WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were evacuated by Secret Service agents from the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday night after an armed man allegedly tried to breach security near the venue, officials said.
According to officials, the suspect, carrying a shotgun, opened fire near the main security screening area at the entrance of the event. An FBI official said a Secret Service agent was struck in an area protected by body armour and was not injured.
Trump, along with Vice President and cabinet members, was rushed out of the Washington Hilton as security personnel secured the area. Guests at the dinner were heard shouting “Get down!” as many of the 2,600 attendees took cover while staff fled the ballroom.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum were among those evacuated.
About an hour later, Trump posted on Truth Social that the “shooter had been apprehended,” praising the Secret Service and law enforcement for their swift response.
“The First Lady, the Vice President, and all Cabinet members are in perfect condition,” he wrote, adding that he would address the media later in the night.
The dinner was eventually cancelled, though Trump later said he hoped it could be rescheduled within 30 days.
Trump had survived two assassination attempts in 2024, including the July shooting at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he was wounded in the ear.
