The president Donald Trump held a press conference early Sunday morning from the White House press room, following the shooting that interrupted the Annual Correspondents' Dinner held on Saturday night at the Washington Hilton in Washington D.C., and urged Americans to "resolve their differences."
Trump, the First Lady Melania Trump, and Vice President JD Vance were immediately evacuated from the stage after gunshots rang out, as confirmed by the president himself to the media.
In his remarks, Trump referred to the two previous assassination attempts against him to provide context for the new attack: "As you know, this is not the first time in recent years that our republic has been attacked by a would-be murderer seeking to kill. In Butler, Pennsylvania, less than two years ago, everyone knows that story, and in Palm Beach, Florida, a few months later, we were close, truly."
The president highlighted the bipartisan condemnation of the incident and emphasized the atmosphere of unity that, he said, was felt among those present: "However, everyone in that room... there was a tremendous amount of love and togetherness."
The shooter opened fire at least six times in the hotel lobby with what CNN journalist Wolf Blitzer, an eyewitness, described as "a very serious weapon," from just a few meters away.
The Secret Service neutralized and apprehended the attacker in the lobby before he could reach the main hall, where approximately 2,600 people were gathered, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
A Secret Service agent was injured, although his protective gear prevented serious consequences. No fatalities or injuries were reported among the guests.
Minutes after the incident, Trump had posted on Truth Social that the shooter had been "apprehended" and praised the security forces for acting "quickly and bravely."
It was the first time that Trump attended the White House Correspondents' Dinner as an incumbent president; he had boycotted the event throughout his entire first term from 2017 to 2021, and also in 2025.
The shooting on Saturday marks the third attack or attempted attack against Trump in less than two years, following the incident on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania—where a bullet grazed his right ear and a bystander was killed—and the event on September 15, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida, where Secret Service agents neutralized an armed man with an assault rifle near the golf club of the then-candidate.
Trump concluded his remarks to the press with an unusual gesture of acknowledgment towards the media: "You have been very responsible in your coverage."
The president of the White House Correspondents' Association announced that the event will be rescheduled within 30 days.
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