The video has circulated through newsrooms and social media. It shows Donald Trump, accompanied by the first lady Melania, sitting in formal attire at the head table of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, where they had just arrived after 8:30 PM.
Placidly listening to a guest approaching the presidential couple, Trump initially did not react to a sudden series of muffled detonations. Unlike Melania, who seemed worried, the president remained composed.
Soon after, “Secret Service agents rushed to secure the President, while guests were instructed to take shelter under their tables,” as reported by Politico, whose journalist was present at the dinner.
Safely evacuated from the ballroom where the event was taking place, Trump and his wife were taken back to the White House around 9:45 PM. This left behind hundreds of guests, including numerous American and international political journalists based in Washington, in a state of confusion and uncertainty.
According to The Washington Post, guests were kept in limbo waiting for more information about the incident. Some were asked to evacuate, but then an announcement was made that the program would resume. In a partially empty room, people called or messaged their loved ones to reassure them of their safety, with some resorting to wine to calm their nerves.
It wasn’t until two hours later, during a White House press conference, that Trump revealed the shooter was described as a “lone wolf” and a “nut job” who discharged multiple firearms in the hotel vestibule. A security agent was injured during the exchange of gunfire. The suspect was apprehended on the scene and detained for federal charges related to firearm use during a violent act and assault on a federal agent with a dangerous weapon.
Trump addressed the press later and posted photos and a video of the suspect on Truth Social. The footage showed the suspect being restrained on the ground and a video of him running in the hotel lobby.
The New York Times identified the suspect as a 31-year-old man from California. Various government officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, were present at the event and were calmly evacuated.
During his press conference, Trump appeared calm and assured the public that he was not shaken by the events. He acknowledged the dangers of his position, saying, “I think I’m managing the situation as well as possible. I’m not in despair. I’m really taking things as they are. I’m doing this for the country.”
