Trump speaks after shooting at WH Correspondents' Dinner

[0:00] earlier tonight that journalism is a public service because when there is an emergency [0:05] we run to the crisis not away from it and on a night when we are thinking about the freedoms [0:12] in the first amendment we must also think about how fragile they are i saw all of you reporting [0:20] and that's what we do so thank god everybody is safe and thank you for coming together tonight [0:38] um we will do this again thank you [1:45] the primary audio circuit for the reuters live service this couple of ducks three brown bears [22:39] four running hairs you're good red leather yellow leather red leather yellow leather sound check one [22:51] two [24:15] what about um [24:27] Please lighten this up. [24:30] This is . [24:33] So when the questions come up, [24:41] he just touches before, and we get questions, right? [24:45] Oh. Yeah. [24:47] You take it, I can go now. [24:49] Yep, yep, yep. [24:58] Okay. [25:00] How was your read? [25:02] Go ahead. [25:04] Okay. [25:06] Okay. [25:08] So I'm inside the bedroom. [25:14] Can you see behind me? [25:16] This is . [25:20] This is . [25:24] Yep. [25:26] All right. [25:28] Okay. [25:30] I'm going to talk about this. [25:32] I'm going to talk about this. [25:34] I'm going to talk about this. [25:36] We have to speak to what he says, [25:38] but this is something which was really, really, [25:40] I would say that was friendly for me. [25:42] We were always told to duck down, [25:44] then secret service. [25:47] I told all of us I heard some gunshots behind us, [25:51] towards the end of the room, [25:53] and the secret service that I saw. [25:59] And . [26:01] Hey, Becker, can you shoot tone to me? [26:03] What? [26:05] Back to me? [26:07] Okay. [26:08] Christian, can you shoot tone to me? [26:09] Okay. [26:11] Okay. [26:13] You on with me, uh, transmission? [26:15] And, uh, just now reach to the house. [26:17] You still there, DC? [26:19] Got it right here. [26:21] Inside the . [26:24] Okay. [26:26] Okay. [26:28] You got me? [26:30] Are you getting tone from us right now? [26:33] Yes. [26:34] Yeah, we're doing a white right now. [26:36] And he's going to drop tone in a second. [26:38] Got it. [26:40] What do you get? [26:41] 5,000. [26:42] 5K, Christian? [26:43] 51. [26:44] All right. [26:45] Good. [26:46] Give me a lift. [26:48] And, uh, how about audio? [26:49] Right now we have one fader up on that board. [26:51] We don't really know how to use it. [26:52] What's that? [26:54] You getting me? [26:55] One, two, three, four, five. [26:56] You got me in the transmission? [26:58] Yeah, it's going through. [26:59] One, two, three. [27:00] All right, cool. [27:01] So we're good for pool? [27:05] Yeah. [27:06] That's why I'm dressed like this. [27:08] Oh, I should. [27:10] After tonight, I should. [27:11] I can run in this stuff. [27:12] It's pretty easy. [27:13] It's a lot looser than my jeans. [27:14] All right. [27:15] So you're good for us? [27:16] All right. [27:19] Thank you. [27:23] Good. [27:26] Ali? [27:28] Yeah. [27:32] Yeah, Chris. [27:33] Yeah. [27:34] It's up. [27:35] I put it out to the pool. [27:36] I put it out on the pool. [27:37] Stand right where he would. [27:38] Thank you. [27:44] You're gonna go around one as well. [27:57] Yeah. [27:59] Inside the White House now maybe one and a half miles. [28:17] I just need to I just reach as I said. [28:21] On your screen? [28:22] Oh, I'd like you to get my, like, a house how this is. [28:24] Hi. [28:25] Chris, Becker. [28:26] Chris, Becker, do you need, okay, mic check's good, mic check one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, hey, hey, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, mic check, one, two, one, two, good, thank you. [28:59] Did you get it? [29:01] Did you get it? [29:02] No. [29:03] Oh, fast age. [29:04] Uh-huh. [29:05] Uh-huh. [29:06] Uh-huh. [29:07] I would like to know how to get fired. [29:08] You're fired. [29:09] Where was that? [29:12] I want to see your reaction to the secret service. [29:15] Yes. [29:16] Um, this guy just tweeted it. [29:20] Chris, you got me? [29:21] Why am I the clear for him? [29:24] Chris. [29:25] I'll do that. [29:27] You go ahead. [29:29] Uh-huh. [29:30] I'll send you a tone. [29:31] Go. [29:32] Go. [29:33] Go. [29:34] Go. [29:35] Go. [29:36] Go. [29:37] Go. [29:38] Go. [29:39] Go. [29:40] Go. [29:41] Go. [29:42] Go. [29:43] Go. [29:44] Go. [29:45] Go. [29:46] Go. [29:47] Go. [29:48] Go. [29:49] Go. [29:50] Go. [29:51] Go. [29:52] Go. [29:53] Go. [29:55] Go. [29:56] Go. [29:57] Go. [29:58] Go. [29:59] Go. [30:00] Go. [30:01] Go. [30:02] Go. [30:03] Go. [30:04] Go. [30:05] Go. [30:06] Go. [30:07] Go. [30:08] Go. [30:09] Go. [30:10] Thank you. [30:40] Thank you. [31:10] 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. [31:14] 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. [31:17] David Spunt. [31:19] David Spunt. [31:20] 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2. [31:24] 1, 2. [31:25] Hey, Ouija, nice job. [31:27] 1, 2, 1, 2. [31:28] Are you okay? [31:29] 1, 2. [31:30] Are you okay? [31:31] Okay. [31:32] 1, 2, 1, 2. [31:34] 1, 2, 1, 2. [31:36] You guys good? [31:37] Everybody good? [31:39] Yep. [31:39] 1, 2, 1, 2. [31:41] 1, 2, 1, 2. [31:42] 1, 2, 1, 2. [31:44] 1, 2, 1, 2, 3. [31:46] 1, 2, 3. [31:47] 3, 2, 1. [31:47] Everybody good? [31:49] Everybody good? [31:50] everybody good 1 2 3 1 2 3 3 2 1 3 2 1 3 2 1 Matt Reedy do I still need to call in [32:04] 1 2 3 1 2 3 3 2 1 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 [32:34] can you stand in front of the podium and tell me if I need to know why I'm in front of the podium [32:38] and let me look tell me if this is great [32:40] is it good? [32:45] this looks a little wider than this one [32:48] the flag does? [32:50] the spreader on the American flag has been reduced [32:52] how's that? [32:58] are these the same? [33:00] yeah it looks like a match [33:01] imagine [33:02] let me see [33:04] I thought I did the final [33:05] I just did the final [33:06] I wondered if this is good? [33:10] but if you want to be suggested [33:11] yeah [33:12] everybody want to go to the notes [33:14] 1? [33:14] I first think I want to sign the notes [33:18] oh [33:18] yeah [33:19] I got one [33:20] don't forget [33:20] I need to [33:22] be positive [33:22] yeah [33:23] I want to go out [33:24] I want to go out [33:25] yeah [33:27] yeah [33:28] yeah [33:29] yeah [33:30] at that time. [34:00] Here's my microphone. [34:07] Let me take the microphone. [34:11] I don't know. [34:16] Christian. [34:21] There's a box on me. [34:25] There's a box on me. [34:35] What's your point? [34:38] What else? [34:43] What else? [34:48] white balance up four five four five can somebody hold this for me please [35:10] mikey can you hold this seriously i just you're right here [35:18] give me time and guidance my god five ten minutes at ppo [35:30] can you have this is a good angle [35:39] good thank you [35:48] uh [36:04] okay great [36:10] Thank you. [36:40] Thank you. [37:10] Okay, cool. [37:12] Yeah, I heard that. I hear it raining now, but I would... [37:28] Yeah, yeah. [37:30] Okay. [37:32] Yeah. [37:34] Okay. [37:36] One, two, one, two, one, two. [37:38] One, two, one, two, one, two. [37:46] Thank you. [37:48] Yeah. [37:50] Appreciate it. [37:52] Thank you. [37:58] are you [38:12] i appreciate it thank you [38:28] yes [38:42] Thank you. [39:13] Thank you. [39:43] Thank you. [40:13] Thank you. [40:43] Thank you. [41:13] Thank you. [41:43] Thank you. [42:17] Thank you. [42:48] Thank you. [43:18] Thank you. [43:48] Thank you. [43:50] Thank you. [43:54] Thank you. [44:10] Thank you. [44:12] Thank you. [44:16] Thank you. [44:18] Thank you. [44:20] Thank you. [44:22] Thank you. [44:24] Thank you. [44:26] Thank you. [44:28] Thank you. [44:30] Thank you. [44:32] Thank you. [44:34] Thank you. [44:36] Thank you. [44:38] Thank you. [44:40] Thank you. [44:42] Thank you. [44:44] Thank you. [44:46] Thank you. [44:48] Thank you. [44:50] Thank you. [44:52] Thank you. [44:54] Thank you. [44:56] Thank you. [44:58] You'll notice I'm in a tuxedo, and that is because we raced from the Washington Hilton here to our studios in Washington, D.C. [45:05] This is a very unusual night, and hence the unusual appearance for this report. [45:11] Gabe Gutierrez, I understand, has made his way to the White House right now for us. [45:16] Gabe, you and I were inside the Washington Hilton when this happened. [45:19] I was seated next to Secretary of State Marco Rubio to one side and the Energy Secretary on the other side. [45:24] When this commotion happened, everyone hit the ground, looking, you know, the Secretary of State looking at both his wife who was across the table and also at the president and wanting to see what was happening as I was trying to tell him to get under the table because they were asking everyone to get under, and then Secret Service and law enforcement going table by table, taking each cabinet member and their spouse out and getting them to a secure location after the president was safely behind the stage from what we understand when this first happened. [45:50] And it was really unclear, Gabe, what was happening. We saw law enforcement come in. [45:55] There were scores of agents and law enforcement and Secret Service that came in, guns drawn, fingers on the trigger, and they were just rushing through that ballroom, really not letting anything get in their way so they could make a beeline towards the president. [46:08] Gabe, I know you were sitting just behind me, and I'm not sure if it was who was sitting at your table, but I know there were other cabinet members that were sitting all around us at the NBC News tables. [46:17] Yeah, that's right, Tom. Look, it was a surreal experience. Secretary Burgum was at my table. [46:22] He immediately dropped to the ground along with his wife, as you described, other high-level cabinet officials did, and it was extremely remarkable and surreal to see so many Secret Service agents storm into the room. [46:34] And, Tom, this came during the salad course. [46:37] The president of the White House Correspondents Association had just spoken, introduced the president and the first lady. [46:43] the Star Spangled Banner had played, and there was an energy inside the room as we awaited the president's remarks that all changed completely suddenly with the evacuation of the president of the United States. [46:54] Now, shortly after that, we did see some posts on social media from President Trump. [46:59] He had said that he wanted the show to go on, in his words, but that it would be up to law enforcement. [47:06] And then in a subsequent post, he said that Secret Service had decided that he should be evacuated from the premises, and that's when he announced this press briefing at the White House, which is about to get underway. [47:17] My colleague Garrett Haake is awaiting those remarks there. [47:21] And we hope to learn more information about what actually led to this incident, Tom. [47:25] We had spoken with a witness, we'd heard what sounded like gunshots in an adjacent room. [47:32] Again, we are still awaiting the details of what led to this possible shooting, if it was, in fact, gunshots, or what exactly led up to all of this, Tom. [47:42] But it was very sudden. [47:44] The night turned rather