Trump Responds to Shooting Incident at White House Correspondents' Dinner

Trump's Remarks on Media Coverage

In the aftermath of the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner held at the Hilton hotel in Washington on April 25, Donald Trump expressed gratitude towards the media for their "responsible coverage" of the event. Speaking from the White House shortly after the occurrence, he stated, “I want to thank the press, the media, you have been very responsible in your coverage, I will say.” He emphasized that the dinner was meant to celebrate freedom of speech and foster unity among members of both political parties and the press, noting, "The room was totally unified, it was a very beautiful thing to see."

During a Q&A session, Trump praised Weija Jiang, the senior White House correspondent for CBS News and president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, saying, “Madam Chairman, I just want to say you did a fantastic job, what a beautiful evening and we are going to reschedule.”

Details of the Shooting Incident

What Happened At White House Correspondents' Dinner at Washington Hilton

During the annual dinner, President Trump and other officials were safely evacuated after a man with multiple weapons discharged shots outside the hotel ballroom. The incident occurred around 8:34 PM local time while dinner was being served. At that moment, Trump was engaged in conversation with Weijia Jiang and mentalist Oz Pearlman, who was set to perform at the event. Secret Service agents and security personnel quickly shielded the President, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Second Lady Usha Vance, escorting them out of the ballroom as guests instinctively ducked for cover.

Trump's Announcement on Rescheduling the Dinner

Trump Announces Dinner Will Be Rescheduled

Maintaining a positive outlook, Trump later shared on Truth Social that the dinner would be rescheduled within 30 days. A C-SPAN reporter present at the event described the chaos, stating, “Boom, boom, boom, boom is all that I heard, and many guests ducked under the table.” Following the incident, Trump held a press conference where he revealed that security forces had apprehended a suspect from California. He recounted, “I heard a noise and sort of thought it was a tray going down. I've heard that many times. It was a pretty loud noise, and it was from quite far away. He (the attacker) hadn't reached the area at all. They really got him.” Trump also mentioned that a security officer was shot at but was protected by a bulletproof vest. Outside the hotel, several protesters were seen demonstrating against the Trump administration and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. A CNN reporter outside the ballroom witnessed the gunman firing just a few feet away, prompting many attendees to take cover as law enforcement responded swiftly. The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from California, has been arrested.