Donald Trump was filmed appearing to stumble as security agents helped him off the stage after a gunman opened fire at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington. The incident occurred on Saturday night at the Washington Hilton, where the president was attending the annual event.
The suspected gunman, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from Torrance, California, was armed with guns and knives when he stormed the venue. Vice President JD Vance was evacuated first, while agents covered Trump with automatic weapons before escorting him and First Lady Melania Trump away. Footage showed Trump stumbling as he was assisted from the stage.
After the shooting, Trump and organisers initially sought to resume the event. Hotel staff refolded napkins and refilled water glasses, and aides adjusted the teleprompter for the president. However, Trump was eventually returned to the White House on the advice of the Secret Service.
Speaking at a White House press briefing within an hour of the violence, Trump revealed it was his wife who first realised what was happening. 'I heard a noise and kind of thought it was a tray going down,' he said, while Melania was 'very cognizant' and recognised it as a 'bad noise'. Trump added, 'Some people really understood that pretty quickly other people didn't. I was watching to see what was happening and should probably have got down even faster.'
The shooting unfolded just outside the vast subterranean ballroom, disrupting the dinner minutes after it began. The event, meant to honour journalism and the First Amendment, was under particular scrutiny this year as it was the first time Trump had attended since becoming president.