dramatically. [47:46] And, again, right now, we're waiting to hear from the president of the United States. [47:48] He says that he wants this event to be rescheduled at some point within the next 30 days, Tom. [47:54] Again, we're waiting for the president at any moment. [47:56] We do have an update right now. [47:58] We understand the suspect has been arrested and is being treated right now at the hospital. [48:02] We believe this is for a gunshot wound. [48:05] But, again, this is a very fluid situation. [48:07] We are still getting details in, and I'm sure we'll learn much more from the president as soon as he takes that podium. [48:12] We can't stress enough how many people were inside that ballroom at this dinner. [48:17] Almost the entire cabinet, there is usually a designated survivor, Gabe. [48:23] And we know even from talking in our talks with the White House, somebody is always a designated survivor. [48:28] So there is a line of succession that can withstand. [48:30] But you had everyone from the secretary of state, as we mentioned, to the vice president, to the secretary of defense. [48:35] In that room, all seated very close to each other. [48:38] I'd say 500 to 600 people. [48:40] I'm not sure the exact number inside that ballroom. [48:42] All very crowded. [48:44] So when the Secret Service rushes in, they didn't have a whole lot of space, [48:48] but they were able to clear a lane out and get right to the president. [48:52] Yeah, that's right. [48:52] And look, Tom, you had a good vantage point. [48:55] My back was immediately to the president, so I did not see him being evacuated. [49:01] First, my eyes turned to Secretary Burgum, who was at my table, and then the other people. [49:06] It was a very confusing scene because you did not know exactly what was going on. [49:11] You heard some noise from the back of the ballroom as those Secret Service agents stormed in, [49:16] some with guns drawn. [49:19] And then as soon as he turned around, the president was already gone. [49:22] Certainly, Secret Service agents making a split-second decision to evacuate the president [49:26] in any scenario that could potentially threaten his life. [49:30] But yes, as you mentioned, it wasn't just the president. [49:32] Vice President J.D. Vance was also on stage. [49:34] Other high-level officials from the Trump administration. [49:37] The press secretary, Caroline Levitt, had just been introduced, and very high-level officials. [49:41] Now, certainly this dinner, this was the first White House Correspondents [49:46] Association dinner that President Trump had been set to attend while he was in office. [49:50] He had attended twice before as a private citizen. [49:53] And his speech, highly anticipated, perhaps the tone of his remarks, [49:57] an administration known of being contentious with the press before. [50:01] However, the president was set to give remarks. [50:03] He had been invited by the Correspondents Association, and he had accepted. [50:08] Certainly a very difficult night. [50:10] And we have to remember, we are right now a nation at war with Iran. [50:13] There was an Iranian plot that the White House has spoken about to kill President Trump. [50:19] We also know domestically there have been two attempts, at least two attempts, if not more, [50:24] on the president's life, one where he was almost killed. [50:27] Corey Campintori killed there in Butler sitting just behind him, [50:30] a local firefighter who lost his life in that assassination attempt. [50:34] And then we also saw Charlie Kirk and what happened with him, killed in front of a college audience. [50:39] It is a very, very violent time right now in this country when it's come to political violence, Gabe. [50:44] And this dinner happened sort of under the auspice of all of that. [50:49] And that we're a nation at war right now. [50:50] And the security situations are very, very tricky right now. [50:54] Certainly. And look, I did hear somebody cry out from the table next to me, not tonight. [51:00] This was a dinner that was celebrating the First Amendment. [51:03] It was a time for, you know, journalists. [51:06] And again, an administration that can at times be combative with the press. [51:10] But in this particular situation, agreed to come to this dinner. [51:14] His remarks were highly anticipated to see what tone he might strike, [51:17] given that there was so much going on across the world. [51:21] Of course, no one wanted to see what happened here tonight. [51:25] And there are still a lot of unanswered questions about what exactly did happen. [51:28] I can tell you security at this event was extremely tight, as you would expect. [51:33] There were numerous protesters outside of the Washington and Hilton protesting the war in Iran, [51:39] as well as, you know, we've seen protesters before. [51:42] These dinners often attract protesters that are critical of the administration, [51:46] especially if the president does attend. [51:49] But this was a dramatic change just as this dinner was getting underway. [51:54] It was tightly packed in that room, and it was a dramatic shift. [51:57] And right now, we're waiting to hear the president's first public comments on camera [52:01] since this event unfolded just a short time ago. [52:04] And, you know, and we'll hear his perspective, Gabe, which we haven't heard yet. [52:06] He's posted on Truth Social. [52:08] But from the videos that we've seen from the pool feeds that were inside, [52:12] essentially, you know, the pool of cameras that were capturing this event, [52:15] the president looked right at those front doors when they burst open. [52:18] That's when we all looked towards the front doors, the entrance to that ballroom, [52:21] and when Secret Service came rushing in. [52:24] Ryan, I do want to talk to you about sort of the bit of chaos [52:27] and why it was such a terrifying scene for the people inside the ballroom, [52:32] because there were so many people, hundreds of people in there, right? [52:35] And the Secret Service was jumping table to table. [52:38] The president is coming in right now with the first lady. [52:41] Let's listen in. [52:41] And that was very unexpected, but incredibly acted upon by Secret Service and law enforcement. [52:53] And this was an event dedicated to freedom of speech [52:58] that was supposed to bring together members of both parties with members of the press. [53:04] And in a certain way, it did, because the fact that they just unified... [53:11] I saw a room that was just totally unified. [53:13] It was, in one way, very beautiful, a very beautiful thing to see. [53:17] A man charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, [53:23] and he was taken down by some very brave members of Secret Service, [53:27] and they acted very quickly. [53:28] And I've just released, for purposes of transparency, clarity, [53:35] I've ordered it to be put out. [53:37] You probably have it by now, put out on truth and put out on many of the platforms. [53:43] A tape showing the violence of this thug that attacked our Constitution, [53:48] and also showing how quickly Secret Service and law enforcement acted on our country's behalf. [53:54] Really did a great job. [53:56] One officer was shot, but saved by the fact that he was wearing, [54:03] obviously, a very good bulletproof vest. [54:06] He was shot from very close distance with a very powerful gun. [54:12] And the vest did the job. [54:15] I just spoke to the officer, and he's doing great. [54:17] He's in great shape. [54:19] He has very high spirits. [54:23] And we told him we love him and respect him. [54:28] And he's a very proud guy. [54:29] He's very proud of what he does, Secret Service agent. [54:34] And we looked at all of the conditions that took place tonight. [54:39] And I will say, you know, it's not a particularly secure building. [54:46] And I didn't want to say this, but this is why we have to have [54:51] all of the attributes of what we're planning at the White House. [54:56] It's actually a larger room, and it's much more secure. [54:59] It's got drone-proof. [55:01] It's bulletproof glass. [55:02] We need the ballroom. [55:03] That's why Secret Service. [55:04] That's why the military are demanding it. [55:08] They've wanted the ballroom for 150 years for lots of different reasons. [55:12] But today is a little bit different, because today we need levels of security [55:18] that probably nobody's ever seen before. [55:21] But everyone owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to the courage of law enforcement. [55:28] The law enforcement and working with the D.C. police. [55:31] And we just spoke with the mayor. [55:33] And when we're finished, the police chief is going to take over [55:38] and discuss it also from their viewpoint. [55:43] But they also performed exactly as they were supposed to. [55:47] And you see the attacker in different positions, [55:49] but you also see the attacker totally subdued and under control. [55:56] So as you know, this is not the first time in the past couple of years [55:59] that our republic has been attacked by a would-be assassin who sought to kill [56:04] in Butler, Pennsylvania, less than two years ago. [56:08] You all know that story. [56:09] And in Palm Beach, Florida, a few months after that, we came close. [56:14] We really had, again, we had some great work done by law enforcement. [56:19] But in light of this evening's events, I ask that all Americans recommit [56:24] with their hearts in resolving our difference peacefully. [56:28] We have to resolve our differences. [56:31] I will say you had Republicans, Democrats, independents, [56:35] conservatives, liberals, and progressives. [56:40] Those words are interchangeable, perhaps, but maybe they're not. [56:43] But yet everybody in that room, big crowd, record-setting crowd. [56:46] There was a record-setting group of people. [56:51] And there was a tremendous amount of love and coming together. [56:54] I watched, I watched, and I was very, very impressed by that. [56:59] But we were, first lady and I were taken very well care of, very quickly, very quickly rushed off the stage. [57:09] Vice President J.D. Vance, who's here, was likewise beautifully done. [57:16] He was just saying how quickly everybody acted, law enforcement, [57:19] and secret service in particular in this case. [57:21] But law enforcement, Marco had the same thing. [57:24] Pete was there. [57:25] Pete didn't want any help. [57:26] He didn't want anybody to help him. [57:28] He doesn't want anybody to help him. [57:30] But he did get some, didn't you? [57:32] And I think you also said that it was very impressive. [57:35] So, with that, I'd like to ask Todd Blanche to come up, say a few words, [57:40] and tell you it's already underway. [57:43] The man has been captured. [57:48] They're going to his apartment. [57:50] I guess he lives in California. [57:52] And he's a sick person, a very sick person. [57:55] And we don't want things like this to happen. [57:58] I think it's very important that I say, though, [58:00] and I told the representatives of the evening, [58:02] they did such a beautiful job with such a beautiful evening. [58:05] And, again, they're talking about free speech in our Constitution. [58:08] That's what it's all about, not just White House correspondents. [58:12] It was really based on