Trump rushed off stage after shots fired at White House correspondents’ dinner
Donald Trump, President of the US (photo: Getty Images)
On the night of April 26, Donald Trump was urgently evacuated from the White House correspondents' dinner. Shots were fired in the restaurant — the president was quickly led off the stage and out of the building, according to the Clash Report.
What happened
The incident occurred during the annual White House correspondents' dinner. Trump was in the hall when shots were fired.
Secret Service agents immediately led the president off the stage and evacuated him from the building.
Armed security personnel with rifles climbed onto the stage. Secret Service personnel gathered inside and around the building.
What is known about the shooter
The shooter has been detained — this was confirmed by the US Secret Service through the White House press pool.
Earlier, foreign media reported that he had been eliminated, but the information has not been confirmed. The identity of the detainee and the circumstances of the incident are being clarified.
The annual White House correspondents' dinner is a traditional event where the US president meets with press representatives. Trump attended it irregularly during his first term.
Updated at 4:20 a.m.
Trump's reaction
The president wrote on social media that the Secret Service and law enforcement acted quickly and bravely. Trump suggested continuing the event, but noted that the final decision rests with law enforcement. According to the press pool, at the time of the post, the president was still at the Hilton Hotel.
Updated at 4:47 a.m.
The President of the US reported that law enforcement officers, following protocol, asked him to leave the building — he complied immediately. Trump announced a press conference in 30 minutes at the White House briefing room.
The president also assured that the First Lady, the Vice President, and all cabinet members are completely safe. The event will be rescheduled — it will be held within the next 30 days.
Symbolic coincidence
The incident took place in the same hotel where John Hinckley Jr. attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
The annual White House correspondents' dinner is a traditional event where the US president meets with press representatives. Trump attended it irregularly during his first term.
This is not the first security threat to Trump. In February 2026, a US court sentenced Ryan Routh to life in prison for attempting to shoot the president on a Florida golf course in September 2024.
The investigation determined that he had planned the assassination for several weeks — he aimed a rifle through the bushes, but a Secret Service agent spotted him and fired first. Routh fled but was later apprehended.
According to a global Gallup study, the number of people who would like to move to the U.S. has fallen to 15% — the lowest figure in years of tracking. For comparison, between 2007 and 2009, that figure stood at 24%.
