President Donald Trump held a press conference at the White House about an hour after he and First Lady Melania Trump were evacuated after shots were fired at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton.
“It was unexpected,” Trump said in the White House briefing room, praising the swift work of the Secret Service and law enforcement at “an event dedicated to free speech that was supposed to bring together members of Congress and the press from both parties.”
He described a chaotic scene and praised law enforcement for their quick response.
He hailed those in attendance as a “record crowd” and characterized the response to the attack as a rare moment of political unity.
“And in a sense, that’s what happened, because they just unified,” Trump said. “I saw a completely unified room. It was very beautiful in a way, very beautiful to see a man charging into a security checkpoint with multiple weapons. He was subdued by very brave Secret Service members, and they acted very quickly.”
The president said he ordered footage of the incident to be released on Truth Social and other platforms “for purposes of transparency and clarity,” and promised that the tape would show “how quickly the Secret Service and law enforcement acted on behalf of our country.”
President Trump confirmed reports that one police officer was shot during the attack but survived because he was wearing protective gear.
“He was shot at very close range with a very powerful gun, and the vest did its job,” the president told reporters. “I spoke to the officer and he’s fine. He’s in great spirits. We told him we love him and respect him. He’s a very proud man.”
President Trump used the opportunity to reconsider his long-standing push to build a new ballroom at the White House, arguing that the Hilton is “not a particularly safe building.”
“That’s why we have to have all the hallmarks of what we’re planning in the White House,” President Trump said. “It’s actually a much larger room and it’s much more secure. It’s impenetrable to drones and it has bulletproof glass. That’s why the Secret Service requires it, the military requires it. They’ve wanted a ballroom for 150 years for a variety of reasons. But it’s a little different today, because today we need a level of security that probably no one has ever seen.”
President Trump called on Americans to resolve their differences. “In light of what happened tonight, I ask.
Every American wholeheartedly resolves…that we must resolve our differences peacefully. I think there are Republicans, Democrats, independents, conservatives, liberals, and progressives. These words are probably interchangeable, but maybe not. ”
The president linked Saturday night’s incident to two previous assassination attempts against him during the 2024 campaign.
“This is not the first time in recent years that our nation has been attacked by a would-be assassin who plotted a murder in Butler, Pennsylvania, less than two years ago,” Trump said, also referring to the September 2024 incident at a golf club in Palm Beach, Florida. “We’ve had a great job done by law enforcement.”
“This is a dangerous profession,” President Trump said. “I don’t think there is any more dangerous job than this, but I love this country.”
After his speech, President Trump handed the microphone to Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel.
“The man has been captured,” President Trump said before leaving the room. “They’re going to his apartment. I think he lives in California, but he’s sick, very sick. And we don’t want something like this to happen.”
The president also clarified that the dinner date will be rescheduled within 30 days. He said he “fought desperately” to keep the event from being cancelled. He also thanked the media, an unusual move for a president who has spent much of his term as president escalating attacks on the press. “We’re not going to do it all over again. We’re not going to let someone take over our society. We’re not going to cancel things, because we can’t do that.”
President Trump also expressed his gratitude to the media in a rare show of praise. “They were very responsible in their approach to your interview.”
The FBI said in a statement that the suspected shooter has been arrested.
“My impression is that he was a loner and a crazy person.”
Shortly after 9 p.m. ET, Jiang Weijia, president of the White House Correspondents Association, told the crowd that the show would continue despite the unrest and President Trump’s swift departure from office. However, by 9:20pm ET, it was clear that security had cleared the banquet hall, indicating that the event had been officially canceled.
In response to the situation, journalists from a variety of media outlets were on the scene with immediate reporting, many using social media to provide urgent updates. Among the government officials in attendance was Vice President J.D. Vance. White House Deputy Director of Policy Stephen Miller; White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. and Erica Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk.
Trump has had a controversial relationship with mainstream journalists since his political rise began in 2015. Since returning to the White House, the Trump administration has aggressively challenged journalistic norms, and the president continues to attack the integrity and competency of major news organizations. Trump has also filed lawsuits against ABC News, CBS News, the Wall Street Journal and others.
