The Wall Street Journal received the Katharine Graham Award for Courage and Accountability at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, held at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C. The award, which comes with a $10,000 prize, was presented by CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer. President Donald Trump was seated in the audience during the presentation.
According to Blitzer, the award recognized the Journal’s reporting on Trump’s past relationship with financier Jeffrey Epstein. Blitzer said this reporting helped trigger the release of what he called the “Epstein Files,” described as thousands of documents that might otherwise have stayed hidden from the public.
Blitzer also referenced a specific story the Journal published despite what he described as a threat of a lawsuit from the president. That story reportedly concerned a letter addressed to Epstein that bore Trump’s signature.
Presenter detailed lawsuit and fallout tied to the reporting
Blitzer told the audience that the letter story led Trump to file a $20 billion lawsuit against the Journal. He said the lawsuit publicly revealed the home address of reporter Khadeeja Safdar, and that her family had to relocate as a result. The legal dispute has continued since then, and Trump has since refiled a reduced version of the lawsuit after a judge dismissed the original filing.
According to Blitzer, the Journal was also removed from the Air Force One press pool following its Epstein-related coverage. He said the paper’s reporters continued filing stories despite these developments.
As Blitzer described the lawsuit and its aftermath, cameras reportedly cut to Trump, who was seen smiling and shrugging. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was seen giving him a pat on the back, according to accounts of the broadcast. Trump’s reaction has been described as appearing calm or amused, though his internal state or motivations were not confirmed by any official statement and should not be assumed.
Blitzer then invited the award recipients to the stage, naming Khadeeja Safdar, Sadie Gurman, Annie Linskey, Josh Dawsey, Alex Leary, Rebecca Ballhaus, and Ryan Barber. A colleague, Joe Palazzolo, was reportedly unable to attend. The reporters, dressed in formal attire, walked to the stage to accept the award.
As the reporters gathered, Trump stood up from his seat and walked over to them. He reportedly shook hands with several of the journalists, smiled, and exchanged brief words before returning to his table. Footage of the exchange has circulated online and was described by multiple observers as a striking moment, given the subject matter of the award.
The dinner itself was held months later than originally scheduled. According to prior reporting, the event had been postponed following a shooting incident connected to April’s planned dinner.
The Katharine Graham Award is named for the former publisher of The Washington Post and is intended to recognize journalism carried out despite significant pressure or retaliation, according to the award’s stated purpose as described by Blitzer.
This year’s recipients were credited specifically for coverage of Trump’s ties to Epstein, including stories about the Justice Department informing Trump that his name appeared in Epstein-related files, and separate reporting examining the White House’s response to those disclosures. The broader controversy has also drawn comment from within the administration, including remarks in which Vance addressed the Epstein files fallout.
Published: Jul 25, 2026 07:30 am