Melania To Stay Away From Trump Dinner

By

President Donald Trump is set to attend the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Friday, but several high-profile administration officials, including first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are expected to miss the event because of prior commitments.

The dinner was postponed after the original gathering earlier this year was abruptly disrupted when gunfire outside the venue triggered a large security response. Secret Service agents quickly evacuated Trump, senior administration officials, reporters and other attendees as authorities responded to the incident.

Following the evacuation, Trump described the ordeal as a traumatic experience for his wife. However, those close to the first lady indicated afterward that the incident would not change her public schedule or discourage her from carrying out her duties.

Since then, Melania Trump has continued appearing alongside the president at several major public events, including a UFC event at the White House and the FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey.

While Melania, Vance and Rubio are expected to be absent from Friday’s dinner, several other senior administration officials are slated to attend, including FBI Director Kash Patel, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

Vance’s absence has also drawn attention because the original event raised concerns about presidential succession after the president, vice president and other top government leaders were gathered in the same location when the security incident unfolded.