Gunshots at WHCD force Trump evacuation

The incident occurred during the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner, a tradition where journalists and political figures gather. According to multiple media reports, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were escorted off stage after gunshots rang out. The event was held at the Washington Hilton, a venue that has hosted the dinner for decades. Police said they had a gunman in custody and that he possessed a 'major weapon,' though the exact nature of the weapon has not been specified. AFP reported that a person has been arrested, while CNN confirmed that President Trump is safe. There were no immediate reports of injuries, according to multiple sources. The Secret Service and other authorities swarmed the banquet hall as guests ducked under tables, and shouts of 'God bless America' were heard throughout the ballroom as the entire dais was led out. CNN reported that gunshots were heard but a shooter has yet to be identified. The WHCA president, Weijia Jiang, said the program was set to resume in 'not much longer,' indicating that the dinner might continue after the evacuation.

The evacuation comes amid heightened tensions between the Trump administration and the press. Over the past year, the Trump White House cut off access for the Associated Press because the news organization refused to use the name Gulf of America instead of Gulf of Mexico, according to research. This year, Donald Trump attended the White House correspondents' dinner for the first time as president, a move that rankled some journalists and pro-press organizations who feel that his anti-media actions should preclude his invitation. Over the last 12 months, Trump has referred to a female Bloomberg News reporter as 'piggy' and has called news coverage of the war in Iran 'almost treasonous,' according to research. He has pressed Congress to rescind previously approved funding for public broadcasters NPR and PBS, and has called for television networks he dislikes to lose their license to broadcast. Trump has threatened to jail a reporter (or reporters) if they don't reveal confidential sources for reporting on the war in Iran, and had his lawyer send letters to CNN and the New York Times threatening to sue over their reporting on the US's June 2025 bombing campaign in Iran. He filed lawsuits against the Wall Street Journal, the Times and the BBC. In January, the FBI raided a reporter's home for the first time in modern history, according to research. The New York Times published a story alleging that the FBI 'began investigating' a Times reporter for 'stalking' after she wrote an unflattering article about Patel's girlfriend. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has compared reporters to the biblical 'Pharisees' and accused the press of rooting against the country, and his agency has systematically stripped access for defense reporters and mocked networks who lost their workspaces. Frank Sesno, a former CNN Washington bureau chief, was among former journalists who signed a letter sent to the WHCA earlier this week calling on organizers to 'forcefully demonstrate opposition to President Trump's efforts to trample freedom of the press' during Saturday's dinner. According to The Guardian - Main UK, Sesno described the situation as having gotten worse, with moves that are 'breathtakingly bold and dangerous,' and said that to go to dinner and pretend these things haven't happened is unthinkable.

Protesters had been spotted both outside and inside the Washington Hilton related to the Iran War and Israel's war on Hamas ahead of the dinner, according to multiple media reports. The presence of protesters added to the tense atmosphere, though it remains unclear whether the gunshots were connected to the protests. The evacuation and subsequent arrest have raised concerns about press freedom and the safety of journalists, especially given the administration's history of hostility toward the media. The WHCA has not yet commented on whether the dinner will resume or if the event will be canceled entirely. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not released details about the suspect's motive or the exact cause of the gunshot sounds.