President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he will attend the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Friday, July 24, praising organizers for moving forward with the event after a gunman disrupted the original gathering in April. He described the decision to hold the dinner as “a sign of Strength and Fortitude” following the attack.

The event will take place in the ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria on Pennsylvania Avenue, a property that originally operated as a Trump Hotel before being sold in 2022. Guests who had already purchased tickets for the postponed dinner will not be required to pay again for admission.

The Waldorf Astoria’s Presidential Ballroom can accommodate roughly 1,300 seated attendees, according to promotional materials, making it considerably smaller than the approximately 2,500-person event held at the Washington Hilton that was cut short by the shooting.

“This announcement is a very good thing in that we cannot allow Lunatics to change our way of life, or even its scheduling,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The president added that he had been invited by White House Correspondents’ Association President Weijia Jiang and intended to attend.

“I was asked to be there, and speak, by Weijia Jiang, President of The White House Correspondents’ Association, and have accepted. I don’t know whether or not I will give the same rather nasty statements, at least as it concerns certain people, but we will soon find out.”

Trump also highlighted the venue’s connection to his business history.

“In any event,” the president added, “it will be a ‘HOT’ ticket! Interestingly, the location will be The Waldorf Astoria, on Pennsylvania Avenue, a Building and Ballroom that I built.”

The annual black-tie event, which includes scholarship presentations and journalism awards, had originally been scheduled for April 25. It was postponed after alleged gunman Cole Tomas Allen forced his way toward a security checkpoint carrying a rifle and shot a Secret Service agent, whose protective vest prevented more serious injury.

According to investigators, Allen later stated in a manifesto that he intended to assassinate Trump and multiple Cabinet members. He remains in custody awaiting trial.

“The White House Correspondents’ Dinner has served as a celebration of a free press and the vital role of journalism in our democracy for over a century,” WHCA president Weijia Jiang, a CBS News correspondent, said in a message to association members.

“When gunfire interrupted this year’s event, it further clarified the WHCA’s mission to advocate for the freedoms that are protected in the First Amendment. We will not allow an act of violence to have the last word, especially during a year when we are reflecting on the 250th anniversary of America and everything we stand for.”

Jiang also informed members that the July event would be “a more intimate gathering” than the original dinner and would feature “significantly enhanced safety measures and new access procedures.”