2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner best dressed: Karoline Leavitt shows off baby
A slew of stars have gathered in Washington, D.C. for the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner, and they did not disappoint when it came to their looks.
The dinner – which has pretty much been held on the last Saturday in April at the Washington Hilton hotel for over 100 years – sees celebrities, political figures and government officials come together to celebrate the First Amendment right to a free press.
Hosted by the White House Correspondents’ Association – the journalists who cover the White House and the President of the United States – it’s become one of the most elite parties of the year, with A-listers of all sorts coming together.
President Donald Trump has attended the event for the first time this year after skipping it last year and every year of his first presidency, while FBI Director Kash Patel and his girlfriend Alexis Wilkins were the Daily Mail’s guests for the evening.
In addition to the president and FBI director, the star-studded guest list included tons of big names in TV and journalism.
The famous faces certainly impressed with their stunning ensembles at the prestigious event, from Karoline Leavitt‘s dazzling gown that showed off her growing baby bump to CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins dramatic pink number.
President Trump kept it classy at the event, donning a simple black tuxedo while his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, matched him in a dark coat-dress.
Take a look at the best dressed stars from the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump skipped the red carpet at the 2026 White House Correspondents Dinner but were seen standing by their table inside of the prestigious event. Melania stunned in a simple black coat-dress while Donald kept it classy in a black tuxedo
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt showed off her baby bump as she hit the red carpet at the dinner in a sparkling black gown. She cradled her growing stomach as she posed for photos. The expecting mother, who earlier this week joked that her baby was due ‘any minute,’ completed her look with silver pumps and a chic black handbag and styled her blonde locks in neat curls
CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins looked pretty in pink as she arrived wearing a light pink dress that contained a dramatic design on the chest area and some matching heels with white bows. Collins famously in 2021 became the youngest chief White House correspondent in CNN’s history
Cheryl Hines pulled out all the stops when it came to her look, dazzling in a strapless gray dress that contained a dramatic waistline and long skirt that covered her feet. She posed with her husband Robert F Kennedy Jr, who looked dapper in a dark blue tuxedo
White House deputy chief of staff for policy and US homeland security advisor Stephen Miller opted for a simple tuxedo while his wife Katie Miller donned a silky, salmon gown that left her growing baby bump on full display. The couple announced that they were expecting their fourth baby together in January
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth planted a loving kiss on his wife Jennifer Rauchet on the red carpet, and the couple looked as great as ever. Hegseth donned a black suit for the event. As for Rauchet, she was seen in a tan dress with an interesting piece of fabric that went across her shoulders and a matching belt. But the best part of her look was arguably her handbag, which had ruffles all over it
Transportation secretary Sean Duffy and his wife Rachel Campos-Duffy both looked amazing at the dinner, with the politician and former television personality opting for a black suit and his other half wearing a white and gold strapless gown that came complete with a big bow in the center
Celebrity physician and TV star Dr Mehmet Oz attended the event with his wife, Lisa, who wore a fiery red gown that contained off-the-shoulder sleeves. It comes days after Dr Oz, who wore a black tuxedo, was accused of cynical marketing tactics, after he used his mother’s dementia to advertise supplements that experts say have no proven benefit
Alina Habba, who previously served as Trump’s US attorney for New Jersey, stunned at the event in a simple black gown that included one sleeve that fell off her shoulder, a ruched waist and long flowing skirt. She famously was fired after months of scandal, centering around her botched handling of the Epstein files, as well as frustration at her failure to prosecute the President’s political foes
Senior correspondent for CBS News and 60 Minutes star Norah O’Donnell lit up the room in her lavender, sparkly floor-length gown. She completed the look with platform heels and an eye-popping clutch
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino and his wife Erin Elmore looked amazing together as they walked the carpet at the event. He opted for a navy blue tuxedo while she dazzled in a strapless black gown that had intricate gold sparkling lines all over it and a long flowing skirt that draped behind her
CBS anchor Margaret Brennan looked stunning in a piercing red strapless gown that contained a dramatic pointed neckline. She completed the look with matching gloves and a chic clutch. She made headlines last month after Karoline Leavitt attacked her for criticizing Defense Secretary Hegseth after he asked for prayers for American troops