free speech in our Constitution. [58:16] But I said very importantly that we'll do it again within the next 30 days. [58:21] And we'll make it bigger and better and even nicer. [58:25] So I just want to thank everybody that was involved. [58:28] I also want to thank the press, the media. [58:31] You've been very responsible in your coverage. [58:33] I will say I've been seeing what's been out. [58:35] You've been very responsible. [58:37] So, Todd Blintz, I'd like to say a few words. [58:39] I know we're going to have cash. [58:41] And then you're going to go on. [58:43] We can ask, I guess we can take a couple of questions. [58:46] I want to thank the First Lady for, [58:49] that was a rather traumatic experience for her. [58:53] There was a lot of action taking place up there very quickly. [58:56] But, again, the response time was really incredible. [59:01] And we're going to reschedule. [59:03] We're going to do it again. [59:04] We're not going to let anybody take over our society. [59:07] We're not going to cancel things out because we can't do that. [59:10] We wanted to stay tonight. [59:11] I will tell you, I fought like hell to stay. [59:15] But there was protocol that said, please, sir, [59:21] because they didn't know a lot of, there was a lot of action going on [59:24] and they didn't know could there be probably a lone shooter, [59:26] but we'll find out. [59:27] We'll find out very quickly. [59:29] They have it very well under control. [59:30] So I want to thank everybody very much. [59:32] And Todd Blanche, please. [59:34] Thank you very much, Mr. President. [59:40] Tonight you saw the very worst and the very best of this country. [59:46] You saw the very worst by the actions of that coward [59:48] that the president just talked about. [59:50] But you also saw the very best [59:52] because you saw law enforcement do exactly what they're supposed to do. [59:56] And you'll see the videos come out, I expect very shortly, [59:59] and you'll see law enforcement do exactly what we want them to do. [1:00:03] And so I echo what Mr. President, what President Trump just said, [1:00:06] that we are extraordinarily grateful and appreciative of the men and women of law enforcement [1:00:11] that did their jobs tonight, including one who was injured. [1:00:15] This investigation is ongoing. [1:00:17] I expect you will see charges filed shortly. [1:00:20] The charges should be self-evident given the conduct. [1:00:24] But as you'll hear, there will be multiple charges around the shooting, [1:00:28] around the possession of firearms and anything else that we can get on this guy. [1:00:33] The investigation is obviously ongoing, [1:00:36] and just started. [1:00:38] There's federal law enforcement already working on search warrants [1:00:42] and doing their job, and I don't want to get ahead of them [1:00:45] and don't want to get ahead of the work that they're doing even as we speak. [1:00:49] Director Patel and I were just on the crime scene a short while ago, [1:00:53] and everybody in this room should rest assured [1:00:55] that the Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI, Secret Service, [1:00:59] everybody's on the scene doing their job. [1:01:01] I know that the police chief is going to give an update from the scene [1:01:06] as soon as we're finished here, [1:01:07] and I obviously will lead the details of what they have learned to him. [1:01:13] But in the meantime, I just want to thank everybody in this room [1:01:17] for the courage, [1:01:18] and I want to thank President Trump for his words, [1:01:22] and I promise you, justice will be served. [1:01:26] Thank you. [1:01:27] Director Patel. [1:01:27] Thank you, General. [1:01:30] Thank you, Mr. President. [1:01:32] The President's absolutely right. [1:01:34] You saw the best resolve of American law enforcement [1:01:36] because you, Mr. President, [1:01:37] inspired them 24-7, 365. [1:01:39] You give them the resources that they need, [1:01:41] and you know, they know that you have their back. [1:01:43] And that is a changing dynamic in this country, [1:01:45] and that's why you saw brave Secret Service agents [1:01:47] respond immediately, swiftly, [1:01:50] subdue and take down the suspect [1:01:51] and safeguard the lives of thousands of individuals at that hotel. [1:01:55] Thanks to our interagency partnership [1:01:57] with the Department of Homeland Security [1:01:58] and the Metropolitan Police Department, [1:02:00] the FBI was rapidly deployed onto the scene, [1:02:03] took over the evidence response unit, [1:02:05] is examining all the ballistics that were found on scene [1:02:07] to include the long gun and the shell casings. [1:02:10] We are conducting witness interviews as we speak. [1:02:12] You will hear from our team on the scene there [1:02:15] with the mayor and the head of the FBI field division there, [1:02:18] but please know what the attorney general has just said [1:02:20] reigns no truer. [1:02:21] You saw the very best of America tonight, [1:02:24] the very best unite us at a time of uncertainty [1:02:26] because we have leadership here [1:02:28] with the president and the vice president [1:02:29] that backs law enforcement, [1:02:31] and the men and women that I shook their hands on the scene today [1:02:33] could not have been prouder to show up on scene. [1:02:36] And as the attorney general said, make no mistake, [1:02:38] we are conducting witness interviews. [1:02:39] If you have any information, [1:02:41] any information whatsoever related to this event, [1:02:44] 1-800-CALL-FBI, 1-800-CALL-FBI. [1:02:47] No piece of information is too small. [1:02:49] No piece of information is inadequate. [1:02:51] We will evaluate it all. [1:02:52] We will also be conducting interviews [1:02:53] of those that were there. [1:02:55] And if any of those individuals have information, [1:02:57] please come forward to law enforcement [1:02:59] or the FBI or the Metropolitan Police Department. [1:03:01] We will be examining this individual's background thoroughly. [1:03:03] That process has already started. [1:03:05] And we are going to ensure [1:03:06] that he was either a lone wolf actor [1:03:08] or anyone else that was responsible, [1:03:10] we will analyze all evidence immediately [1:03:12] to make sure that we safeguard this country. [1:03:14] Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, [1:03:16] thank you for your leadership, [1:03:17] Attorney General and Homeland Secretary Mullen. [1:03:19] Thank you for your partnership in law enforcement. [1:03:21] Thank you. [1:03:22] Okay, we'll do a couple, [1:03:23] and then we go to the chief. [1:03:26] Madam Chairman, [1:03:27] I just want to say you did a fantastic job. [1:03:30] What a beautiful evening. [1:03:31] And we're going to reschedule. [1:03:33] It's very tough for her to ask a killer question, right? [1:03:40] But you have done a fantastic job. [1:03:42] Please. [1:03:42] The Press, thank you, Mr. President. [1:03:43] I appreciate it. [1:03:45] As you mentioned, it all happened so quickly. [1:03:48] And I wonder, especially because, [1:03:52] unfortunately, you have experience [1:03:53] with these sorts of threats, [1:03:56] in that moment when you realized there was a threat [1:03:59] and service agents were telling us to get down. [1:04:03] Can you describe what was going through your mind, [1:04:06] how you were feeling in that moment? [1:04:09] That's a very good question, actually. [1:04:11] It was, it's always shocking [1:04:12] when something like this happens. [1:04:14] Happened to me a little bit. [1:04:16] And that never changes. [1:04:19] The fact, we were sitting right next to each other, [1:04:23] the first lady on my right, [1:04:24] and I heard a noise [1:04:26] and sort of thought it was a tray. [1:04:28] I thought it was a tray going down. [1:04:31] You know, I've heard that many times, [1:04:33] and it was pretty loud noise. [1:04:35] And it was from quite far away. [1:04:36] He hadn't breached the area at all. [1:04:39] They really got him. [1:04:40] But, so it was quite far away, [1:04:42] but it was a gun. [1:04:44] And some people really understood that pretty quickly. [1:04:49] Other people didn't. [1:04:50] I was watching to see what was happening. [1:04:52] Probably should have gone down even faster. [1:04:55] Melania was very cognizant, I think, of what happened. [1:04:59] And I think she knew immediately what happened. [1:05:02] She was saying, that's a bad noise. [1:05:05] And we were whisked away along with other people, [1:05:11] but we were really whisked away. [1:05:13] And, again, the performance of the Secret Service [1:05:15] and the police, all of the law enforcement, [1:05:18] I thought it was really good. [1:05:19] So it was very quick. [1:05:20] There wasn't a lot of time to be thinking [1:05:22] because it was a matter of seconds [1:05:23] before we were out the door and gone into an area. [1:05:27] We very much, and you wanted to, too, [1:05:30] we very much wanted to continue it [1:05:31] because I don't like to let these sick people, [1:05:34] these thugs, these horrible, horrible people, [1:05:38] change the fabric of our life, [1:05:40] change the course of what we do. [1:05:42] So we held out. [1:05:43] You were there. [1:05:44] We held out right till the end. [1:05:45] But they didn't want to take a chance, [1:05:47] and I understand there was protocol. [1:05:49] But we're going to be doing one, [1:05:51] hopefully, within the next 30 days or sooner. [1:05:53] And I am ready, willing, and able. [1:05:55] And I was all set to really rip it. [1:05:58] And I said to my people, [1:06:01] this would be the most inappropriate speech ever made [1:06:03] if I said one. [1:06:04] So I'll have to save it. [1:06:06] I don't know if I could ever be as rough [1:06:08] as I was going to be tonight. [1:06:09] I think I'm going to be probably very nice. [1:06:11] I'll be very boring the next time. [1:06:13] But we're going to have a great event. [1:06:14] And you did a fantastic job. [1:06:16] Thank you very much. [1:06:17] Peter, go ahead. [1:06:17] Thank you, President Trump. [1:06:19] There's a report in the New York Post [1:06:21] that this assailant assembled his weapon [1:06:24] somewhere on site at the hotel. [1:06:28] What do you think about that? [1:06:29] And I ask respectfully, [1:06:32] why do you think this keeps happening to you? [1:06:37] Well, you know, I've studied assassinations. [1:06:42] And I must tell you, the most impactful people, [1:06:46] the people that do the most, [1:06:47] you take a look at the people, [1:06:49] Abraham Lincoln. [1:06:51] I mean, you go through the people [1:06:52] that have gone through this where they got them. [1:06:56] But the people that do the most, [1:06:58] the people that make the biggest impact, [1:07:01] they're the ones that they go after. [1:07:03] They don't go after the ones that don't do much [1:07:05] because they like it that way. [1:07:07] And when you look at the people that have either, [1:07:11] whether it was an attempt or a successful attempt, [1:07:15] they're very impactful people. [1:07:17] Just take a look at the names here. [1:07:19] They're big names. [1:07:21] And I hate to say I'm honored by that, [1:07:23] but I've done a lot. [1:07:25] We've done a lot. [1:07:26] We have taken this country, [1:07:28] and we were a laughingstock for years, [1:07:31] and