During the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington D.C., President Trump and his cabinet were rapidly evacuated due to reports of shots fired on Saturday night.
As CNN’s Kaitlan Collins reported, the situation unfolded shortly after the event commenced, with participants hearing “loud bangs” that prompted a swift response from Secret Service agents, who rushed to the scene.
Collins indicated that the president and several cabinet members were onstage at the time and were quickly removed from the ballroom at the Washington Hilton.
Additionally, CNN’s Brian Stelter and Manu Raju noted that the shots seemed to originate from the back of the room, possibly near the lobby. A Secret Service source confirmed shortly after 8:54 p.m. Eastern Time that President Trump was evacuated safely, without injury.
As of 8:54 p.m., the venue remained in lockdown, with security personnel escorting patrons out of the ballroom.
Following the incident, an announcement was made to the attendees, stating that the “program would resume shortly,” and this was reiterated onstage for those still present.
Further details on the matter are expected to emerge soon.
🚨 BREAKING: TRUMP EVACUATED AFTER REPORTS OF SHOTS FIRED — at WH Correspondents dinner
PRAY FOR TRUMP AND VANCE 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/NKpD9G8Os4
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 26, 2026
This situation is still developing, and updates will follow as more information becomes available.
