Chaos at White House Correspondents' Dinner as Gunfire Forces Trump Evacuation

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were rushed from the stage at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night after gunfire erupted near the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C.

CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, who was outside the main ballroom, described the terrifying moment.

"The next thing I knew, a police officer jumped on me and threw me on the ground and laid on top of me. It was a very frightening moment."

Video footage from inside the event showed armed Secret Service agents racing to the stage to quickly escort the president away as stunned guests ducked under tables.

Loud bangs heard as Trump evacuated:

"Stay down!" Loud bangs are heard and President Trump and others are evacuated from White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. Watch LIVE – https://t.co/OQnyC97cOI #WHCD #WHCA #NerdProm pic.twitter.com/b36LtCEhnx

Loud bangs are heard and President Trump and others are evacuated from White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. Watch LIVE – https://t.co/OQnyC97cOI #WHCD #WHCA #NerdProm pic.twitter.com/b36LtCEhnx

— CSPAN (@cspan) April 26, 2026

In the aftermath of the shooting, President Trump posted on Truth Social that "the shooter has been apprehended," and encouraged the event to "go on." The New York Times reported that the gunman had been stopped near a security perimeter, though it remained unclear whether the shooter fired the shots within or outside that perimeter.

We will provide updates as they become available and confirm information. Our teams are on the ground assessing the situation and investigating. All of our protectees are safe. pic.twitter.com/BYl6sR5WVU

We will provide updates as they become available and confirm information. Our teams are on the ground assessing the situation and investigating. All of our protectees are safe. pic.twitter.com/BYl6sR5WVU

— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) April 26, 2026

White House Correspondents' Association president confirms safety of attendees:

In a brief speech, Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents' Association, confirmed that the president and top officials were all safe and that law enforcement had asked to clear the event.

The ballroom was filled with journalists and top Trump administration officials, including the vice president and cabinet members, for the event often dubbed the "nerd prom." The dinner typically celebrates the role of the independent press and gently roasts the president.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated as new details emerge.