Trump, Cabinet Evacuated After Gunshots at White House Correspondents’ Dinner
President Donald Trump and senior members of his administration were abruptly evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Saturday night after gunshots rang out at the Washington Hilton hotel in Washington, D.C.
Secret Service agents swiftly whisked the president off the stage as chaos erupted inside the ballroom. Vice President JD Vance, First Lady Melania Trump, and multiple Cabinet secretaries were also rushed to safety. Among those in attendance were Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, and FBI Director Kash Patel. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was also present.
The White House press pool reported that President Trump remained at the Hilton as of 8:56 p.m., indicating he had not yet departed the venue. A source close to the administration told CNN that the president was safe, and officials confirmed that Cabinet members were unharmed. Authorities quickly detained the shooter at the scene. Republican Rep. Nancy Mace issued a statement praying for the safety of the president and his team, noting reports that the shooter had been detained and that Trump might return to the dinner.
CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, who was near the men’s room at the top of the stairs when the incident occurred, described the moment vividly. “I did see the gunman on the ground after he started shooting,” Blitzer told his network. He had been just a few feet away from the shooter. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was reported safe and later left the event, according to his aide Stefanie Spear.
The incident disrupted what is traditionally Washington’s premier annual gathering of journalists, politicians, and celebrities. The dinner, hosted by the White House Correspondents’ Association, was thrown into disarray as attendees ducked for cover and security teams moved to secure high-profile figures. As of late Saturday, no injuries to protected officials or guests had been reported, though the full scope of the situation continued to develop.
In a separate development earlier this week, the Department of Justice under the Trump administration moved to strengthen enforcement of the federal death penalty. A memo obtained by Fox News outlined new directives expanding execution protocols to include pentobarbital lethal injections and firing squads.
The changes, according to the DOJ, aim to ensure that lawfully imposed capital sentences are carried out once all legal appeals are exhausted. The department is reintroducing lethal injection protocols used during Trump’s first term and streamlining internal processes to expedite cases.
“Today, the Department of Justice acted to restore its solemn duty to seek, obtain, and implement lawful capital sentences,” the memo stated. Officials emphasized that the updates will provide additional methods of execution, including firing squads, while maintaining rigorous legal standards.
The twin developments — a dramatic security breach at a major Washington event and a firm stance on capital punishment — underscored the high-stakes environment surrounding the new Trump administration as it navigates both immediate threats and long-term policy priorities. Investigations into the shooting incident are ongoing, with authorities treating the suspect as a lone actor for now.
