US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were among the many politicians who were escorted out of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday night after gunfire erupted at the venue.
Trump later said the suspect was armed with multiple weapons but was stopped by the Secret Service. One officer was shot, but survived due to protective gear. “He was shot from very close distance with a very powerful gun, and the (bullet-proof) vest did the job,” Trump said in a press briefing shortly after the incident. He also posted security footage showing the suspect rushing through metal detectors, calling him a “blur on tape”.
“Lone wolf”, motive unclear, investigation underway
Trump said that the suspect was a “lone wolf”, “whack job” and “crazy”, adding that the attacker “was a guy who looked pretty evil when he was down”. While the motive remains unclear, Trump claimed in an interview that the suspect had a manifesto and said, “When you read his manifesto, he hates Christians, that’s one thing for sure. He hates Christians, a hatred.”
He added that the suspect “was a very troubled guy” and his family members had earlier raised concerns with law enforcement. Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed there were “some writings” but emphasised the investigation is still at an early stage.
Security protocol halted event
Trump said during the interview that he wanted to continue the event but was advised against it due to strict security protocols. “I hated a guy like this… changing the course of our country,” he said, adding that reopening the sealed room would have made it unsafe. “I really wanted to do it that night… but we did the right thing.”
He noted that even if the event had continued, everyone would eventually have had to leave. Reflecting on the disruption, he said, “We can’t let these criminals and these really bad people change the course of events in our country.”
Ballroom push, political swipe, and aftermath
Following the incident, Trump renewed his push for a high-security ballroom inside the White House complex, saying the shooting “would never have happened” if the “Militarily Top Secret Ballroom” had already been built. He wrote on Truth Social that he insisted the project includes “every highest level security feature” and is “on budget and substantially ahead of schedule!!!”
During the Fox interview, Trump also praised law enforcement, saying they stopped the suspect “cold” and called them “strong, solid people.” He criticised Democrats over funding issues, claiming they were “holding up their pay.” Later, he said both he and Melania were safe. “She’s doing great. I’m fine. And it was a very sad evening in many ways.”