Washington: White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) President Weijia Jiang on Sunday thanked law enforcement for helping to escort journalists, administration officials and other guests to safety after a shooting at the Washington Hilton, where the annual dinner was taking place.
“Last (Saturday) night’s shooting at the Washington Hilton was a harrowing moment for everyone in attendance. We express our deepest gratitude to the US Secret Service and all law enforcement personnel who ensured the safety of everyone in the ballroom and beyond,” Jiang said in a statement.
“Their actions protected thousands of guests, and we wish a full and speedy recovery to the officer who was injured in the line of duty. We are grateful everyone in attendance was unharmed, including the president, the first lady, and the vice president,” she added.
President Trump spoke to senior CBS correspondent Norah O’Donnell about the shooting incident at the Washington Hilton, saying he “wasn’t worried” about injures when gunshots rang out.
“I wasn’t worried. I understand life. We live in a crazy world,” Trump told “60 Minutes” in an interview on Sunday.
He also said he wasn’t sure if he was the alleged attacker’s target, but “it sounds it to me.”
“I read a manifesto. He says he’s radicalized,” Trump went on. “He was a Christian, a believer, and then he became an anti-Christian. And he had a lot of change. He’s been going through a lot based on what he wrote. His brother complained about him, and I think we reported him to the police … his family was very concerned. He was, probably a pretty sick guy.”
The president then recounted his memory of the incident, saying he knew something was wrong by the first lady’s facial expression.
After being ushered off the stage, Trump said he was brought to a room, where he urged Secret Service agents to let the dinner continue.
“And then I got up and we went to a hold room for a while, and I tried to get them to continue the event, if possible,” Trump said.
“You wanted to go back in?” O’Donnell asked.
“I did, I really did,” Trump remarked.
Former President Barack Obama responded to Saturday night’s shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner, writing on X that it’s essential to “reject the idea that violence has any place in our democracy.”
He added that the incident was a reminder of the “courage and sacrifice” that the Secret Service makes every day.
“Although we don’t yet have the details about the motives behind last night’s shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner, it’s incumbent upon all us to reject the idea that violence has any place in our democracy,” he said in the post. “It’s also a sobering reminder of the courage and sacrifice that U.S. Secret Service Agents show every day. I’m grateful to them – and thankful that the agent who was shot is going to be okay.”
