NBC News correspondent Julie Tsirkin has shared her account of the chaotic moments that led to her becoming an internet meme after a shooting near the White House. The reporter's bewildered expression, captured on camera as gunfire erupted, was quickly transformed into viral content by social media users.
The Incident Unfolds
On Saturday evening, Tsirkin was preparing to record a segment outside the White House when a series of loud bangs interrupted her. Footage shows her snapping her head toward the noise, visibly confused, and asking twice: "What is that?" The sound came from a shooting at a White House security checkpoint.
Police identified the suspect as 21-year-old Nasire Best from Maryland, who opened fire before being shot by Secret Service agents. Best was pronounced dead at the scene, and one bystander was taken to hospital. This marked the third shooting near President Donald Trump in recent weeks.
Viral Fame
Tsirkin's stunned expression spread rapidly online, with users inserting her face into various disaster clips and absurd videos. Her likeness appeared in footage of the Hindenburg explosion, a nuclear blast, and even Trump mimicking a transgender weightlifter. One AI-generated clip depicted a giant Barron Trump roaming the White House grounds as she looked on. Another AI video, with over 600,000 views, showed Tsirkin reluctantly joining Secretary of State Marco Rubio on an Oval Office couch.
Tsirkin's Response
Taking to Instagram, Tsirkin provided more detail on the event. "My cameraman, John, and I were getting ready to tape something on Iran for Nightly News when what sounded like 20-30 loud booms rang out very close by," she wrote. This was the second such scare in a month, following an April 25 shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.
"So we knew very recently what gunshots sounded like," Tsirkin told NBC News on Sunday. "My cameraman... and I heard 20 to 30 loud booms rang out so fast and concurrent that for a second [the cameraman] looked at me and said 'Are those fireworks?' I immediately was looking around to see what the Secret Service agents were doing because, of course, we are journalists; our job is to report."
She noted that the agents did not seem alarmed until the shooting stopped. "I peeked my head again out of this tent we're standing in. I saw a Secret Service agent run out of a security checkpoint with a gun drawn telling us to run inside the press briefing room in the White House," she said. "It was a very stressful situation certainly for White House officials, who unfortunately are used to these kinds of situations happening around or near the president."
Embracing the Meme
On Sunday, Tsirkin addressed her new meme status with humor. "I'm glad I could take one for the team with @nbcsnl on summer break," she joked on X, referring to Saturday Night Live's hiatus. "Thanks for the memes, internet! Hope you'll stick around for the reporting."
Tsirkin, a Rutgers University graduate and former MSNBC producer, was not the only reporter whose reaction went viral. ABC News' Selina Wang also ducked for cover during a live report outside the White House as shots rang out.
