It was supposed to be a celebratory evening. Instead, the White House Correspondents' Dinner turned into a scene of panic shortly after 8:30 p.m. Saturday when what appeared to be four gunshots were heard inside the Washington Hilton ballroom.
President Donald Trump was seated at the top table alongside several Cabinet members when the sounds rang out. Within seconds, attendees across the packed room dropped to the floor. Secret Service agents moved swiftly,pulling Trump and Vice President JD Vance off the stageand out of the room.
CNN reported that an alleged shooter was taken into custody shortly after the incident.
This was Trump's first appearance at the correspondents' dinner as president, making the evening historically significant even before the incident unfolded. The annual event has long served as a tradition honoring press freedom in the United States.
"Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely," Trump wrote. "The shooter has been apprehended, and I have recommended that we 'LET THE SHOW GO ON' but will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement."
He added that regardless of whether the event continued, "the evening will be much different than planned, and we'll just, plain, have to do it again."
CBS reporter Weijia Jiang, who serves as president of the White House Correspondents' Association, announced shortly before 9 p.m. that the program would resume.
More than four decades later, the same building became the backdrop for another alarming moment involving a sitting American president.
What is clear is that Secret Service and law enforcement moved quickly, the alleged shooter is in custody, and the president was unharmed. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and President Trump both have said that he will be addressing the press in 30 minutes at the White House Press Briefing Room.
GetLatest NewsLive on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines fromUS Newsand around theWorld.
Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now
