Trump rushed out of White House Correspondents’ Dinner as gunfire erupts
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump walked off stage immediately after the White House Correspondents’ Dinner after gunshots were heard at the Washington Hilton.
It was the president’s first time attending the event since 2011 and he was scheduled to be honored and give a speech.
While no injuries were seen in the incident, a law enforcement official said that the attacker opened fire.
Secret Service and other officials filled the banquet hall at the Washington Hilton as hundreds of guests sheltered under tables. “Get out of the way, sir!” someone shouted. Others shouted to bow.
About an hour later, the White House confirmed that the President and First Lady would return to the event.
Trump confirmed in a post he shared on Truth Social that the gunman was in custody.
An evening at ‘DC Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a great job. They acted quickly and bravely. The shooter has been captured and I have recommended “LET THE SHOW CONTINUE”, but this will be entirely at the direction of Law Enforcement. They will decide shortly. Whatever that decision is, the evening will be very different to what was planned and obviously we will have to do it again.’
Daily Mail reporters who attended the meeting reported hearing three to four gunshots and Secret Service agents yelling to come downstairs.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump walked off stage immediately after the White House Correspondents’ Dinner after gunshots were heard at the Washington Hilton.
It was the president’s first time attending the event since 2011 and he was scheduled to be honored and give a speech.
Some in the crowd reported hearing what they believed to be five to eight shots being fired.
The banquet hall, where hundreds of prominent journalists, celebrities and national leaders were waiting for Trump to speak, was immediately evacuated.
The National Guard took up positions inside the building as people were allowed to exit the building but were not allowed to re-enter. Security outside was also extremely tight.
It wasn’t immediately clear what happened. A law enforcement official confirmed there was a shooter, but no further details were released yet.
Among those attending the meeting were Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Host Wolf Blitzer later reported that police said the gunman had a “big gun.”
Trump, along with WHCA President Weijia Jiang, appeared not to notice the gunshots before being evacuated as the President spoke with host mentalist Oz Pearlman.
As the entire dais left the room, with most of the other guests still inside, cries of ‘God Bless America’ were heard throughout the ballroom.
Prior to the dinner, protesters were seen both outside and inside the Washington Hilton regarding the Iran War and Israel’s war against Hamas.
About half an hour later, Jiang announced that the program would continue “for a very long time.”
Trump arrived Saturday night at a dinner where leaders of a nation at war gather with celebrities, journalists and even a puppet (Triumph the Insult Comic Dog) that typically sparks debate about whether the relationship between journalists and their sources should include socializing together and setting aside sometimes adversarial relationships.
This is an evolving story.
