White House Correspondents Association President Weijia Jiang released a statement Sunday expressing gratitude to law enforcement for their rapid response to a shooting at the Washington Hilton, which disrupted the annual correspondents dinner and forced the evacuation of senior administration officials.
“Last night’s shooting at the Washington Hilton was a harrowing moment for everyone in attendance,” Jiang said. “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.”
The incident unfolded Saturday evening when shots were heard inside the venue. Secret Service agents swiftly evacuated President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other Cabinet members from the event. Jiang noted that the quick actions of security personnel protected thousands of guests, and she wished a full recovery to an officer injured in the line of duty.
“We are grateful everyone in attendance was unharmed, including the President, the First Lady, and the Vice President,” she added.
Despite the disruption, Jiang highlighted the professionalism of the journalists present. “Our dinner exists to celebrate the First Amendment and the hard daily work of the journalists who defend it,” said Jiang, a CBS News senior White House correspondent. “Last night, those journalists showed exactly the kind of calm and courage that work demands, jumping into reporting immediately after the incident unfolded. We are proud of everyone in that room.”
President Trump, in a Sunday phone interview on Fox News’ “The Sunday Briefing,” expressed a desire to continue the event after the area was cleared but acknowledged security protocols dictated otherwise. “I really wanted to go on, and I really wanted to, but the protocol was no,” Trump said. “Once those doors were open, that room was sealed.” He explained that the breach of the seal made it impossible to ensure safety if multiple assailants were involved, though he noted he would have preferred to stay late into the night. Instead, he returned to the White House for a press conference.
Trump confirmed the event will be rescheduled at the same venue within 30 days. “We did the right thing,” he said. “Now, I hope that we can have it within a short period of time, whether it’s 30 days or a little less, little more, but I hope we can do it with that, because we can’t let these criminals and these really bad people change the course of events in our country.”
The shooting has prompted calls for transparency from lawmakers. Representative Jamie Raskin has demanded full disclosure of the investigation into the incident, while the suspect—who traveled cross-country by train, according to officials—now faces charges. Trump has also released images of the suspect and blamed the attack on anti-Christian hatred, framing the disruption as an assault on American values.
The correspondents dinner, a tradition celebrating press freedoms, was abruptly interrupted by gunfire, drawing reactions from allies and critics alike. Trump praised the media and WHCA leadership for their composure during the crisis, vowing that the rescheduled event would proceed without yielding to fear.