Fox News White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich and her fiance Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick were the epitome of a doting couple at the event. She opted for a dazzling diamond red dress with a very-revealing thigh high slit and low-cut neckline while he donned a classic black tuxedo. The two got engaged in June 2025 in the South of France
US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon looked amazing in her leopard print gown. The dramatic pattern certainly ensured all eyes would be on her. She accessorized with some sparkly heels, a long necklace and hanging earrings
Cabinet member Kelly Loeffler, who runs the Small Business Administration and is known as President Trump’s ‘Small Business Czar,’ wowed in a striped navy long-sleeve dress. She completed the look with some simple black heels and added a pop of color with a red clutch
Chris Wright, United States Secretary of Energy, and his wife Liz Wright were all smiles as they hit the red carpet together. Chris kept is simple in a black tuxedo while Liz matched him in a dark gown
Monica Crowley, US Chief of Protocol, showed up in style, rocking a dark blue sparkly gown which contained a low-cut neckline and some nude flats. Crowley is a prominent conservative author and commentator who has been on Fox News channel since 1996
ABC News journalist Linsey Davis sported an interesting patterned dress that contained a sheer top half and long flowing pieces of fabric on the bottom half. Davis made headlines last year after she revealed her secret years-long battled with uterine fibroids
Journalist Taylor Lorenz, who made headlines last year for openly wishing for the death of former President Joe Biden in a shocking social media post, arrived in a shining black ruffled midi-dress, tights and pumps. But arguably most noticeably was the black facemask she wore
Fox News star turned prosecutor Jeanine Pirro stunned in a black, lacy gown that had off-the-shoulder sleeves and an intricate floral pattern. Pirro, who is the US attorney for the District of Columbia and Trump’s top attorney, wore a series of bangles and a dazzling diamoned necklace to complete the look
CNN host Kasie Hunt was seen at the event in a simple black gown. But she elevated the look with a sparkling cropped jacket. The TV star accessorized with a cool set of rings that went across every finger of her hand
Senior advisor to the US Agency for Global Media Kari Lake wore a black gown that had sparkles along the top at the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Lake is a former television anchor who became a vocal proponent of Trump’s 2020 ‘big lie’ – that widespread fraud cost him reelection. That earned her two endorsements from the president, first when she ran and lost the 2022 Arizona governor’s race for the Republicans to Democrat Katie Hobbs and, again, when she lost an Arizona Senate seat to Democrat Ruben Gallego two years later
Former White House Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley and his girlfriend, actress Jordan Rachel, shined at the event. The latter wore a one-shoulder white gown that she paired with a dramatic gold necklace. As for Gidley, he looked handsome in a black tuxedo
CBS News chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes rocked a piercing blue gown. The dramatic number contained a long skirt, low-cut neckline and belt around her midriff area
NPR boss Katherine Maher was seen in a stunning floral floor-length gown. She was practically glowing in the black and pink number, as she posed with two unidentified men. She was famously grilled by Republican Rep Brandon Gill in March 2025 about a call she made for white people to pay ‘reparations’ on social media
CNN’s chief investigative correspondent Pamela Brown walked the carpet with her The Situation Room co-anchor Wolf Blitzer. She stunned in a figure-hugging blue dress which had a ruched waistline
Fox News anchor Bret Baier was seen at the event with his wife, Amy Baier. He wore a black tuxedo while she donned a dramatic, gold, sparkly gown that had eye-popping flower embellishments all over it. She accessorized with gold heels and a butterfly purse
Fox News’ Shannon Bream looked amazing in her sweeping black gown, which contained a dramatic ruffle on one shoulder, a big rose on the waist and a long flowing skirt with a train. Earlier this month, Trump took aim at the Fox News Sunday star for incorrectly referring to the Republican-backed ‘Save America Act’ as the ‘Save Act’ on-air
US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and his wife Kathryn Burgum both stunned at the dinner, with Kathryn dazzling in a gold gown that contained a slit in the middle of her chest and dramatic, puffy sleeves
NBC News star Andrea Mitchell ensured all eyes would be on her in a sparkling red dress as she hit the red carpet. She was famously slammed by viewers last year over her emotional break-down during her final broadcast on MSNBC
President Trump’s Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche was seen at the event with his wife, Kristine Blanche, who looked stunning in her floral, blue, strapless gown. She paired the dress, which had a slit in her chest area, with a white shawl and dramatic patterned purse. Todd, on the other hand, kept it simple in a tuxedo
Senator Marco Rubio’s wife Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio stunned in a strapless, white and black dress. It comes one day after the US Secretary of State offered a brutal warning to Iran’s soccer team ahead of this summer’s World Cup
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and his wife Christie Mullin were all smiles as they posed on the red carpet. Christie opted for a patterned black dress while Markwayne wore a chic suit. Markwayne, a former MMA fighter from Oklahoma, replaced Kristi Noem last month