On a Saturday evening in late April, violence broke into the annual gathering of Washington's press corps at the Washington Hilton, where a gunman fired inside the ballroom and wounded a Secret Service agent. Among those seated in the room was UFC chief Dana White, who recalled the chaos with an unsettling calm, choosing to watch rather than hide. The suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, was taken into custody, and the evening that had been built around ritual and laughter now waits on the judgment of those whose task is to protect the people in it. What the night will finally mean, and whether its inte
Dana White Calls White House Correspondents' Dinner Shooting 'Awesome' in Account of Chaotic Night
A Secret Service agent was injured during the shooting at the Washington Hilton hotel.
He did not get down. He told the paper he took in every minute of it.
Mark
Why did this one remark travel so far, when a Secret Service agent was hurt?
Mimi
Because of the contrast. Guests were being told to get down, tables were flipped, and White said he stayed upright and called it awesome, smiling as he said it.
Luke
Worth noting that it's one man's account to one newspaper. We have no independent confirmation of where he sat or what he saw.
Mark
He said he sat right in front of the head table. Does that matter?
Mimi
It explains why he believed the shooter might be near him. He said armed men came in searching, and nobody was tackled.
Luke
Right, but that's his recollection. The reporting doesn't say how the shooting unfolded, where the shots were fired, or how the agent was injured.
Mark
What do we actually know about the suspect?
Mimi
He's named as Cole Tomas Allen, from California, and he was arrested. AP describes him as a highly educated tutor and amateur game developer who opposed Trump's policies.
Luke
That's a profile, not a motive. Nothing here says what he intended or what charges follow.
Mark
And what happens to the dinner?
Mimi
Trump said law enforcement would decide, and that the evening would be much different than planned and would have to be redone.
Der Puls
- A gunman opened fire inside the ballroom of the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents' Dinner, and a Secret Service agent was wounded.
- Tables were overturned and armed men ran through the room shouting for guests to get down, turning a celebratory dinner into a scene of panic.
- Secret Service agents rushed onto the stage and pulled President Trump, Vice President Vance, and the first lady from the room as the evening fell apart.
- The suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, was arrested, and Trump has said law enforcement will decide whether any part of the evening can continue.
- Dana White's 'awesome' description has drawn sharp attention, and the dinner's fate and the agent's condition remain unresolved.
On a Saturday evening in late April, violence broke into the annual gathering of Washington's press corps at the Washington Hilton, where a gunman fired inside the ballroom and wounded a Secret Service agent. Among those seated in the room was UFC chief Dana White, who recalled the chaos with an unsettling calm, choosing to watch rather than hide. The suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, was taken into custody, and the evening that had been built around ritual and laughter now waits on the judgment of those whose task is to protect the people in it. What the night will finally mean, and whether its interrupted dinner will ever be completed, remains an open question.
On Saturday, April 25, a gunman opened fire in the ballroom of the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents' Dinner, injuring a Secret Service agent. Among the guests was Dana White, the UFC chief executive and a close ally of Donald Trump. Speaking afterward to USA Today, he described the room turning quickly from noise to overturned tables and armed men running through the hall, shouting for everyone to get down. He did not get down. He said he took in every minute, smiling as he spoke, and called it a crazy, unique experience. Seated almost directly in front of the head table, he admitted that for a moment he thought the shooter might be near his own table.
Live footage showed Secret Service agents moving Trump off the stage, and Vice President JD Vance, first lady Melania Trump, and press secretary Karoline Leavitt were also seen being removed. The suspect, identified as Cole Tomas Allen of California, was arrested. The Associated Press reported that he is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer who opposed Trump's policies, though the reporting does not establish his charges or motive.
Trump posted on Truth Social praising the Secret Service and law enforcement for acting quickly and bravely. He said he had wanted the show to go on, but would defer to police, and that the evening would be much different than planned and the dinner would have to be done again. White, who is scheduled to promote UFC Freedom 250 on the White House lawn on June 14, has a history with Trump that adds weight to his account. What comes next is whether the dinner is resumed or rescheduled, and what investigators reveal about Allen. The agent's condition has not yet been detailed.
On Saturday, April 25, a gunman opened fire inside the ballroom of the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents' Dinner, and a Secret Service agent was injured. Among the guests was Dana White, the 56-year-old UFC chief executive and a close ally of Donald Trump. In an interview with USA Today afterward, he described the scene, and one word in particular drew attention: he called it "f---ing awesome."
White said the room changed quickly. It started getting noisy, he recalled, then tables were flipped over and men ran through the ballroom with guns, screaming at people to get down. He did not get down. He told the paper he took in every minute of it, and he was smiling as he said so. He called it a pretty crazy, unique experience.
He placed himself at a table right in front of the head table where the president was seated. Nobody got tackled, he said, but armed men came in looking for the shooter. For a moment, he said, he thought the shooter was somewhere near his own table.
The event is the annual press dinner, and Trump and senior members of his administration were attending. Shortly after the dinner began, with the president seated onstage, live footage showed Secret Service agents entering the ballroom and moving him out of the room. Vice President JD Vance and first lady Melania Trump were also seen on camera being removed, as was press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is pregnant.
The suspect was identified as Cole Tomas Allen, a California man, and he was arrested. The Associated Press reported that he is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer who opposed President Trump's policies. The source material does not say what charges he faces or what motive investigators have established.
Trump posted on Truth Social soon after. He wrote that it had been quite an evening in D.C., praised the Secret Service and law enforcement for acting quickly and bravely, and said the shooter had been apprehended. He said he had recommended that the show go on, but that he would be guided entirely by law enforcement, who would decide shortly. Whatever they chose, he wrote, the evening would be much different than planned, and the dinner would have to be done again.
White's account carries added weight because of his history with Trump. He is scheduled to promote the mixed martial arts event UFC Freedom 250 on the White House lawn on June 14. He has also said previously that after Trump was shot in the ear at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024, he urged the then-candidate to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.
What remains to be seen is whether the dinner is resumed or rescheduled, as Trump suggested, and what investigators disclose about Allen. The agent's condition has not been detailed in the reporting available.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
I didn't get down. It was f---ing awesome, and I literally took every minute of it in.— Dana White, UFC CEO, to USA Today
The shooter has been apprehended; the evening will be much different than planned, and we'll just plain have to do it again.— President Donald Trump, on Truth Social
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