now we're the hottest country anywhere in the world. [1:07:33] We've changed this country. [1:07:35] And there are a lot of people that are not happy about that. [1:07:38] So I think that's the answer, Peter. [1:07:40] And after Butler, [1:07:41] your team for a while rethought outdoor events. [1:07:44] Yeah. [1:07:44] Do you think that you now need to rethink any door? [1:07:47] No. Well, but then you just don't do events. [1:07:49] No, I can't do that. [1:07:49] I have to... [1:07:50] You know, it is what it is. [1:07:52] We have to do it. [1:07:53] The room was very, very secure. [1:07:55] You know, he charged from 50 yards away, [1:07:57] so he was very far away from the room. [1:08:00] And what did you think when you saw the video [1:08:01] of how fast he was running? [1:08:02] He was moving. [1:08:03] He was really moving. [1:08:05] And the reaction time was great. [1:08:07] Boy, those guys, they had their guns drawn literally [1:08:10] by the time he was there. [1:08:11] They were shooting. [1:08:12] That's right. [1:08:12] They were... [1:08:13] I thought they were very impressive. [1:08:15] I thought they were very impressive. [1:08:16] And if I didn't, I'd let you know, you know. [1:08:18] I'm not going to be... [1:08:20] I would not stand for that. [1:08:22] No, I thought they were very impressive. [1:08:23] Thank you, President Trump. [1:08:25] And thank you for updating us on the suspect earlier. [1:08:28] Were you aware of any threats? [1:08:30] Was your team aware of any threats beforehand? [1:08:31] And do you believe you were the target of this tonight? [1:08:34] I guess. [1:08:35] I mean, these people are... [1:08:36] They're crazy. [1:08:37] They're crazy. [1:08:38] And, you know, you never know. [1:08:40] He was very far away from me. [1:08:41] I had to go through a lot. [1:08:42] You know, we had resources all over. [1:08:46] We had resources sitting at tables, literally, in disguise, [1:08:50] sitting maybe at your table. [1:08:52] Who knows? [1:08:52] But we had people all over the room. [1:08:54] So he had a long way to go. [1:08:56] That was really a first line of defense. [1:08:58] And they got him. [1:08:59] And they really, you know, they acted incredibly. [1:09:02] No, we have... [1:09:03] We've had no... [1:09:04] There was no notification. [1:09:06] We had no idea. [1:09:06] Go ahead, Karen. [1:09:07] Do you not have any political motivations from this... [1:09:09] Well, you never know. [1:09:10] Now, we'll be able to tell you that maybe by tomorrow or the next day. [1:09:13] You know, he's in custody. [1:09:14] And they're asking him a lot of questions. [1:09:17] I guess they're going over, Todd. [1:09:19] And they're already at his apartment. [1:09:21] He lives in California. [1:09:23] Yes, sir. [1:09:23] And they'll be... [1:09:25] They're over there. [1:09:25] So they'll be able to tell you. [1:09:27] Thank you, Caitlin. [1:09:29] President Trump, did the suspect say anything? [1:09:32] Or was he wearing anything that would allege some type of motive here? [1:09:36] Nothing. [1:09:37] No. [1:09:37] I mean, he was a guy who looked pretty evil when he was down. [1:09:42] You know, they had him down. [1:09:43] He was fighting hard. [1:09:44] He was a... [1:09:45] In my opinion, a sick person. [1:09:47] Who would do that but a sick person? [1:09:49] But I think you're going to find everything about him. [1:09:51] No reason to talk about it now. [1:09:52] But tomorrow at this time, long before this time, [1:09:55] you're going to know a lot of things about him. [1:09:57] He was a... [1:09:58] They seemed to think he was a lone wolf. [1:10:00] And I feel that, too. [1:10:02] Are you concerned about U.S. Secret Service protection ability? [1:10:05] We saw several of the detailees take minutes to be escorted out of the room. [1:10:10] No, they acted very quickly. [1:10:11] No, I was very impressed by Secret Service. [1:10:13] I mean, I'm the one... [1:10:15] And, Mark, Wayne, you would agree with that, I think. [1:10:16] Yes, certainly. [1:10:16] I'm the one that would complain. [1:10:19] You don't have to complain for me. [1:10:21] I would be complaining. [1:10:22] I'd be up here right now saying they didn't do their job. [1:10:24] Oh, believe me. [1:10:25] Because, you know, it's my life. [1:10:27] And I want to live because I want to make this country great. [1:10:30] That's why I want to live. [1:10:32] But when you're impactful, they go after you. [1:10:34] When you're not impactful, they leave you alone. [1:10:36] Okay, a couple of... [1:10:37] A couple of more. [1:10:38] A couple of more. [1:10:39] Go ahead, please. [1:10:40] Is there any indication that this shooting could have been linked to the war in Iran? [1:10:48] I don't think so, but you never know. [1:10:51] We're going to know a lot. [1:10:52] We have the best people in the world working on it, and we're going to know a lot. [1:10:56] Please. [1:10:56] Mr. President, there's a lot. [1:10:58] There's... [1:10:59] You, as well as some of us who have covered Butler, experienced another horrific day two years ago. [1:11:06] Yeah. [1:11:06] What felt similar? [1:11:09] You know, you had the First Lady with you today. [1:11:11] What felt different? [1:11:12] And you have another two-plus years in office. [1:11:15] Are you concerned about something like this happening again? [1:11:17] Well, I can't be concerned. [1:11:18] I can only get great people. [1:11:20] They did the job. [1:11:22] A much... [1:11:22] In my opinion, a much better job than Butler. [1:11:24] Butler had one weak spot that we all know about. [1:11:27] Somebody should have been up there. [1:11:28] But even Butler... [1:11:29] We had a... [1:11:31] Our sniper... [1:11:33] Sniper on our side. [1:11:34] Within 4.2 seconds from a distance of about 400 yards, one shot, and he was gone. [1:11:45] And if he didn't do... [1:11:46] Now, you know, he's David. [1:11:47] His name was David. [1:11:49] I say, hello, David, every time I see him. [1:11:52] David, I like you very much, David. [1:11:54] But think of that. [1:11:55] Now, if he doesn't hit him, and he hit him right between the eyes from 400 yards, without any notice, [1:12:02] nobody knew. [1:12:02] He heard a sound. [1:12:04] He looked over, and there was actually a tree that was somewhat in his way. [1:12:07] You know the story very well. [1:12:08] And he aimed, he fired. [1:12:12] And if he didn't do that, beyond me, you would have had a lot more people killed who lost one great person [1:12:17] and two people very badly hurt. [1:12:19] They're okay now. [1:12:20] But, no, that was... [1:12:22] So, in a sense, you know, they... [1:12:24] It was pretty amazing, the job they did. [1:12:26] But they did have that one weak spot, as you know. [1:12:30] They should have had that covered. [1:12:31] Tonight, they had everything covered very quickly. [1:12:34] And he was fast. [1:12:35] He was running full blast. [1:12:36] And they got him before they got any further. [1:12:39] I was very far away. [1:12:40] You know, he was... [1:12:41] He hadn't anywhere close to breach the doors of the ballroom. [1:12:45] The ballroom was sealed, and everybody in there. [1:12:48] That's why, once those doors opened, they didn't want to do tonight. [1:12:51] If the doors weren't opened, we could have probably done it tonight. [1:12:54] But I think we're much better off rescheduling. [1:12:57] Yeah, please. [1:12:57] Mr. President, for you and perhaps law enforcement as well, [1:13:01] what is the level of confidence that this was a lone actor, [1:13:05] and has the suspect made any statements to police while in custody? [1:13:09] I think it... [1:13:09] It's just my... [1:13:10] Look, it's my profession. [1:13:12] We have great professionals up here and outside [1:13:14] that have been working with us. [1:13:16] My impression is he was a lone wolf, whack job. [1:13:21] These are crazy people. [1:13:22] These are crazy people. [1:13:24] And they have to be dealt with. [1:13:25] We had that in the second attempt, as you know, [1:13:29] and he's spending life in prison. [1:13:32] Because if you let him out, they'll probably, you know, [1:13:34] if he serves 10 years or 15 years, you let him out, [1:13:37] he'll probably try it again with somebody else. [1:13:39] They're sick people. [1:13:41] We have a lot of sick people. [1:13:42] But you're going to know, I think very shortly, [1:13:45] you're going to know, Todd, a lot about him. [1:13:49] You're going to know a lot about him. [1:13:50] Yeah, a couple of more. [1:13:51] Yeah, please, go ahead. [1:13:56] Are you concerned about political violence? [1:13:58] This could be politically motivated. [1:14:00] All violence. [1:14:01] I'm concerned about everything. [1:14:02] Look, I can't be so concerned that you can't function. [1:14:06] No, I'm here. [1:14:08] It's a dangerous profession. [1:14:10] You know, I tell the story, race car drivers, [1:14:13] I think it's very dangerous. [1:14:14] So if you take 1% and then take about 10% of 1%, [1:14:21] just to break it down very easily, they die. [1:14:25] So much less than 1%, 10% of 1%. [1:14:28] I think bull riding is very dangerous. [1:14:31] If you take about the same 10% of 1%, much less than 1%. [1:14:35] But if you take presidents, it's 5.8%. [1:14:39] And about 8% are shot at. [1:14:44] So nobody told me this was such a dangerous profession. [1:14:50] If Marco would have told me, maybe I wouldn't have run. [1:14:53] Maybe I would have said, I'll take a pass. [1:14:55] No, it's a dangerous profession. [1:14:57] But I don't view it that way. [1:14:58] Look, I'm here to do a job. [1:15:00] It's part of the job. [1:15:02] It is a dangerous. [1:15:02] I can't imagine that there's any profession that's more dangerous. [1:15:07] But I love the country and I'm very proud. [1:15:09] I'm very proud of the job we've done. [1:15:11] You see what's happened. [1:15:12] We have a great country. [1:15:13] We've got, I think, the most successful, [1:15:15] the hottest country anywhere in the world. [1:15:17] This happened over a period of just a year. [1:15:20] And we're going to do great things. [1:15:22] But with that come risks. [1:15:24] There's no question about it. [1:15:25] Yeah. [1:15:27] I mean, there's been so much political violence, [1:15:29] not just aimed at yourself, but at other members of Congress. [1:15:32] Congress, statehouse speakers, you name it. [1:15:35] Is that just the cost of doing business to do politics in America anymore? [1:15:39] Yeah. [1:15:39] Well, what does that say about our country? [1:15:41] We're not the only country. [1:15:42] You look at, there's great violence with all countries. [1:15:44] I was talking to somebody from another country today. [1:15:50] And they have numerous assassinations of political figures all over the world. [1:15:55] You look at South America and South America, it's like, [1:15:58] some of the numbers are just horrific. [1:16:00] It's dangerous. [1:16:01] It's dangerous stuff. [1:16:02] Whether it's here or someplace else. [1:16:03] No country is immune. [1:16:06] No country. [1:16:06] Good question. [1:16:07] Is it possible to turn that temperature down at this point? [1:16:10] Well, probably if I decided to just not do much. [1:16:15] You know, if I let everybody rip us off and take advantage of us. [1:16:18] Look, we're leading the world in trade now. [1:16:21] We're leading the