- The dinner guests sat down under tables in a panic.
- Tactical security teams with guns drawn took position on the stage.
- Trump was evacuated as police and Secret Service swarmed the hotel.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner by Secret Service agents on Saturday night after loud bangs were heard.
Other Trump administration officials attending the dinner were also evacuated after a loud commotion near the hotel ballroom where the dinner was being held.
Diners immediately stopped talking and people started screaming, “Get down, get down!”
Hundreds of guests ducked under the tables as Secret Service officers in combat gear ran into the dining room. Trump and the first lady had ducked behind the podium before being chased out by Secret Service officers.
Many of the 2,600 attendees took cover as waiters fled to the front of the dining hall.
Shortly before being escorted from the stage by security, Melania Trump appeared to react to something in the crowd and had a concerned look on her face, according to a live feed from CSPAN.
Earlier, Russian media had claimed that a shooter was killed at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner by the president’s security detail after allegedly opening fire, saying several shots were fired before the suspect was neutralized.
However, President Trump said in a Truth Social post that security agencies acted quickly during an incident in Washington and praised their response and confirmed that a suspect had been detained.
“Quite a night the DC Secret Service and Law Enforcement did an amazing job. They acted quickly and courageously,” he said in a social media post.
“The shooter has been apprehended and I have recommended that we ‘LET THE SHOW GO ON,’ but will be entirely managed by law enforcement. They will make a decision shortly,” he added.
He said the final decision on whether to continue the event would be left to law enforcement, adding that the evening would “be very different than planned” and may have to be rescheduled.
In another Truth Social post, Trump said law enforcement had ordered an immediate evacuation after a security incident in Washington, adding that top officials were safe and the event would be rescheduled.
“Law enforcement has requested that we vacate the premises in accordance with protocol, which we will do immediately,” he said in a social media post.
“I will hold a press conference in 30 minutes from the White House Press Briefing Room. The First Lady plus the Vice President and all Cabinet members are in perfect condition. We’ll talk to you in half an hour,” he added.
He said he had spoken to officials responsible for the event and that it would be rescheduled within 30 days.
According to eyewitnesses, police swarmed the Washington Hilton Hotel, where the event took place, and helicopters hovered overhead.
CNN and other US media reported that Trump was unharmed.
The pool report said an alleged shooter was in custody, citing the Secret Service, but the report was not officially confirmed.
Unconfirmed reports indicated that one person was injured, although details of the cause of the injury were not available.
The incident broke out after the welcome speech and during the dinner before Trump was to speak.
Trump administration officials appeared to have been evacuated first, and there remained uncertainty about exactly what happened.
One official, Mehmet Oz, said “shots were fired upstairs” as he was rushed out by security.
Trump was the target of an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024. A gunman fired several shots, killing one protester and slightly injuring the president’s ear.
A few months later, another man was arrested after a Secret Service agent saw the barrel of a rifle sticking out of the bushes on the perimeter of the West Palm Beach golf course where Trump played a round.
The Washington Hilton, where Saturday’s gala took place, was the site where Republican President Ronald Reagan was shot by a would-be assassin in 1981.
Organizers told guests the White House Correspondents’ Dinner would go ahead despite the incident.
Trump attended the event for the first time while in office.
The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) invited Trump this year despite his repeated attacks on the media. The move had drawn backlash across newsrooms, and hundreds of journalists signed an open letter asking participants to disclose Trump’s press restrictions.
Unlike every other president from the past 100 years, Trump has never attended the White House Correspondents’ Dinner while in office—until now.
The “Nerd Prom,” as attendees call it, brings together hundreds of Washington journalists and media executives to raise funds for scholarships and awards.
In the Butler shooting, Trump was grazed on his right ear when a 20-year-old gunman opened fire from a nearby rooftop while the Republican presidential candidate held a campaign rally in Butler on July 13.
One person in the audience was killed and the gunman, Thomas Crooks, was shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper.
