US authorities are charging a gunman in a shooting at the hotel that hosted the White House correspondents’ dinner in Washington, an incident that forced President
The gunfire disrupted Trump’s first appearance as president at the annual dinner, which his predecessors routinely attended. Secret Service officers rushed into the room to evacuate Trump, First Lady
The shooting marked the latest example of political violence that has plagued the nation, including the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol and the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion being set ablaze. Trump has been the subject of prior assassination attempts, including at a Pennsylvania rally in 2024, in which his ear was grazed by a bullet.
Speaking later during a press conference at the White House, Trump said that he had “studied assassinations” and that “the most impactful people” are the ones who tend to be targeted. “I hate to say I’m honored by that, but I’ve done a lot,” he added.
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance were evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington Saturday after shots were fired at the hotel where the event was taking place. A suspect is now in custody and being questioned, Trump said. Source: Bloomberg
Trump said the suspect was “really moving” when he was apprehended by law enforcement. Beforehand, the president posted on social media a clip of security camera footage of the alleged gunman running at high speed then officers quickly drawing their weapons. The suspect was carrying a shotgun, handgun and multiple knives, according to Washington police.
The motive of the attacker was unclear but is believed to be a “lone wolf,” Trump said.
“This is not the first time in the past couple of years that our republic has been attacked by a would-be assassin who sought to kill,” Trump said, adding that “in light of this evening’s events, I ask that all Americans recommit with their hearts and resolving our differences peacefully.”
Trump, still in his tuxedo from the gala dinner, was flanked at the White House by several members of his administration, many of whom were at the dinner that serves as both a spotlight on freedom of the press and Washington’s most prominent annual gala. He said he wanted the dinner to be rescheduled within 30 days.
The dinner’s meal service had just begun when attendees at the Washington Hilton reported hearing noises that sounded like gunshots. The president said the gunman ran through a security checkpoint but did not breach the ballroom where the event was being held.
“I was watching to see what was happening. Melania was very cognizant. It’s a bad noise, and I and we were whisked away,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
“And again, the performance of the Secret Service, and it was very quick. There’s a lot of time to be thinking. It was a matter of seconds before we’re out the door.”
Trump cited the situation as a justification for building his planned ballroom, which would operate when open behind the White House’s security cordon.
A witness said they heard security yell outside in the corridor at an individual to stop before a commotion and series of gunshots.
“We took a few steps up and we heard ‘Stop stop stop,’ a boom and then pop pop pop,” he said.
John Lambert, a dinner attendee and the president of Boat Evolution Inc., said he was walking toward the bathroom and saw a man sprinting past security to the stairs down to the ballroom. Several security officers immediately chased him and many shots — perhaps as many as 20 — were fired at the person running toward the stairs, he said. Lambert said he was immediately ushered into the mens’ restroom.
Trump’s presence at the dinner is unusual for him. While US presidents have historically attended the event, Trump has skipped most of them since his 2016 presidential election victory. He became the first president to avoid the dinner since Jimmy Carter, who did not attend in 1978 and 1980.
The dinner is a fundraiser with proceeds going in part to scholarships for journalism students. But the affair has also been a magnet for celebrities who mingle with politicians and members of the press. As it’s grown in size and attention, the event has been criticized as illustrating a too-cozy relationship between journalists and the people they cover.
The Secret Service has dealt with several other attempts on the president’s life since the 2024 shooting.
Ryan Routh was
The Washington Hilton was also the site of an assassination attempt in 1981, when then-president
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