world in the military. [1:16:22] We're the greatest military in the world. [1:16:23] I rebuilt it in my first term. [1:16:25] And now we use it because we have no choice. [1:16:28] We can't let, as an example, Iran, [1:16:29] we can't let them get a nuclear weapon. [1:16:32] That'll, everything will be peanuts compared to that [1:16:35] if they ever were given a nuclear weapon. [1:16:37] And they'd use it, too. [1:16:39] Marco and I were talking about it today. [1:16:40] They would use it without even hesitation. [1:16:43] We can't do that. [1:16:44] It was a shame. [1:16:45] I said, oh, boy, look at the numbers. [1:16:47] We just broke 50,000 in the Dow. [1:16:48] We just broke 7,000 in the S&P. [1:16:51] They said we couldn't do it in seven years, [1:16:53] in five years, four years. [1:16:54] They were saying maybe in five or six years. [1:16:57] And we did it in one year. [1:16:59] And I called everybody together. [1:17:01] I called all of these people and others. [1:17:03] And I said, we have to take a little journey. [1:17:07] I say to do this. [1:17:08] We just had the great number. [1:17:09] We just broke 50,000. [1:17:11] Wasn't supposed to happen during my term. [1:17:13] Wasn't reachable. [1:17:14] Did it in one year. [1:17:15] And I said, we're going to have to make a journey to Iran. [1:17:19] They're going to have a nuclear weapon if we don't do it. [1:17:22] We had the B-2 bombers take them out. [1:17:24] I terminated in the first term the Obama agreement, [1:17:28] the Iran nuclear agreement, which was a disaster. [1:17:30] That was a road to a nuclear weapon. [1:17:32] They would have used it. [1:17:32] They would have used it 100%. [1:17:34] So, you know, when you do things like that, [1:17:37] you become a target. [1:17:38] If I wasn't doing that, I guess I'd be a lot less of a target. [1:17:41] But I'm honored to be. [1:17:42] Okay, one more question. [1:17:44] Go ahead. [1:17:48] Thank you, President Trump. [1:17:51] Thank you, President Trump. [1:17:53] Do you know how the gun was brought into the hotel? [1:17:56] And also, how does this event impact you as the leader of our country? [1:18:00] Do you think it will change your relationship? [1:18:01] I like not to think about it. [1:18:04] I lead a pretty normal life considering, you know, it's a dangerous life. [1:18:08] I think I'm, I think I handle it as well as, as well as it can be handled. [1:18:12] I think a lot of other people, you know, [1:18:14] you read stories where they become basket cases, to be honest with you. [1:18:17] I'm not a basket case. [1:18:18] I, I take is, really take it as it is. [1:18:21] I do it for the country. [1:18:23] I'm not doing it for any other reason. [1:18:24] I have a first lady who's doing a terrific job. [1:18:26] She loves the country. [1:18:27] And she recognizes it better than anybody. [1:18:32] She's told me numerous times, she said, you are in a dangerous job. [1:18:36] But that goes along with her, too. [1:18:38] I mean, it's dangerous for her, too. [1:18:40] We sat there tonight. [1:18:41] We heard that noise. [1:18:42] And it was either a tray or a bullet. [1:18:46] I thought, I was hoping it was a tray, but it wasn't. [1:18:48] And, again, we had some very brave people doing a great job. [1:18:53] So we're very proud of them and happy with them. [1:18:56] I just want to thank everybody. [1:18:57] They will be able to give you all that information as to the names and everything else. [1:19:03] Most of, I think we released the names already. [1:19:05] Most, most of you would have it. [1:19:07] But his name, we appreciate it. [1:19:10] I see so many tuxedos and beautiful dresses. [1:19:13] It was a little different evening than we thought. [1:19:15] But we're going to do it again. [1:19:17] And we're going to, we have a great chairman who we're so proud of. [1:19:21] And we have to make it better. [1:19:24] We'll make it safer, I guess, right? [1:19:26] But we're going to make it even better. [1:19:27] Okay, thank you very much. [1:19:29] Thank you. [1:19:29] President Trump, so we can hear from the back, sir. [1:19:31] About how impactful this was. [1:19:33] Can we hear from her about? [1:19:34] Well, honey, would you want to say something? [1:19:36] Okay. [1:19:37] One in the back, sir. [1:19:39] Right. [1:19:40] The millions of people across the globe, in fact, are watching you, you demonstrated courageous leadership. [1:19:48] And thank God you and I, all of us, are alive here. [1:19:51] What are the messages that you want to give to the world that this should change? [1:19:55] What corrective measures can we take from here on, sir? [1:19:58] Well, all you can do, look, I don't care how many people you have, how good they are. [1:20:04] They can be the greatest people. [1:20:05] You have the greatest security in history. [1:20:07] If you have a whack job that's got a brain, but it's a little bit distorted or a lot distorted, [1:20:14] they can make trouble. [1:20:16] I would say, Pete, right? [1:20:17] You know, they can make trouble. [1:20:19] Some of these people are of genius level IQ, and they're nuts. [1:20:25] So it can be trouble. [1:20:26] So you do absolutely the best. [1:20:29] You get the best. [1:20:30] We have the best people. [1:20:31] Well, look, it was proven tonight. [1:20:32] He started running from 50 yards, and he was fast. [1:20:38] He was like a blur on tape. [1:20:40] He was moving. [1:20:41] It was very impressive the way they got him. [1:20:44] Because a lot of people would be looking and saying, you know, it's like a weird feeling. [1:20:50] And they would let him get through. [1:20:52] But they didn't let him get through. [1:20:53] They drew those guns so fast. [1:20:56] They looked like Matt Dillon. [1:20:58] They looked like somebody that knew what they were doing. [1:21:01] What do we do? [1:21:02] But it comes with the territory. [1:21:04] And if you want to do a great job, I really believe that. [1:21:07] And you take a look at what's happened to some of our greatest presidents, and it doesn't happen [1:21:13] to people that don't do anything. [1:21:16] And it's not going to deter me from winning the war in Iran. [1:21:20] I don't know if that had anything to do with it. [1:21:23] I really don't think so, based on what we know. [1:21:26] But we're going to continue to do a great job. [1:21:29] That's all I can do. [1:21:30] Thank you very much. [1:21:32] We'll see you tomorrow. [1:21:33] Thank you. [1:21:35] Thank you. [1:21:35] We've just been listening to the president speak after shots were fired just outside the [1:21:41] White House Correspondents' Dinner at the Washington Hilton in the nation's capitol. [1:21:46] The president saying a man who lives in California charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple [1:21:50] weapons before being taken down by the Secret Service. [1:21:53] I'm going to ask our director to roll that video that has been released now by the White House. [1:21:56] You can see how fast this man was coming. [1:21:59] Look to the left side of your screen. [1:22:01] He's sprinting right past Secret Service when they draw their weapons and begin to fire. [1:22:04] The shooter was not able to breach the doors to the ballroom dinner. [1:22:08] The president also sharing that a Secret Service agent was shot in the chest but was [1:22:12] saved by a pull-up roof vest. [1:22:15] The president saying he heard a loud noise and thought it was the sound of a tray going [1:22:18] down and he was quickly rushed off the stage. [1:22:22] The president also praising law enforcement for acting quickly and saying he hopes he will [1:22:25] be able to share more on the shooter's motivations in the coming days. [1:22:28] The White House also releasing a photo of the alleged shooter taken down by both Secret [1:22:33] Service and D.C. law enforcement. [1:22:35] This is a picture right now. [1:22:37] One of the images they've released. [1:22:38] They've released two different images of the shooter. [1:22:40] It's still unclear, one, how he brought the weapon into the Washington Hilton, how he was [1:22:44] able to bring that weapon into the hotel where the dinner was being hosted. [1:22:48] Two, how he was able to at least run as fast as he was running through at least one perimeter. [1:22:53] But again, the president making it very clear he was very far from the entrance to the ballroom. [1:22:59] Essentially saying that his life, the president's life, was in danger but not in danger in the [1:23:03] sense that the man was so close he could start firing through the doors or at least into the [1:23:08] ballroom. [1:23:08] And again, we're still learning a lot as we get more information from the White House. [1:23:11] At any minute, we're waiting for D.C. police, the Metropolitan Police Department here in [1:23:15] Washington, along with the D.C. mayor, Mayor Bowser, to host a news conference to give us some [1:23:20] information as soon as that starts, we're going to bring that to you live. [1:23:23] Gabe Gutierrez is at the White House for us tonight, along with our team. [1:23:27] Garrett was in there as well. [1:23:28] Garrett Haig, who asked the president a question about essentially political violence in America [1:23:32] right now. [1:23:32] We've seen this happen at state houses. [1:23:34] We've seen it happen across the country. [1:23:36] Two or more attempts on the president's life. [1:23:38] And now what we saw tonight here at the White House Correspondents Dinner. [1:23:41] Gabe, the president also saying he started to study assassination attempts because of what's [1:23:45] happened to him. [1:23:46] And he's learned a lot from them and also making the case for the ballroom that is now in the hands [1:23:53] of a court and the reason that it should be built because it can be protected better. [1:23:56] The president questioning the secret, I should say the security at the hotel, saying it was [1:24:01] not very secure in the president's word. [1:24:05] We went through security. [1:24:06] We saw that there were metal detectors there, but it is a hotel. [1:24:09] There are some policies the hotel has to follow with guests that are staying in the hotel that [1:24:12] are not going to the dinner. [1:24:14] It's not exactly a perfect place to host this in the sense that things like this can happen, [1:24:19] and they did tonight. [1:24:20] Yeah, that's right, Tom. [1:24:21] Look, the president said, in his view, that this was not a particularly secure building, [1:24:25] but he went out of his way repeatedly to praise the actions of the Secret Service and of law [1:24:29] enforcement that were there on the scene. [1:24:32] You mentioned the suspect. [1:24:33] Yes, as we speak, according to the president, law enforcement is going [1:24:38] through the suspect's apartment. [1:24:40] He lives, according to the president, in California. [1:24:43] The president is saying that he believed that this was a lone wolf, [1:24:47] but it's unclear if he had any political motivations here. [1:24:50] The president did not seem to believe that this had anything to do with the ongoing war in Iran. [1:24:55] But certainly, Tom, it was the president's initial reaction when he said, [1:24:59] when he first heard some sounds, he said it was, he thought, some trays potentially being dropped. [1:25:06] But as you were right there, just sitting across in the