Updated at 10:56 pm ET on Saturday, April 25, 2026
We were under the table before we knew what was going on. At one point a military band was marching out of the Washington Hilton’s cavernous lobby; hundreds of journalists and government officials, including two dozen of me Atlantic my colleagues and myself wearing our best or borrowed ties, turned to our arugula salads.
The next time, armed agents—maybe Secret Service, maybe police, maybe hotel security; it was hard to tell from where we huddled under the tablecloth—we were walking through mountains of people, climbing over chairs, rushing to the stage, where President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump had just moments before been. he is sitting.
Shortly before 8:40 p.m., trays of dishes and tableware fell to the ground with a crash and they shouted, “Get down, get under the table!” Down! Down! ” There was at least one voice from the north side of the ballroom. The people near the doors of the theater began to stir. Then the plainclothes soldiers entered the door.
One attendee sitting on the upper level of the ballroom near the doors said he heard five or six gunshots nearby, and saw a Secret Service agent with his gun drawn walking back down the hall, before diving under a table. Andrew Kolvet, a spokesman for Turning Point USA who was sitting at a table near the stage, said he heard a “pop pop.”
Trump remained on stage for several seconds after the shooting, watching people dive under the table before being attacked by his heavily armed security. It was the same hotel outside which President Ronald Reagan was shot and wounded in 1981. From that time on, Washingtonians have known the large building as the “Hinkley Hilton,” after the shooter John Hinkley Jr.
The Secret Service rushed the president and Vice President JD Vance, seated several blocks down the stage from Trump, out of the room. Senior government officials were scattered in the crowd of more than 2,000 people. Those who had planned to attend the dinner, along with Trump and Vance, included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and White House adviser Stephen Miller.
Under the table, we were piled on top of each other, wedged together between table legs, high heels, and purses. His colleagues sent messages to loved ones and tried to understand what was happening around them. When I poked my head out, I saw two men in suits dragging a woman in a green embroidered dress outside, one pulling on each arm. While guests were still gathering for security, security agents dragged several people wearing gowns or tuxedos out of the venue.
Some journalists initially thought that there had been a bomb threat. Attendees went through a security gate before entering the venue, but the observation site was deep inside the hotel. In general, security seemed to be easier than at the airport.
When we appeared, we and other guests asked each other what happened. Journalists, diplomats, and various leaders all seemed stunned; many boarded the room with their mobile cameras. At one point, hotel staff started shouting for everyone to leave, causing some attendees to briefly duck behind the tables. At 8:55 in the afternoon, the hotel staff appeared and ordered all attendees to leave, shouting, “Let’s go!
As the reporters were ushered out, Kash Patel was in the hallway downstairs, on his phone and surrounded by a small security detail. Erika Kirk was also standing next to him, looking emotional.
Soon after, the Secret Service said the shooting happened near the security checkpoint, in the basement outside the theater. One person was in custody, the agency said information: “The president and the first lady are safe with all the guards.”
Trump, in a Social Truth post, said he, the first lady, and members of the Cabinet were “in good shape.” He said he will address the public soon from the White House and will plan the event within 30 days.
Outside, on a cold April evening, helicopters circled; ambulances with their lights on and not working nearby.
This is an ongoing story and will be updated as we learn more. Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, Ashley Parker, and Vivian Salama contributed reporting.
