Oz Pearlman Recounts Surreal Moment Next to Trump as Gunfire Erupted at WHCD

Oz Pearlman, the mentalist scheduled to perform at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner (WHCD), shared a firsthand account of the chaotic moments when gunfire erupted near the event on Saturday, April 27, 2024. Pearlman was less than a foot away from former President Donald Trump when the shots were fired.

In an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, Pearlman described the surreal encounter: “We just look at each other for about two seconds.”

Pearlman was onstage performing for Trump and First Lady Melania Trump when the gunshots were heard. Initially, he mistook the sound for a bomb.

“Because of the way that it was being approached, [it] wasn’t like guns out,” he explained. “It was like to stop someone. So my first panic when you see in the videos, looking, looking, and then I go down.”

He continued, “You can look at the video, I don’t know the distance, but less than a foot away from me. I’ll never forget the image for my whole life.”

Pearlman recalled the moment Trump was rushed past him: “They bring the president down directly in front of me. And we just look at each other for about two seconds.”

Reflecting on the incident, Pearlman said, “I unfortunately said that the clip with me and President Trump will be seen five years, 10 years, and 20 years from now. And it was spot on, but for all the wrong reasons.”

Trump Demands Faster Construction of Secure White House Ballroom

Following the incident, Trump took to Truth Social on Sunday, April 28, 2024, to address the security lapse and demand expedited construction of a secure ballroom at the White House.

“What happened last night is exactly the reason that our great Military, Secret Service, Law Enforcement and, for different reasons, every President for the last 150 years, have been DEMANDING that a large, safe, and secure Ballroom be built ON THE GROUNDS OF THE WHITE HOUSE,”

He added, “This event would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House. It cannot be built fast enough!”

Trump emphasized the ballroom’s security features: “While beautiful, it has every highest level security feature there is plus, there are no rooms sitting on top for unsecured people to pour in, and is inside the gates of the most secure building in the World, The White House.”

He also criticized a legal challenge to the project: “The ridiculous Ballroom lawsuit, brought by a woman walking her dog, who has absolutely No Standing to bring such a suit, must be dropped, immediately. Nothing should be allowed to interfere with its construction, which is on budget and substantially ahead of schedule!!!”