next table from me, [1:25:10] this all happened very quickly. [1:25:12] Secret Service whisked him away. [1:25:13] Now, the president releasing, really, just as he began talking, [1:25:17] that striking video of the suspect sprinting past the security checkpoint. [1:25:22] You're right, the security checkpoint significantly outside of where the ballroom doors were. [1:25:29] The suspect never got to the ballroom doors. [1:25:32] The president is saying that he was stopped very quickly by the Secret Service. [1:25:36] But, yes, the president is suggesting this was not a particularly secure building, [1:25:39] using the opportunity to argue for why he needs a secure event space here at the White House. [1:25:44] The president, of course, very fond of holding indoor events. [1:25:48] And even next week, we expect the president to hold a state visit here at the White House by King Charles. [1:25:55] The president saying that, of course, after the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, [1:26:01] some of his outdoor events, security there, was reconsidered. [1:26:04] He was asked whether security at indoor events might be reconsidered. [1:26:08] But the president is saying that he was satisfied with how the Secret Service responded to this particular incident. [1:26:15] significant, though, Tom, revealing that the suspect did allegedly fire on these officers [1:26:22] and that an officer could have lost his life if not for the bulletproof vest that he was wearing. [1:26:29] But, again, this investigation very early on, the president saying that he believes it is a lone wolf, [1:26:35] but political motivation still unclear at this point, Tom. [1:26:38] Can take no chances in this type of political atmosphere. [1:26:41] Gabe Gutierrez, stand by for us. [1:26:43] I want to bring in Garrett Haake, who is inside that briefing room, [1:26:46] and you had a chance to speak with the president. [1:26:48] Garrett, talk to me about the way you saw the president. [1:26:51] You were just inches from him in that news conference. [1:26:53] Actually, Garrett, Garrett, stand by. [1:26:55] The mayor is about to – the D.C. mayor is about to speak. [1:26:56] Let's listen in. [1:26:57] All right. [1:27:13] Sorry. [1:27:16] Okay. [1:27:22] Good evening. [1:27:23] I'm Muriel Bowser. [1:27:25] I'm the mayor of Washington, D.C. [1:27:27] I am joined by members of my public safety team and federal law enforcement, [1:27:34] including the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, Janine Pirro, [1:27:41] the Secret Service Director, Sean Curran, as well as FBI Field Office, Darren Cox. [1:27:48] We're here to provide you an update on the incident that took place tonight at 8.36 p.m. [1:27:56] at the Washington Hilton at the site of the White House Correspondents' Dinner. [1:28:01] At about that time, a sole gunman rushed a Secret Service checkpoint in a lobby at the hotel. [1:28:10] Secret Service agents stopped the suspect. [1:28:14] An agent was injured and transported to a local hospital where the agent is receiving care. [1:28:21] The suspect is also transported to a local hospital where he is being evaluated. [1:28:29] The president returns safely to the White House, as you know. [1:28:34] We are so very thankful to members of law enforcement who did their jobs tonight [1:28:40] and made sure that all guests were safe. [1:28:44] We have no reason to believe at this time that anyone else was involved. [1:28:50] I want to turn to the chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, Chief Carroll, [1:28:56] to provide a law enforcement update and specifics. [1:29:03] Thank you, Madam Mayor. [1:29:04] Again, I'm Jeff Carroll, interim chief of police for the Metropolitan Police Department. [1:29:08] This afternoon, this evening, members of the United States Secret Service [1:29:11] and the Metropolitan Police Department were here at the Washington Hotel [1:29:15] for a site detail for the Correspondents' Center. [1:29:18] As the mayor mentioned, at approximately 8.36 tonight, [1:29:22] an individual charged a U.S. Secret Service checkpoint [1:29:25] here in the lobby area of the hotel. [1:29:28] He was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives. [1:29:33] As he ran through that checkpoint, members of law enforcement [1:29:35] from the United States Secret Service intercepted that individual. [1:29:38] This is a very preliminary investigation at this point. [1:29:42] We do know that law enforcement exchanged gunfire with the individual. [1:29:46] We do know that a U.S. Secret Service uniformed division officer [1:29:50] was struck in his vest. [1:29:52] He was transported to a local hospital for treatment. [1:29:55] He seems to be in good spirits at this time. [1:29:57] The suspect in this case, he was not struck by gunfire. [1:30:01] However, he was transported to a local hospital to be evaluated. [1:30:05] Again, we're very early in the investigation. [1:30:07] We have members of the United States Secret Service, [1:30:10] the Metropolitan Police Department, and the FBI here [1:30:12] to continue to investigate this matter. [1:30:15] But at this point, it does appear he is a lone actor, [1:30:18] a lone gunman that does not appear to be any sort of danger [1:30:20] to the public at this time. [1:30:22] However, we are continuing to investigate this matter. [1:30:26] At this point, I will turn it over to, I believe, the FBI. [1:30:33] Hi, good evening. [1:30:34] I'm Darren Cox, the assistant director in charge [1:30:36] of the FBI's Washington Field Office. [1:30:39] The American public should be proud of the quick response [1:30:43] and heroic actions from law enforcement officers tonight [1:30:46] to keep the American public safe. [1:30:48] Their actions are absolutely heroic. [1:30:52] The public should also rest assured [1:30:53] that there will be no stone unturned during this investigation. [1:30:58] The FBI currently has our Joint Terrorism Task Force here on scene [1:31:03] along with our criminal division, our crisis response team, [1:31:08] and agents from across the country [1:31:10] are working on any leads that may come in in this investigation. [1:31:15] Anyone with tips in this investigation [1:31:17] should call 1-800-CALL-FBI. [1:31:21] Thank you. [1:31:25] Senator Byrne. [1:31:25] Thank you. [1:31:26] My name is Sean Kern. [1:31:29] I'm the director of the Secret Service. [1:31:31] Tonight, we saw exactly what our brave men and women do [1:31:34] each and every day to protect our protectees. [1:31:37] It's not easy. [1:31:39] And I will tell you that they performed admirably. [1:31:42] We got to see what they do. [1:31:44] And that individual, when he charged a checkpoint, was apprehended. [1:31:48] It shows that our multilayered protection works. [1:31:52] And I'm grateful to our partners that help assist us [1:31:54] with building these sites and protecting these sites. [1:31:59] Very fortunate that this officer is alive, [1:32:02] is being observed. [1:32:06] And I'm grateful that the president reached out [1:32:07] to this officer and spoke with him earlier. [1:32:10] I ask everybody to pray for him [1:32:11] and all of our officers and agents that were involved. [1:32:14] And I will tell you, we will continue with the mission. [1:32:17] Thank you. [1:32:19] Judge Piro. [1:32:20] I'm Jeanine Piro. [1:32:25] I'm the United States Attorney. [1:32:27] Right now, the defendant is being charged [1:32:30] with two counts, 924C, using a firearm [1:32:34] during a crime of violence, [1:32:36] and a second crime under 111, [1:32:39] which is assault on a federal officer [1:32:42] using a dangerous weapon. [1:32:44] Now, as you all know, there was an individual, [1:32:47] a uniformed Secret Service officer [1:32:49] who was shot. [1:32:51] And fortunately, he is doing all right [1:32:54] and he will be fine. [1:32:55] But it is clear based upon what we know so far [1:32:59] that this individual was intent on doing as much harm [1:33:03] and as much damage as he could. [1:33:05] And thankfully, because of the checkpoint [1:33:07] right outside the ballroom, [1:33:10] where thousands of people were situated [1:33:12] to hear the president of the United States, [1:33:14] because that checkpoint worked, [1:33:17] there was no one who was injured [1:33:18] when it was clear [1:33:20] where this defendant was going. [1:33:23] Now, I want to make one comment. [1:33:25] As a participant, [1:33:28] someone who was in the ballroom, [1:33:30] who came this evening [1:33:31] to be part of a very lovely event [1:33:33] at the White House Correspondence Center, [1:33:36] I, for the first time, [1:33:37] was in a situation [1:33:38] where there were shots fired, [1:33:42] shots heard, [1:33:43] and a whole room went silent. [1:33:46] When I lifted my head [1:33:48] and when I looked up, [1:33:51] every law enforcement officer [1:33:53] was out there [1:33:54] as we all had our heads down, [1:33:57] thousands of them. [1:33:59] These are the men and women every day [1:34:01] who do what they do silently [1:34:03] and they do it with courage [1:34:06] and with dignity. [1:34:08] Thank God for our partners, [1:34:10] the FBI, the Secret Service, [1:34:12] the Metropolitan Police, [1:34:14] all of them tonight [1:34:16] acted so quickly [1:34:18] that they prevented [1:34:20] what could have been [1:34:21] a horrific event [1:34:23] where we were all sitting there [1:34:25] in one room. [1:34:27] The defendant will be arraigned [1:34:29] on Monday [1:34:30] in federal district court. [1:34:32] But make no mistake, [1:34:34] there will be many more charges [1:34:36] based upon the information [1:34:37] that we are learning [1:34:39] in this very fluid situation. [1:34:41] Thank you. [1:34:42] I'm going to take a few times. [1:34:43] Right here in the front. [1:34:46] Right here in the front. [1:34:48] So at this point, [1:34:55] what we know is we know [1:34:56] the individual charged [1:34:57] the checkpoint with a fire [1:34:58] on his hand. [1:34:59] We know he was running [1:35:00] in the direction of the ballroom [1:35:01] that the president was in [1:35:02] as well as other cabinet members. [1:35:04] So what his specific motivation was, [1:35:06] we can't say at this point. [1:35:07] However, as we continue [1:35:08] to investigate that, [1:35:09] we'll continue to work towards that. [1:35:11] Chief, when you say- [1:35:11] We're talking a lot from here. [1:35:12] There seems there's been [1:35:13] a lack of authorization [1:35:14] to come to this event. [1:35:16] Was this a failure [1:35:16] on the Secret Service? [1:35:19] I mean, no. [1:35:19] I mean, what we have here [1:35:20] is a multilayered approach. [1:35:22] The director spoke about it. [1:35:23] We have officers on the outside [1:35:24] from the Metropolitan Police Department [1:35:25] along with the escort. [1:35:27] The inside portion of any presidential site [1:35:28] is handled by the Secret Service [1:35:30] and law enforcement partners. [1:35:31] This is a multilayered approach. [1:35:33] The point of this checkpoint [1:35:34] is to intercept individuals [1:35:35] that were there. [1:35:36] And what we see in this case [1:35:37] is when he reached that checkpoint, [1:35:39] Secret Service agents [1:35:40] and law enforcement engaged him immediately. [1:35:41] They were able to bring [1:35:42] him into custody [1:35:43] and prevent