President Trump Addresses Shooting Incident
President Donald Trump spoke to reporters at the White House on Saturday evening following an evacuation from the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, where he had been shot multiple times.
After the incident, U.S. Secret Service agents evacuated Mr. Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and other high-ranking officials from a ballroom at the Washington Hilton Hotel. Trump confirmed that the suspect was apprehended by Secret Service personnel.
“When they saw a man rushing into a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, they acted swiftly,” Trump stated during a news conference, with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel present. He also mentioned that he had ordered the release of video and photos related to the event.
The suspect is now in custody, and President Trump commended law enforcement during his seven-minute opening remarks, as reported by Washington Times journalist Jeff Modoc. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, speaking at a separate conference at the same hotel where President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981, announced that the suspect faces federal firearms law violations and assault charges against a federal officer.
Trump expressed deep appreciation for the bravery of law enforcement and noted his conversation with the D.C. Police Department and the mayor. “Once we’re finished, the chief of police will take over, and we’ll go over things from their viewpoint as well,” he added. “They also executed their roles perfectly; we could see the attacker in various positions and knew he was subdued and under control.”
Although Trump had planned to continue speaking at his first official event, he left for the White House following the Secret Service’s request.
“We’re going to reschedule the date. We’ll hold the event again. We won’t let anyone disrupt our society,” Trump declared. “We’re not going to cancel things just because of this. I fought hard today to stay, but that was the protocol.”
One member of the Secret Service was shot but is expected to recover, according to reports. Trump has faced two assassination attempts during the 2024 presidential campaign—once at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and again while golfing in Florida.
