Response to Shooting at White House Correspondents’ Dinner

During the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, attendees appeared to find humor even as President Donald Trump addressed the crowd following a recent assassination attempt.

Jiang Weijia, the president of the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA), addressed the audience shortly after the incident. Thanks to effective evacuations, President Trump and key officials were safe. When Jiang informed the press that the president had plans for a press conference, laughter erupted among those present.

With a smile, Jiang clarified, “That’s not a joke,” prompting more laughter from the crowd.

Beginning her remarks, Jiang reassured reporters that “President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and the Cabinet members are all safe,” which was met with applause.

She noted that Trump was determined to reschedule the event within the next month, expressing a desire to continue with the evening despite the circumstances, although security protocols needed to be adhered to.

“I stated tonight that journalism serves the public, as in emergencies we rush toward the crisis instead of fleeing from it,” she stated. “On a night that celebrates our First Amendment rights, we must remember how fragile they can be. We witnessed you all reporting the event. That’s our role.”

About 45 minutes post-incident, around 9:10 p.m. ET, some journalists were spotted on video enjoying wine. A reporter covering the event mentioned, “They don’t want to leave. That’s just how reporters are; they want to see what happened.” According to reports, some were opening bottles of wine, likely trying to unwind after a tense situation.