President Donald Trump turned the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner into a campaign-style roast on Friday, pulling on a bright red "Trump 2028" hat and joking about a fourth presidential term. The event, held at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, was rescheduled after an April evacuation due to gunfire.

"I'm pleased to announce my intention… to run for a fourth term," Trump said as he donned the hat, calling it "somewhat of a scoop." The quip came during an hour-long speech that mixed jokes with sharp criticism of the press. Trump framed the "fourth term" as a reference to his claim that the 2020 election was "rigged" — a claim repeatedly contradicted by a March 2021 assessment from the U.S. National Intelligence Council, coordinated with the CIA, FBI, DHS, and NSA. The 22nd Amendment limits presidents to two elected terms.

The dinner was originally scheduled for April but was postponed after gunfire forced an evacuation, leading to heightened security and a smaller venue. Trump also said he'd return next year and voiced support for congressional term limits.

Press Corps Takes the Brunt

Trump renewed his criticism of CNN's Kaitlan Collins, saying she "never smiles" — a line he first used earlier this year after she pressed him on the Jeffrey Epstein case. He also shook hands with the Wall Street Journal reporting team he is currently suing for defamation over their Epstein coverage, and repeated past digs at CNN's Jake Tapper and the Journal's Josh Dawsey.

The president also mocked former President Joe Biden over his public stumbles and joked that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. personally provided the beef served at the dinner after running over the cow himself.

Image via Shutterstock