Donald Trump described the shooting near the White House Correspondents' Dinner as "shocking," saying he initially mistook the sound of gunfire for a falling object.
"I heard a noise and... I thought it was a tray going down. I've heard that many times, and it was a pretty loud noise. It was from quite far away. He hadn't breached the area at all," Trump said while addressing reporters.
He noted that Melania Trump quickly recognised the seriousness of the situation, recalling her reaction: "That's a bad noise." The President added that there was little time to process events as security personnel moved swiftly to evacuate those present.
"All of the law enforcement was really good. It was very quick. There wasn't a lot of time to think because it was a matter of seconds before we were out the door and moved into a secure area," he said, praising the rapid response by security agencies.
Trump said he and the First Lady were seated together when the gunfire was heard, calling the experience deeply unsettling. "It was so shocking that something like that happened... That never changes," he said.
Despite the incident, Trump emphasised resilience, stating that he did not want "sick people" to disrupt public life. He indicated that the White House Correspondents' Dinner would be held again, possibly within the next 30 days.
The shooting triggered panic at the event, with eyewitnesses reporting five to eight gunshots. Guests took cover under tables as security personnel rushed in and evacuated the venue. The high-profile gathering, attended by political leaders, journalists and public figures, was immediately secured.
In his post-incident remarks, Trump also used the moment to call for national unity, urging Americans to resolve political differences peacefully.
?#BREAKING: Photos just posted by Donald Trump appear to show the suspect identified as Cole Thomas Allen, a 31-year-old teacher from California on the ground surrounded by law enforcement officers at the Washington Hilton following the shooting at the White House… pic.twitter.com/9gEVhPGJ79
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) April 26, 2026
"We need to resolve our differences — Republicans, Democrats and independents," he said, describing how the crisis briefly brought together a deeply divided audience.
"I saw a room that was just totally unified... it was, in one way, very beautiful," he added, noting that the event — traditionally a celebration of press freedom and bipartisan engagement — took on a different meaning in the wake of the shooting.
"This was an event dedicated to freedom of speech that was supposed to bring together members of both parties with members of the press, and in a certain way, it did," Trump said.
He warned against allowing violence to shape national discourse, stressing that democratic processes and public events must continue despite such threats. "We're not going to let anybody take over our society. We're not going to cancel things out," he said.
Trump also acknowledged the emotional toll of the incident, particularly on the First Lady, describing it as "a rather traumatic experience," while highlighting the sense of unity that emerged during the crisis.
"Everybody in that room... there was a tremendous amount of coming together," he said, adding that moments of uncertainty can still reveal common ground.
Reaffirming his intent to move forward, Trump said the correspondents' dinner would be rescheduled soon. "We'll do it again... bigger and better," he said.
(With inputs from IANS)
