(Updating …) Donald Trump and other dignitaries have been hustled out of the White House Correspondents Dinner after shots were apparently fired.
As guests at the event leapt under tables under orders from the Secret Service, POTUS, along with the First Lady, the Vice President, mentalist Oz Pearlman and WHCA boss Weijia Jiang were hauled out of the ballroom.
Heavily-armed guards jumped up on the stage of the usually locked down event. The whole fast moving scene was captured on the C-SPAN cameras live.
In the Washington Hilton ballroom itself, Deadline’s Ted Johnson says, “I heard what sounded like four shots, and it seemed to come from the hall just outside the ballroom near my table.” See video he shot just moments after the incident below.
Cutting into an interview from the ballroom floor with Jake Tapper, CNN declared that “the President is safe.” The Trumps are still at the Washington Hilton, sources says. Fox News, which is close to the administration, are saying that POTUS will return to the dinner, but there is no official word from the White House.
Guests take cover at the 2026 White House Correspondents Association Dinner after shots were fired outside the ballroom
Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s security told CNN live on air that there was a shooter in the lobby and he is dead. The White House Pool Report from Jeff Mordock of the Washington Times has said that they “just heard Secret Service say alleged shooter is in custody.”
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, who was to receive an Award for Excellence from the WHCD tonight, said a Secret Service agent told her “the shooter is confirmed dead.”
Outside the ballroom at the time a gun went off, Wolf Blitzer said live on air that it looked like the shooter “had gone through security.” The incident appears to have occurred in the lobby area that is one flight up from the ballroom where the dinner is held.
Already under a pretty intense security bubble Saturday, the cavernous hotel is now under lockdown. No one outside getting back in and the perimeter has been hardened around the venue.
CNN, MS Now, the BBC, Fox News and C-SPAN are all reporting that cabinet secretaries like Marco Rubio and high ranking members of Congress were quickly moved out. However, most of the guests are still in the room.
Many individuals are exiting the area, but an announcement from the stage is that the “program will resume shortly.” It is unclear what that means and if Trump will be returning.
In what was Trump’s first time at the WHCD as POTUS, he had only arrived a few minutes before the incident. After welcoming words from Jiang, Trump and the First Lady were speaking with headliner Pearlman from their seats. The conversation found the mentalist, who had promised earlier in the day to try to read Trump’s mind tonight, pointing at small cards and gesturing to an impassioned Trump.
Over 45 years ago, Ronald Reagan was shot and wounded leaving the Washington Hilton after delivering a speech to AFL-CIO leaders. Within two weeks, Reagan was back from hospital to the White House, but subsequent information over the decades has revealed the 40th POTUS was much more seriously injured than the public were told.
