United by trauma: White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting exposed our capacity for unity

Published April 28, 2026 7:00am ET



In a rare moment, the nation’s entire leadership core and the titans of the Fourth Estate all gathered under one roof. It was an impressive display of democracy, but as we quickly learned, it was also a prime target. 

On this special evening, President Donald Trump would attend the first White House Correspondents’ Association dinner as president. Would he exhibit his uncanny humor or would he go on the attack? If past performance is indicative, it would be a combination of both, leaving the audience wondering if he was serious or joking… and that, we have learned, is the Art of the Deal.

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