Trump rushed away from White House correspondents dinner as shots fired

President Donald Trump held a news conference at the White House late Saturday evening after being rushed from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner stage during a shooting rampage.

Trump said there was “incredible response” to the incident by the Secret Service and law enforcement. He said a Secret Service officer was shot “at very close range” but was wearing a “very good bulletproof vest.” The representative is in good condition.

“His morale is very high. We told him we loved him,” Trump said.

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Trump added that the Washington Hilton, which hosted the dinner, was “not a particularly secure building” and said it underscored the need for a ballroom at the White House.

“It’s much safer. It’s drone-proof. It’s bulletproof glass. We need a ballroom. That’s why the Secret Service wants it, that’s why the military demands it.”

Trump added that the ballroom where the dinner was held was “very, very safe.” “The ballroom is sealed.”

“[The suspect] The shot was fired from 50 meters away, so it was a long way from the room,” he told reporters.

“It was really moving. And reaction time was great. Wow, these guys literally had their guns drawn. “When he got there they were shooting.”

Trump continued: “He still had a long way to go. That was really the first line of defense. And they caught him. And they were just incredible.”

He said the attacker was in custody and law enforcement was “asking him a lot of questions.”

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a press conference in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House on April 25, 2026 in Washington, DC. President Trump is making a statement after the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner was canceled following a possible shooting. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

“My impression is that he is a lone wolf, a crazy business.”

He also recalled the last two attempts on his life.

“As you know, this is not the first time in the last few years that our republic has been attacked by a would-be assassin who tried to kill us less than two years ago in Butler, Pennsylvania. You know, despite that story and a few months after that, we came close to that in Palm Beach, Florida.”

Trump said the gunman who opened fire on the Secret Service after going through magnetometers near the Hilton ballroom was a “very sick person.”

““I think he lives in California and he’s a sick person, a very sick person.”

After gunshots were heard during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25, 2026, guests moved away from the Washington Hilton due to heavy police presence. (Ulysse BELLIER/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump had previously said he would leave the event, which will be rescheduled in 30 days. He said he “fought like hell to stay,” but law enforcement insisted he leave as a safety precaution.

Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday evening: “Law enforcement has requested that we leave the building immediately in accordance with protocol, which we will do immediately. I will be holding a press conference in the White House Press Briefing Room in 30 minutes. The First Lady, the Vice President and all members of the Cabinet are in excellent condition. We will speak with you in a half hour. I have spoken with all representatives responsible for the event and we will reschedule within 30 days.”

White House Correspondents’ Association President Weijia Jiang said after the incident, “The President will hold a press conference at the White House in 30 minutes. This is not a joke.” he said. He confirmed that the dinner would be rescheduled.

Agents draw their weapons after loud noises are heard during the White House Correspondents’ dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC, on April 25, 2026. President Trump is attending the political press’ annual gala for the first time while in office. (Mandel NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

The FBI told Fox News that a gunman entered the main magnetometer near the entrance to the Washington Hilton ballroom and opened fire. A Secret Service agent was shot in the vest but is in stable condition. The counter-attack team neutralized the threat. According to information obtained by Fox News, the Secret Service worked to determine whether there were other threats and determined that there were not.

The Secret Service confirmed the suspect was in custody.

Attendees reported hearing shouting, gunshots, and several people hiding under tables as Secret Service agents escorted the president, first lady, Cabinet secretaries, and others at the head table out of the room.

Secret Service agents stood at the head table, guns drawn, as they scanned the room.

Protesters had gathered outside the Washington Hilton earlier in the evening, but it was unclear whether the two incidents were related.

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., released his own statement about the incident at “We thank them for their intervention.”

Secret Service chief spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement: “The U.S. Secret Service, in coordination with the Metropolitan Police Department, is investigating a shooting incident that occurred near the main magnetometer screening area at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The President and First Lady are safe, along with all protected persons. One person is in custody. The condition of those involved is not yet known and law enforcement is actively assessing the situation.”

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Speaker Mike Johnson was rushed out of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

“I was really worried. I heard gunshots and everyone jumped down,” said Fox News’ Bret Baier, who attended the dinner. “Within seconds, the place was filled with Secret Service agents with guns drawn.

Trump was seen quickly being escorted from the room by security, and White House officials told Fox News Digital that both he, the first lady, and Karoline Leavitt are now safe.

The incident marked the first violent disruption of the dinner, which dates back more than a century.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz, R-Fla., believed House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who was shot and seriously injured during a baseball game in 2017, took him to a safe room.

“I’m there #WHCD. I want to thank the law enforcement forces, the Capital police. “I want to personally thank Steve Scalise for taking me to a safe room,” he wrote to X.

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Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., himself in X, Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind. and Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., left the dinner after the incident, he said. “Pray for our country, pray for our leaders,” he said in a video sent to X. “It’s a crazy time.”

Fox News Jacqui Heinrich and David Spunt contributed to this report.