It was supposed to be a celebratory evening. Instead, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner turned into a scene of panic shortly after 8:30 p.m. Saturday when what appeared to be four gunshots were heard inside the Washington Hilton ballroom.
Replay video of shots being heard and President Trump and the rest of the stage being evacuated from the WHCA Dinner. pic.twitter.com/t908J3v47b
— Faytuks Network (@FaytuksNetwork) April 26, 2026
The moment President Trump was evacuated from the White House Correspondents dinner after loud noises were heard. pic.twitter.com/RnbIumNR3A
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 26, 2026
President Donald Trump was seated at the top table alongside several Cabinet members when the sounds rang out. Within seconds, attendees across the packed room dropped to the floor. Secret Service agents moved swiftly, pulling Trump and Vice President JD Vance off the stage and out of the room.
WATCH: New footage shows the chaotic moments after shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, D.C. Suspect is deceased. pic.twitter.com/p39skMRA7O
— AZ Intel (@AZ_Intel_) April 26, 2026
CNN reported that an alleged shooter was taken into custody shortly after the incident.
The Room and Who Was in It
The ballroom was filled with thousands of journalists alongside some of the most senior figures in the current administration. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, First Lady Melania Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent were all present. Bessent was seen being escorted out through the main entrance in the immediate aftermath of the shooting scare.
This was Trump’s first appearance at the correspondents’ dinner as president, making the evening historically significant even before the incident unfolded. The annual event has long served as a tradition honoring press freedom in the United States.
Trump Speaks Out
The president took to social media shortly after being evacuated, offering his take on how the night had gone and praising the response of law enforcement.
“Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely,” Trump wrote. “The shooter has been apprehended, and I have recommended that we ‘LET THE SHOW GO ON’ but will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement.”
He added that regardless of whether the event continued, “the evening will be much different than planned, and we’ll just, plain, have to do it again.”
CBS reporter Weijia Jiang, who serves as president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, announced shortly before 9 p.m. that the program would resume.
A Hotel With a Dark History
The Washington Hilton is not a stranger to presidential security scares. On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley Jr. as he was leaving the very same hotel. The bullet punctured Reagan’s lung and caused serious internal bleeding, nearly costing him his life.
More than four decades later, the same building became the backdrop for another alarming moment involving a sitting American president.
What We Know So Far
Details surrounding Saturday’s incident remain limited. Authorities have not publicly identified the alleged shooter or released information about a motive. No reports of injuries have been confirmed at the time of writing. The investigation is ongoing.
What is clear is that Secret Service and law enforcement moved quickly, the alleged shooter is in custody, and the president was unharmed. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and President Trump both have said that he will be addressing the press in 30 minutes at the White House Press Briefing Room.
