Trump evacuated from White House Correspondents' Dinner

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TL;DR

Secret Service evacuated Trump and high-ranking officials from the White House Correspondents Dinner after loud noises, possibly gunshots, were heard in a room above the ballroom.

Key Insights

Evacuated mid-dinner — Trump was evacuated from the White House Correspondents Dinner at the Washington Hilton after loud noises — possibly gunshots — were heard in a room above the ballroom, forcing Secret Service to remove him and other high-ranking officials mid-salad course.

First presidential attendance — This was Trump's first attendance at the dinner as President, breaking his pattern of skipping the event during his first term and the previous year, making the evacuation particularly notable given the occasion.

A witness reported hearing what sounded like gunshots from the room above the ballroom, but authorities have not confirmed whether actual shots were fired or what caused the loud noises that triggered the evacuation.

Deep Dive

Breaking news from the ballroom

NBC News was on air covering the White House Correspondents Dinner at the Washington Hilton when President Trump and other officials were suddenly evacuated. The dinner had just begun with the national anthem and opening remarks when Secret Service abruptly removed Trump and First Lady from the ballroom. Reporter Gabe Gutierrez was stationed at a table near Secretary of State Marco Rubio and witnessed the chaos firsthand. What started as a calm, energetic gathering of thousands of journalists and government officials turned dramatic in seconds.

The triggering incident and confusion

Witnesses reported hearing what appeared to be gunshots from a room above the ballroom, though authorities have not confirmed the exact nature of the loud noises or whether actual shots were fired. The evacuation happened during the salad course with no advance warning, leaving guests and staff scrambling. Gutierrez emphasized the jarring shift in atmosphere — moments earlier, the White House Correspondents Association had expressed gratitude that Trump was attending the dinner, which celebrates the First Amendment. By the time the dust settled, organizers announced the dinner would resume, though details remained unclear on how proceedings would continue.

Takeaways

✓Monitor official White House and Secret Service statements for updated information on the incident and any security threats.
✓Stay alert to breaking news from established news sources rather than unverified social media accounts during active security events.

Key moments

0:06Initial evacuation reported

“President Trump and other high-ranking White House officials have just been evacuated from the Washington Hilton after loud noises were heard in the lobby.”

1:27Reporter describes confusion at dinner

“There was a lot of confusion in the middle of the salad portion of the evening. The President of the White House Correspondents Association had just given brief remarks.”

2:13Witness reports possible gunshots

“We have spoken to a witness who says that this person heard what appeared to be gunshots in the room above the ballroom.”

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