Trump Evacuated As Shots Fired At White House Correspondents’ Dinner

By Grant Bromley

on Apr 25, 2026

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On April 25, President Trump was to participate in the White House Correspondents' Dinner for the first time, but a shooter led to the president being evacuated.
On April 25, President Trump was to participate in the White House Correspondents' Dinner for the first time, but a shooter led to the president being evacuated. (Photo credit: Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images, and Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for OP)

Annual Dinner Postponed After Shooting

During President Donald Trump‘s first term as president, he famously chose not to attend the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.

This broke with tradition from previous presidents, who often deliver humorous speeches before an audience largely comprised of reporters and media figures.

On Saturday, April 25, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were seated at the front of the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C.

However, as the festivities were set to begin, at approximately 8:30 p.m., a loud series of gunshots rang out from the lobby — purportedly five shots were fired, in all.

Secret Service pinned Trump to the ground, telling Trump, “Stay down! Stay down!”

He and the First Lady were then evacuated from the venue, and other members of the Trump administration — including Sec. of War Pete Hegseth and HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — filed out.

The shooter is believed to be in custody, with Trump noting the alleged shooter was “apprehended.” The shooter’s identity has not yet been disclosed, according to CNN.

Fox News reports that one Secret Service agent was shot in his bullet proof vest. Trump verified this, and confirmed the agent is doing well, saying, “The vest did the job.”

CNN reports that Erika Kirk — widow to the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated on Sept. 10 at an event at Utah Valley University — was in attendance and was overheard saying, “I just want to go home.”

Watch the moment Trump was pinned for his safety by Secret Service, here:

Here is an angle of the response to the shots fired from within the ballroom of the Hilton:

Watch the surveillance footage of the shooting, here:

Secret Service has issued a statement on the situation on X, writing that “the president and the first lady are safe.”

Further, “law enforcement is actively assessing the situation.”

Trump Responds To Shooting At Correspondents’ Dinner

During a press conference from the White House, President Trump, who was still wearing his tuxedo, stated, “This was an event dedicated to freedom of speech that was supposed to bring together members of both parties, with members of the press, and, in a certain way, it did.”

He added, “The fact that they just unified us — I saw a room that was just totally unified, it was, in one way, very beautiful. A very beautiful thing to see.”

Trump went on to say, “In light of this evening’s events, I ask that all Americans recommit with their hearts in resolving our difference peacefully. We have to resolve our differences — I will say, you had Republicans, Democrats, Independents, conservatives, liberals, and progressives … there was a tremendous amount of love and coming together.”

He added, “I was very impressed.”

Trump noted that a man had rushed through security at the Hilton Hotel with several weapons, with Trump having surveillance footage of the shooter attacking being released on Truth Social. He added that the footage shows “this thug” who “attacked our Constitution.”

Regarding the postponing of the Correspondents’ Dinner, Trump said he was following protocol, but noted, “I fought like hell to stay.”

Watch the news conference, here:

YouTube video

This shooting follows several other attempts on Trump’s life, including the harrowing assassination attempt on the campaign trail in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. There, Trump was grazed by a bullet on the right ear, and firefighter Corey Comperatore was killed by a stray bullet in the audience behind Trump.

Later, on Sept. 15, 2024, Ryan Routh was arrested after hiding out on the grounds of Mar-a-Lago, preparing to assassinate then-candidate Trump as he golfed.

Responding to the April 25 shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, Trump posted on Truth Social, saying, “Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely.”

See his full post, here:

President Trump posted about the April 25, 2026, shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner about an hour after the shooting happened. (Image: Donald Trump / Truth Social)

Then, a few minutes later, Trump offered an update, noting that the 2026 Correspondents’ Dinner was going to be postponed.

See his full comment, here:

This is a developing story.

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About the Author

Grant Bromley

Howdy, I’m Grant, a multimedia storyteller and lover of the arts. Whether it’s Copland’s ballet Rodeo or Peckinpah’s iconic Western Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, I have an appreciation for works that engage with the American mythos. Covering news, I help tell the stories that define our shared tomorrow.

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