anyone [1:35:44] from being harmed. [1:35:45] Chief, right there, right here. [1:35:46] Chief Carroll, [1:35:47] can you tell us [1:35:47] if you found a vehicle [1:35:49] associated with the suspect [1:35:51] and are you and the FBI [1:35:52] can definitely search forms [1:35:53] either on a vehicle [1:35:54] or locations here [1:35:55] or elsewhere around the country? [1:35:57] Sure, Mark. [1:35:58] So as you can imagine, [1:35:59] this is very early [1:36:00] in the investigation. [1:36:00] So, you know, [1:36:01] the things we're digging into [1:36:01] is his background, vehicles. [1:36:03] Those are all things [1:36:04] that the FBI, [1:36:05] the Metropolitan Police Department [1:36:06] and the Secret Service [1:36:07] are working together [1:36:07] joining to determine [1:36:08] is there anything else [1:36:09] that's available? [1:36:10] So I would imagine [1:36:11] as we continue to go [1:36:11] through this investigation, [1:36:12] there will be additional [1:36:14] search warrants [1:36:14] and things of that nature [1:36:15] as the investigation progresses. [1:36:16] Chief, [1:36:17] at this point, [1:36:20] he was not known [1:36:20] to the Metropolitan Police Department. [1:36:22] I can tell you that. [1:36:22] Chief, [1:36:23] there are multiple other parties [1:36:25] and events happening [1:36:26] associated with this weekend tonight. [1:36:28] Is there any reason to believe [1:36:29] that there will be security concerns [1:36:30] at those events? [1:36:31] Are there preparations being made [1:36:32] locally to protect those attendees? [1:36:35] Yeah, absolutely not. [1:36:36] So we have no indication. [1:36:37] This is an isolated incident [1:36:38] with one individual [1:36:39] is the information that we do have. [1:36:40] However, [1:36:41] we do have additional officers [1:36:42] across the city [1:36:43] that are giving special attention. [1:36:45] We do know [1:36:45] there were some after parties [1:36:46] and events that are planned [1:36:47] that we will be providing [1:36:48] coverage for those events. [1:36:50] Yep, right here. [1:36:50] The president said [1:36:52] that this is not [1:36:52] a particularly secure building. [1:36:54] Do you have that assessment? [1:36:56] I'm not exactly [1:36:57] 100% familiar with this building. [1:36:59] I do know [1:36:59] in this incident tonight, [1:37:01] I know there was a security plan [1:37:02] that was developed [1:37:02] by the Secret Service [1:37:03] that the Metropolitan Police Department [1:37:05] assisted with, [1:37:06] and I know that security plan [1:37:07] did work this evening. [1:37:08] Right here. [1:37:08] Thank you so much. [1:37:09] Do you know [1:37:10] specifically if President Trump [1:37:12] wouldn't target this attack? [1:37:14] And can you speak to [1:37:15] their reporting about [1:37:16] the suspect assembling [1:37:20] a log weapon [1:37:21] to get into the ballroom? [1:37:25] Yes, as we said before, [1:37:26] we do know the president [1:37:27] was inside the ballroom. [1:37:28] We know there was cabinet members [1:37:29] and many guests in there. [1:37:31] Who specifically he was targeting [1:37:32] at this point, [1:37:32] that's probably part [1:37:33] of the investigation. [1:37:34] We do know that he was armed [1:37:36] with a shotgun [1:37:36] when he ran through that checkpoint. [1:37:37] So that would look like [1:37:39] a long weapon in video. [1:37:40] All right, right here, right here. [1:37:41] Should you clarify, [1:37:42] earlier you said [1:37:43] there was an exchange of gunfire. [1:37:45] Did the suspect fire any shots? [1:37:47] And did the uniformed officer, [1:37:49] do you know yet [1:37:49] which weapon he was shot? [1:37:52] Yeah, obviously, [1:37:53] we're only a couple hours [1:37:54] into this instance, [1:37:55] so we don't have [1:37:55] that level of information. [1:37:56] The FBI's evidence response team [1:37:58] is here. [1:37:58] They're processing the scene. [1:38:00] So as the investigation develops, [1:38:01] all that information [1:38:02] will be figured out [1:38:03] with the ballistics. [1:38:04] The ATF is also on scene [1:38:05] here with us. [1:38:06] So the suspect did [1:38:07] or did not fire a shot? [1:38:08] Sure. [1:38:08] So again, [1:38:08] it's very preliminary. [1:38:09] Information we do believe he did. [1:38:11] However, [1:38:11] as the investigation determines, [1:38:12] we'll pull the shell casings, [1:38:14] we'll be able to get more information [1:38:15] as we review more evidence. [1:38:16] We're very early [1:38:17] in the investigation. [1:38:18] All right, [1:38:18] we can take a couple more [1:38:19] right here and right here [1:38:21] and one more over here. [1:38:22] Thank you so much. [1:38:23] So the president said [1:38:25] that he wants there [1:38:25] to be another event [1:38:26] within 30 days. [1:38:28] Given what happened tonight, [1:38:29] do you have any sense [1:38:30] of what additional security measures [1:38:32] might be put in place [1:38:33] to ensure that something similar [1:38:35] does not happen again? [1:38:36] Sure. [1:38:36] I'll toss it to the Secret Service. [1:38:40] Yep, [1:38:40] this is what we plan for every day. [1:38:42] So we take each and every case [1:38:43] and we evaluate it [1:38:45] and we do site assessments. [1:38:47] And that's why we go out [1:38:48] and build these sites [1:38:50] per what the event is. [1:38:52] And that's how we go [1:38:54] about our business. [1:38:55] So do you have changes [1:38:57] or added measures given [1:38:58] how this did happen? [1:38:59] We're going to have to evaluate [1:39:00] this evening. [1:39:01] Thank you. [1:39:02] Is there anyone there [1:39:03] any indication [1:39:04] how the suspect got into the hotel? [1:39:06] Was it a guest here? [1:39:07] Are you searching for him? [1:39:09] Sure. [1:39:09] Go back. [1:39:11] So preliminary information, [1:39:12] we do believe he was a guest [1:39:13] here at the hotel. [1:39:14] We have secured a room [1:39:15] here in the hotel. [1:39:16] And again, [1:39:17] we'll go through [1:39:17] the appropriate procedures [1:39:18] to determine [1:39:19] what was inside there. [1:39:20] But that is secure. [1:39:21] At this point, [1:39:22] like I said, [1:39:22] we believe he is [1:39:23] the only suspect in this case. [1:39:25] Okay, to jump on that question, [1:39:27] understand the multi-approach [1:39:28] to security. [1:39:29] To log in with the weapon [1:39:30] that calvary is all the way [1:39:32] to log in. [1:39:33] On the lower level [1:39:34] seems to be quite so [1:39:36] as you're going to hear [1:39:36] how does that happen? [1:39:38] Sure. [1:39:39] So again, [1:39:39] I mean, [1:39:40] we're very early [1:39:40] in the investigation. [1:39:41] So we'll have to determine, [1:39:42] you know, [1:39:42] we'll go through video [1:39:43] across the hotel [1:39:44] to figure out [1:39:44] how the gun got in, [1:39:45] how it got down here. [1:39:46] Those things will come [1:39:47] through the investigation. [1:39:48] At this point, [1:39:48] we don't have [1:39:49] that level of detail. [1:39:50] Okay, last one. [1:39:51] Yes, there appears to show, [1:39:52] video appears to show [1:39:53] the president falling down. [1:39:55] I mean, that's where that was [1:39:57] injured at all [1:39:57] during his evacuation. [1:39:59] No, we don't have [1:40:00] any information [1:40:01] that he was injured. [1:40:03] All right. [1:40:03] Thank you. [1:40:04] Now, [1:40:04] could you clarify [1:40:06] how he was detained [1:40:06] if he was not shot? [1:40:08] Could you clarify [1:40:09] how he was detained? [1:40:09] Sure. [1:40:10] So law enforcement, [1:40:11] yeah, [1:40:11] law enforcement [1:40:12] in the, [1:40:12] in right here [1:40:13] in this very area, [1:40:14] they actually [1:40:15] tappled him to the ground [1:40:16] and handcuffed him. [1:40:20] Not at this time. [1:40:20] We will release his name, Mark, [1:40:22] once we have all information. [1:40:23] Again, [1:40:23] we're still running [1:40:24] a lot of things down. [1:40:25] Judge. [1:40:27] In the hospital, [1:40:28] so we have the uniform division [1:40:29] secret service officer [1:40:31] who's being evaluated at the hospital [1:40:32] who took a round to the vest [1:40:33] and the suspect is being evaluated, [1:40:35] but he was not struck by gunfire. [1:40:36] You look straight here. [1:40:38] Are you looking at any [1:40:38] terrorist charges? [1:40:41] Well, [1:40:41] as the chief just indicated, [1:40:43] we're very early [1:40:43] in this investigation, [1:40:44] but make no mistake, [1:40:46] if there is anything like that, [1:40:48] we will find it [1:40:49] and we will file it. [1:40:51] Thank you, guys. [1:40:52] I appreciate it. [1:40:53] Thank you. [1:40:53] Thank you. [1:40:54] We've been listening [1:40:56] to Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser [1:40:58] speak alongside law enforcement [1:41:00] about the shooting incident [1:41:01] at the White House [1:41:02] Correspondents Dinner. [1:41:02] We've learned a lot [1:41:03] of new information. [1:41:04] I'm going to have our director [1:41:05] run the video [1:41:06] that the White House [1:41:06] has released [1:41:07] of the gunmen running through. [1:41:09] Police now telling us [1:41:10] he had a long gun [1:41:11] believed to be a shotgun [1:41:12] as he sprinted [1:41:13] through this initial perimeter [1:41:15] before getting headed [1:41:17] as he was headed [1:41:17] towards the ballroom. [1:41:18] He did not get anywhere [1:41:19] near the ballroom. [1:41:20] That, according to law enforcement, [1:41:21] he exchanged gunfire [1:41:23] with the Secret Service. [1:41:24] A Secret Service officer [1:41:25] was shot, [1:41:26] but he had a bulletproof vest. [1:41:27] He's being treated [1:41:28] in the hospital. [1:41:29] The president has spoken [1:41:30] to that officer [1:41:31] and he's recovering [1:41:31] and okay. [1:41:33] The suspect was a guest [1:41:34] at the hotel, [1:41:35] the Washington Hilton. [1:41:36] It's unclear [1:41:37] if he assembled his gun [1:41:39] inside his hotel room, [1:41:40] if he had brought the gun [1:41:41] to the hotel room. [1:41:42] Police are actively [1:41:43] investigating that right now. [1:41:44] They're looking inside [1:41:45] of the hotel room. [1:41:46] They have not released his name. [1:41:48] They're saying he's a man [1:41:48] from California [1:41:49] and they're emphasizing [1:41:50] this seems to be [1:41:51] a lone wolf incident. [1:41:53] They do not think [1:41:53] at this point [1:41:54] he had any accomplices [1:41:55] and it does not look like [1:41:57] there are any more threats, [1:41:58] at least not tonight, [1:41:59] from what police have seen. [1:42:01] Garrett Haake was inside [1:42:02] the briefing room [1:42:02] when the president spoke [1:42:03] about the incident. [1:42:05] And if I could also ask [1:42:05] our director to roll the video [1:42:07] when the president [1:42:07] and the mentalist Oz Perlman [1:42:10] along with the first lady [1:42:11] were speaking on stage [1:42:13] when this whole thing happened. [1:42:15] Garrett, tell our viewers [1:42:16] exactly what the president [1:42:17] says he saw [1:42:18] because he described [1:42:19] that he thought [1:42:20] it was a tray falling. [1:42:21] What he probably heard [1:42:22] was the gunfire [1:42:23] before the Secret Service [1:42:24] rushed