Trump Describes WHCD Gun Incident in 60 Minutes Interview: 'I Went Down to the Floor'

Former President Donald Trump shared his firsthand account of a gun incident that unfolded at the 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner during a 60 Minutes interview set to air Sunday evening.

In a preview clip released by CBS, Trump described his reaction when Secret Service agents ordered him to the ground after a man pulled a firearm at the Washington Hilton.

“Well, what happened is, it was a little bit me, I wanted to see what was happening and I wasn’t making it that easy for him,” Trump told Norah O’Donnell. “I wanted to see what was going on.”

“And by that time, we started to realize maybe it was a bad problem, different kind of a problem, bad one. And different than what would be normal noise from a ballroom, which you hear all the time. And I was surrounded by great people and I probably made them act a little bit more slow. I said, ‘Wait a minute, wait a minute, let me see, wait a minute.’”

Trump explained that he and First Lady Melania Trump initially began walking with Secret Service agents, who instructed them to lower to the floor. “So I went down and First Lady went down also, but we were asked to go down by the agents as I was walking.”

The former president noted that he initially stood upright, saying, “and then turned around the opposite direction and started pretty much walking out pretty tall, a little bent over because I’m not looking to be standing too tall.”

He added that Secret Service agents again directed him and Melania to drop to the floor once they were “about halfway there.”

“And they said, please go down to the floor, please go down to the floor. So I dropped to the floor, so did the First Lady.”

Earlier on Sunday, White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) president and CBS News correspondent Weijia Jiang commended journalists and law enforcement for their response during the incident.

“Last night’s shooting at the Washington Hilton was a harrowing moment for everyone in attendance,” Jiang wrote on X. “We express our deepest gratitude to the U.S. Secret Service and all law enforcement personnel who ensured the safety of everyone in the ballroom and beyond. Their actions protected thousands of guests, and we wish a full and speedy recovery to the officer who was injured in the line of duty. We are grateful everyone in attendance was unharmed, including the president, the first lady and the vice president.”