US President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, were evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner by Secret Service on Saturday evening after shots were fired outside of the ballroom where the dinner was being held. Shortly before she was escorted off the stage by security, Melania appeared to react to something in the crowd and had a concerned look on her face, according to a live feed from CSPAN.
US Vice President JD Vance and other members of Trump’s cabinet present at the dinner were also rushed out by their respective security teams, as was Erika Kirk, current CEO of Turning Point USA, and the widow of the late right-wing podcaster Charlie Kirk.
The US Secret Service and the Metropolitan Police Department are investigating the incident, the Secret Service said in a statement posted to X/Twitter, confirming that “the president and the first lady are safe along with all protectees.”
The Secret Service added that the suspect was in custody. Authorities identified the suspected gunman as Cole Thomas Allen, a 31-year-old male from California, multiple law enforcement officials briefed on the incident stated.
The suspect, armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and several knives, fired at a Secret Service agent, an FBI official told Reuters, adding that the agent was hit in an area covered by protective gear and was not harmed and that the suspect was taken to the hospital for evaluation.
“Quite an evening in DC,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Saturday evening. “Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely. The shooter has been apprehended, and I have recommended that we ‘LET THE SHOW GO ON’ but, will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement.”
In a second Truth Social post, Trump said he would deliver a statement from the White House Briefing Room within the next half hour and that the event would be re-held within the next 30 days. A law enforcement source told CBS that the shooter was apparently in the hallway outside the ballroom, by the metal detectors.
In a press conference held at the White House, Trump again expressed his admiration for the Secret Service, saying that he was very impressed by their response time. He also said that the captured suspect was currently believed to be a lone operator.
When asked whether he believed the shooting had anything to do with the war between the US and Iran, Trump responded that he did not think so, adding that the incident wouldn’t deter him from winning the war.
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said that the suspect was being charged with two counts and would be arraigned on Monday.
US politicians praise law enforcement for quick action
New York Senator Chuck Schumer wrote in a post on X/Twitter that he is closely monitoring the situation and that he is “grateful for the quick response of law enforcement and am praying everyone remains safe.”
“Very thankful to God that President Trump and the First Lady, Vice President Vance and the Second Lady are okay, as well as everyone else attending the dinner,” Senator Lindsey Graham said in his own X/Twitter post.
“The only thing I’m certain of is that the times in which we live are creating a stream of threats that are unprecedented against President Trump and other government officials. To the brave law enforcement officers who were there to protect, well done. To the American people, let’s all pray for calmer waters and try to be part of the solution, not the problem.”
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (New York) echoed the sentiment in his own post, adding that he is “praying for the safety of those who may remain in harm’s way,” and that “the violence and chaos in America must end.”
'Nerd prom' attended by politicians, news organizations
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is an annual event sponsored by the White House Correspondents’ Association for over 100 years that is independent of the White House and raises money for scholarships.
Nicknamed the “nerd prom” by Washington reporters, it is meant to be a light-hearted but black-tie event where a comedian or entertainer lampoons the president and other politicians, and then the US president is given a chance to respond with a comedy routine of his own.
Celebrities whose names are in the news are sometimes invited by news organizations and often attend. Every president since Calvin Coolidge in 1924 has attended the dinner at least once, except for Trump during his first term.
Israeli-born American mentalist Oz Pearlman hosted the dinner on Saturday night, seen as a way to placate Trump and encourage him to attend, since Pearlman’s performances focus on mental feats rather than political humor. Although Trump did not attend during his first term, he was present several times before becoming president, notably in 2011, when then-president Barack Obama poked fun at him.
Channel 12’s Barak Ravid was present at the event last night and reported on his experience. In 2023, while working at Axios, he received the Aldo Beckman Memorial Award from the White House Correspondents’ Association.
Ravid posted to X from the event, writing, "President Trump is escorted away from the White House Correspondents' Dinner by Secret Service agents after several loud booms were heard in the room."
Veteran CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, who was The Jerusalem Post’s Washington correspondent from 1973 to 1990, was also at the event and was quoted on CNN’s website as saying, “All of a sudden I heard these loud, very loud, very scary gunshots right near me. Next thing I knew, a police officer threw me to the ground and was on top of me.”
He continued, “I had no idea, as I was hearing the gunshots, who this shooter was aiming at, or if he was just trying to scare everybody... And, of course, the first thing that went through my mind was whether he was going to shoot me. It was a terrible, very frightening moment for me.”