in. [1:42:25] This is the moment here, Garrett. [1:42:27] Yeah, the president said [1:42:28] it all happened very fast. [1:42:30] He wasn't really able [1:42:30] to process it, Tom, [1:42:31] much like the rest of us [1:42:32] in the room [1:42:33] and that he thought [1:42:33] what he heard [1:42:34] was a waiter dropping a tray. [1:42:35] There are thousands of people [1:42:37] in that ballroom. [1:42:38] It is quite noisy. [1:42:39] It only became clear to him [1:42:40] as it did for, I think, [1:42:41] many of the rest of us [1:42:42] in the room [1:42:43] when Secret Service [1:42:44] rushed the stage [1:42:45] covering him and the first lady [1:42:46] and taking them out [1:42:47] that this was a much [1:42:48] more serious situation. [1:42:49] It didn't register at the time [1:42:51] that it was gunshots. [1:42:53] That's consistent with, [1:42:54] I think, the experience [1:42:55] of most of the people [1:42:56] in the room [1:42:56] who heard a loud noise [1:42:58] that couldn't be identified [1:42:59] at the moment [1:42:59] and then the sort of rush [1:43:01] from every angle [1:43:02] of law enforcement [1:43:03] into the ballroom. [1:43:05] Yeah, Garrett, [1:43:05] we were in there. [1:43:06] All of us were. [1:43:07] I was seated next [1:43:08] to the Secretary of State [1:43:09] and the Secretary of Energy. [1:43:11] We all hit the floor, [1:43:13] the Secretary of State, [1:43:14] looking at his wife [1:43:15] who was across the table [1:43:15] and at the president [1:43:17] that was trying to get him [1:43:17] to come down as well, [1:43:19] but he wanted to sort of [1:43:19] get a gauge of the situation [1:43:21] because it was so chaotic [1:43:22] and then we saw [1:43:23] Secret Service [1:43:24] jumping from table to table [1:43:25] and just taking out [1:43:26] each cabinet member [1:43:27] to make sure they were safe. [1:43:28] You had a chance [1:43:29] to ask the president [1:43:30] about sort of the temperature [1:43:31] of the country right now. [1:43:33] Over the last few years, [1:43:34] he has seen [1:43:35] two assassination attempts, [1:43:36] maybe more than that. [1:43:38] The White House [1:43:38] has said the Iranians, [1:43:39] there was a plot [1:43:40] to kill him as well. [1:43:41] We've also seen this happen [1:43:42] with Democratic governors [1:43:43] in Pennsylvania [1:43:44] and other local officials [1:43:46] in Minneapolis as well. [1:43:48] It's been a dangerous time [1:43:49] to be in politics in America. [1:43:51] Yeah, that's right. [1:43:51] I mean, I covered Capitol Hill [1:43:52] before I came to the White House [1:43:53] where threats have skyrocketed [1:43:55] in the years since January 6th. [1:43:57] And so this culture [1:43:58] of political violence [1:43:59] has been kind of omnipresent. [1:44:01] And I asked the president [1:44:02] about that, [1:44:03] and earlier in the evening [1:44:04] he had suggested that, [1:44:05] you know, he thinks he's a target [1:44:06] because he's a president [1:44:07] of such consequence. [1:44:08] He compared himself [1:44:09] to Abraham Lincoln [1:44:10] and suggested that [1:44:11] that's what happens [1:44:13] when you do big things. [1:44:14] I sort of pressed him [1:44:15] on that idea. [1:44:16] Is this the cost [1:44:17] of doing business [1:44:17] to be a politician [1:44:18] in America right now? [1:44:19] And he said yes, [1:44:20] and not just in America, [1:44:21] that he thinks [1:44:22] this is a global issue [1:44:23] of this political violence. [1:44:25] But it's necessary, [1:44:27] in his view, [1:44:28] to be a person [1:44:29] who does big things [1:44:30] and related it [1:44:31] to his efforts [1:44:31] to pursue his war [1:44:33] in Iran right now. [1:44:34] And so the president, [1:44:35] who's been quite reflective [1:44:37] on this, [1:44:37] he said earlier [1:44:38] in the evening [1:44:38] that he has studied assassinations. [1:44:40] He talked about percentages [1:44:42] of presidents [1:44:42] who've been targeted [1:44:43] by assassins. [1:44:44] And we know [1:44:45] from other interviews [1:44:46] that he's given [1:44:46] that he has, [1:44:47] since Butler, [1:44:48] thought a lot [1:44:48] about his own mortality. [1:44:49] I think that was obvious [1:44:50] in his remarks [1:44:51] here tonight as well. [1:44:53] And as we report this out, [1:44:54] we should tell our viewers, [1:44:55] you know, [1:44:56] it stands to reason [1:44:57] the target [1:44:58] of this potential [1:45:00] assassination attempt [1:45:01] was the president. [1:45:02] But we also cannot stress enough [1:45:04] how many cabinet members [1:45:05] were in there. [1:45:06] That's right. [1:45:06] There were so many [1:45:07] important members [1:45:08] of our government, [1:45:09] of the American government, [1:45:10] that were inside that ballroom, [1:45:12] all seated very close together. [1:45:14] And luckily, [1:45:15] the Secret Service [1:45:16] and D.C. law enforcement [1:45:17] were able to act [1:45:18] and stop this alleged gunman [1:45:20] before he got anywhere [1:45:21] near the ballroom. [1:45:22] Julie Serkin is outside [1:45:23] the Washington Hilton. [1:45:24] She's been reporting [1:45:24] for us out on the street [1:45:25] as both demonstrators [1:45:27] started before this dinner [1:45:29] and then after the scenes [1:45:30] that we've seen [1:45:30] as the president left [1:45:31] was rushed out [1:45:32] to the White House. [1:45:33] Julie, I understand [1:45:34] there was another situation [1:45:35] that unfolded [1:45:36] in front of you? [1:45:39] Yeah, I've been standing [1:45:39] out here along [1:45:40] with my producer, [1:45:41] Kyle Stewart, [1:45:42] our cameraman. [1:45:42] Again, Tom, [1:45:43] just like you, [1:45:44] still dressed from the dinner. [1:45:45] We walked out here. [1:45:46] They've barricaded this area. [1:45:47] You can see police tape [1:45:48] behind me. [1:45:50] It's all around this area. [1:45:51] The Hilton is to my right corner. [1:45:53] But what just happened was, [1:45:55] again, [1:45:55] they're not letting people through. [1:45:56] This is a residential neighborhood. [1:45:57] There are hotels everywhere. [1:45:58] Guests who are staying [1:45:59] at the hotels [1:46:00] couldn't even get access inside. [1:46:02] A woman, [1:46:03] it appeared to be a woman, [1:46:04] driving a car. [1:46:05] She pulled up right here, [1:46:07] right next to me, [1:46:08] where you see the camera [1:46:09] panning right now. [1:46:10] Again, you see the police vehicles here. [1:46:12] And I heard her being stopped [1:46:14] by the officer, [1:46:15] asked her who she is. [1:46:17] And the woman appeared to say, [1:46:18] I am the Minnesota Councilwoman. [1:46:20] I am the effing first lady [1:46:21] of the United States. [1:46:23] And, you know, [1:46:23] put her foot on the pedal, [1:46:25] hit gas, [1:46:26] and just sped down the street. [1:46:27] And then the cop had chased her. [1:46:29] I don't know where that stands now, [1:46:30] of course, [1:46:31] but it just shows you [1:46:32] that this is such an active [1:46:33] and real situation still, [1:46:36] even though the guests [1:46:37] have left the ballroom, [1:46:38] even though we are [1:46:39] one of very few media left here, [1:46:41] things were starting [1:46:42] to quiet out a little bit. [1:46:44] They just held that press conference [1:46:45] with the chief of police, Tom, [1:46:46] that you were talking about [1:46:47] and listening to, [1:46:48] just feed from here. [1:46:50] And yet this just happened. [1:46:51] So it just shows you [1:46:52] that this is still [1:46:53] a security situation. [1:46:55] They are still trying to figure out [1:46:56] what's going on. [1:46:57] And that there are still [1:46:58] potentially people, [1:46:58] even though you heard [1:46:59] Janine Pira say there [1:47:00] there's just one person involved, [1:47:02] there could still be potentially people [1:47:03] who they are monitoring out here. [1:47:05] Julie Sergan, [1:47:06] you and your team, [1:47:07] please stay safe out there [1:47:08] as you continue to report [1:47:09] this story out. [1:47:10] This is still an ongoing situation. [1:47:12] The investigation is just [1:47:13] getting started in D.C. [1:47:14] Gabe Gutierrez is covering [1:47:16] this one for us [1:47:16] from the White House as well. [1:47:18] The president made a lot of remarks [1:47:19] inside that briefing room [1:47:21] and one of the things [1:47:22] he wanted to highlight was [1:47:23] he is in court right now, [1:47:26] battling to finish his ballroom, [1:47:28] which is a massive ballroom. [1:47:30] Underneath there will be [1:47:31] a military bunker of sorts, [1:47:32] which the courts have allowed [1:47:34] to be built, [1:47:35] but it's the ballroom above ground [1:47:37] that has been very controversial [1:47:38] and is now being challenged [1:47:39] in the courts. [1:47:40] And the president tonight [1:47:41] pointing to this incident saying [1:47:42] we need a safer space [1:47:44] to bring our leaders, [1:47:45] to bring world leaders [1:47:46] to come to Washington [1:47:47] and to be able to protect them. [1:47:49] Yeah, that's right, Tom. [1:47:50] Look, the president arguing [1:47:51] that that $400 million [1:47:52] ballroom will be funded [1:47:54] by private donations [1:47:55] and that's why it needs to happen. [1:47:57] Certainly right now [1:47:58] it's stuck in the courts, [1:48:01] but he is making the argument [1:48:02] that if he wants to hold large events [1:48:04] at the White House, [1:48:05] indoor events, [1:48:06] that he does use this opportunity [1:48:09] to argue for why that ballroom [1:48:11] is necessary. [1:48:12] The president, [1:48:13] someone that likes to hold [1:48:14] these large events [1:48:16] with potentially world leaders [1:48:18] or, you know, heads of state [1:48:19] and, you know, [1:48:20] have many cabinet officials [1:48:22] and he used this opportunity [1:48:23] in order to argue [1:48:25] for that ballroom, Tom. [1:48:26] All right, Gabe Gutierrez first. [1:48:28] Again, if you're just tuning in right now, [1:48:29] we've been covering [1:48:30] the breaking news [1:48:30] that happened at the White House [1:48:32] Correspondence Association dinner tonight [1:48:34] right here in the nation's capital. [1:48:36] A gunman, [1:48:36] you can see on the left hand [1:48:37] of your screen, [1:48:38] running past secret service, [1:48:40] a checkpoint there, [1:48:41] exchanging gunfire [1:48:42] with the secret service [1:48:42] and ultimately being taken down. [1:48:45] A secret service agent [1:48:46] was shot in the process, [1:48:47] being treated at the hospital. [1:48:48] Luckily, he was wearing a vest. [1:48:50] This is the suspect right now. [1:48:51] We don't know his name just yet. [1:48:52] We know he's from California. [1:48:54] Police are describing him [1:48:55] as a lone gunman for now. [1:48:57] It is unclear exactly [1:48:58] who his target was, [1:48:59] but the president was in the ballroom. [1:49:01] That concludes this NBC News special report. [1:49:02] We'll have much more coverage [1:49:03] here on NBC News Now [1:49:04] and at NBCNews.com. [1:49:06] Thank you. [1:49:06] You sure? [1:49:21] I know it's breaking. [1:49:22] We're just, like, [1:49:23] running all on battery right now. [1:49:24] But if you need us again, [1:49:26] are you guys getting on?