President Donald Trump delivered a statement from the White House briefing room following the shooting incident that led to the evacuation of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner earlier tonight.
“A man charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons,” Trump said, praising Secret Service and law enforcement for acting “very quickly” to stop the suspect.
Trump was rushed from the Washington Hilton after shots were reported near the screening area, with law enforcement later confirming a suspect was taken into custody.
Trump confirmed the shooter was taken down and said one officer was shot at close range but saved by a bulletproof vest. “I just spoke to the officer… he’s in great shape,” Trump said.
Adding to the surreal scene, many members of the press in the briefing room arrived directly from the Hilton and were still dressed in black tie attire for the president's remarks.
Trump posted photos and video of the suspect on Truth Social to accompany his remarks.
Trump also framed the moment as striking at the heart of the purpose of the event, saying, “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, because the fact that they just unified us to a room that was just totally unified, it was, in one way, very beautiful, a very beautiful thing to see.”
He said the surveillance video released on Truth Social was meant to show “the violence of this thug that attacked our Constitution,” but also “how quickly Secret Service and law enforcement acted on our country’s behalf.”
Trump went on to argue the incident showed a need for tighter security, saying the Washington Hilton is “not a particularly secure building” and tying that to his ballroom under construction at the White House, with “drone proof” protections and “bulletproof glass.”
He also linked the scare to a broader pattern of threats, saying, “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,” and urged Americans to “recommit with their hearts” to “resolving our differences peacefully.”
At several points, Trump returned to the idea that the dinner should not be canceled outright, saying, “we’re not going to let anybody take over our society,” and vowing the event would be held again “within the next 30 days,” “bigger and better and even nicer.”
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