"It's insane": Lawmakers who were at WHCD shaken by shooting [View all]

Source: Axios

9 hours ago


Members of Congress and other political figures who were present at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night were left deeply unsettled by a shooting that took place outside the event.

The big picture: "It's a horrible, horrible moment for our country to see somebody want to attack or disrupt the event," Rep. Brian Jack (R-Ga.) told Axios while exiting the dinner, which was postponed due to the incident.

Rep. Nanette Barragan (D-Calif.), who was seated near the rostrum when President Trump and other top officials were evacuated, told Axios "it's insane … that this is happening at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Security is supposed to be top notch."

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) told Axios in a text message that he was pulled into a secure room by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), adding: "As a member who lives in Parkland and went to Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS I am glad everyone is okay."

"It's shocking," former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) told Axios as he was leaving the event.

Driving the news: Trump was hastily evacuated from the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night after a gunman armed with multiple weapons tried to breach security and was shot by Secret Service, federal law enforcement officials tell Axios.

Read more: https://www.axios.com/2026/04/26/white-house-correspondents-dinner-whcd-shooting