Trump Dinner Evacuated

President Donald Trump praised first lady Melania Trump’s composure after gunfire disrupted the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, April 25.

Trump, 79, Melania, 56, pregnant White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and other administration officials were evacuated from the ballroom after shots were exchanged near the event. The high-profile media gala, attended by senior political figures including JD Vance, Pete Hegseth and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was quickly cleared by law enforcement.

“I just spoke to the officer and he’s doing great,” Trump told reporters at the White House, referring to the Secret Service agent who was shot and hospitalized after his bulletproof vest stopped the round.

Trump said Melania was seated beside him when the noise rang out and appeared to recognize the danger almost immediately. He added that Secret Service moved them out within seconds.

Authorities said a 30-year-old man from California was apprehended and charged with two counts of using a firearm and one count of assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon. His motive and condition remain unknown.

The incident added a dramatic turn to Trump’s first White House Correspondents’ Dinner appearance across his two presidencies, after he skipped the event during his first term and in 2025. The Washington Hilton also carries political history as the site of the 1981 assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan.

White House Correspondents’ Association President Weijia Jiang said the dinner would be rescheduled within 30 days after law enforcement ordered guests to leave. Trump initially wanted to return to deliver his speech, but security protocol prevented it.