WASHINGTON, Apr 26 – US President Trump has called for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner to be rescheduled for a date within the next month after a security incident during Saturday’s dinner, WHCA chairperson Weijia Jiang said.
President Trump insisted the annual event go ahead within 30 days and that the alleged shooting would not disrupt regular planned events but Jiang said law enforcement had insisted everyone leave the premises.
Guests had finished their first course when the gunshots could be heard outside the Washington Hilton ball room.
When asked how the event could return after the disruption, the US Security Service Director Sean Curran told reporters “we do this every day” when assessing security threats at events attended by the President and cabinet members.
President Trump was hastily evacuated after a suspected gunman tried to breach security and was shot by Secret Service, federal law enforcement officials told Axios.
After 30 minutes of confusion, WHCA chair Jiang announced that the program would resume shortly.
The US President also took to Truth Social and said “the shooter has been apprehended” and he had “recommended that we ‘LET THE SHOW GO ON,'” but would be guided by law enforcement.
Jiang later announced that “everyone is safe,” but law enforcement had decided to clear the building.
While he was speaking to reporters in the White House briefing room a bit ago, President Trump directed a personal thank you to Weijia Jiang – who was sitting in the front row asking questions and is president of the White House Correspondents Association, which puts on this event every year.
The hundred or so press in the room gave a quick round of applause. Mr Trump then joked she was going to give a “killer question”.
