White House correspondents' dinner in either of his two terms, having stayed away from the event throughout his first presidency. His appearance came a day after his administration shelved, for the time being, an unusual attempt to subpoena reporters over their coverage, and three months after the original dinner was abandoned when a man opened fire at a security checkpoint outside the venue. Also Read | Trump to Meet Ukraine’s Zelenskyy in Bid to End War Held this time at the Waldorf Astoria rather than the cavernous Washington Hilton ballroom evacuated in April, the gathering carried an added layer of security. Sean Curran, director of the US Secret Service, told reporters in the run-up to the dinner that agents were prepared for trouble even at the black-tie affair. Trump Mixes Praise for Press With Familiar "Fake News" Jabs For much of the hour-long speech, Trump adopted a lighthearted, sarcastic tone, at one stage conceding a degree of respect for the profession he has spent years attacking, telling the room that journalists were doing an "amazing job".

The goodwill did not last long. Turning to his handling of Iran, Trump insisted the conflict was proceeding smoothly, telling the assembled press corps, "Don't believe the fake news." Scripted Jokes Take Aim at Kennedy, Christie, Springsteen and Schiff The speech featured a run of prepared punchlines directed at familiar targets. Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, a vocal advocate for beef tallow and animal protein, was jokingly blamed for supplying the evening's main course, with Trump suggesting he had personally run over the cow that became the dinner's "very delicious beef tenderloin". Trump also poked fun at the physiques of former New Jersey governor Chris Christie and New York congressman Jerry Nadler, picturing the pair tussling over a slice of cheesecake. Musician Bruce Springsteen was told he "looks like hell", while CNN's Kaitlan Collins, honoured earlier in the evening for her White House reporting, was ribbed for not smiling enough. California senator Adam Schiff, a persistent congressional critic, drew some of the sharpest words of the night, with Trump saying he "hated" him while mocking the size of his head and neck. When one line about term limits failed to land, Trump paused to address the room directly, asking whether anyone had actually understood "this whole freakin stupid speech that they wrote".