How the White House Correspondents' Association dinner chaos unfolded

White HouseHow the White House Correspondents' Association dinner chaos unfoldedA timeline of how President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and several Cabinet members were quickly evacuated after an armed man rushed a security checkpoint. Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleHow the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner chaos unfolded03:48Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 28, 2026, 7:20 AM EDTBy Jon Schuppe and Owen HayesHundreds of journalists, celebrities and politicians, including President Donald Trump and the two men next in line to succeed him, had taken their seats at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner Saturday night when, one floor above, a man rushed toward a Washington Hilton Hotel security checkpoint armed with guns and knives.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.In the ballroom, big-band music played while guests in tuxedos and gowns talked over their appetizers. On the dais, the evening’s entertainer, Oz Pearlman, leaned over Trump to show him a mind-reading trick as the association’s president, CBS correspondent Weijia Jiang, watched. The following account is based on video footage and interviews from the event. Add NBC News to GoogleWatch as Trump is evacuated from the White House Correspondents' dinner00:47Next to Trump, first lady Melania Trump turned to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Vice President JD Vance sat a few chairs down. Elsewhere were various members of Congress and Trump’s Cabinet — including House Speaker Mike Johnson, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel.From left, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, first lady Melania Trump, President Donald Trump and CBS News senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner Saturday.Mandel Ngan / AFP via Getty Images8:34 p.m. It was 8:34 p.m., according to White House pool footage. The armed attacker, after reaching the street-level checkpoint, ran past the weapon detectors and a handful of guards and headed toward the stairs leading to the ballroom below, security footage shared by Trump on social media shows. The guards immediately pulled their guns and chased him. Gunshots rang out.Add NBC News to GoogleVideo shows suspect running through security and the response inside the ballroom01:48The pops, about six of them, reverberated into the ballroom, where for a few moments no one, including Trump, appeared to recognize them as gunfire. Then people started yelling for everyone to get down and stay down. Melania Trump’s face turned grave, and she appears to say, “What happened?” as Secret Service agents ran into the ballroom. One agent grabbed Vance’s shoulders and pulled him from his chair. Plates and silverware crashed. Guests ducked. Some shrieked. The music cut. Guests hid under tables. Secret Service agents surrounded Trump and as they pulled him from the dais, he dropped to the ground, got back up and was led away. Agents led Johnson out, shouting, “Move, move!”In a 9:52 p.m. message posted on X, Johnson said they were safe. “We’re grateful as always for the law enforcement and first responders who acted so quickly to bring the situation under control,” said Johnson, R-La. “Praying for our country tonight.”Add NBC News to GoogleHouse Speaker Johnson rushed out by Secret Service at…

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