Trump Blasts 'Very Sick' Gunman After 'Traumatic' Shooting at White House Correspondents' Dinner — As Prez Shares Chilling Photo of Captured Shirtless Suspect
Donald Trump confirmed the suspected shooter was captured.
April 25 2026, Published 11:45 p.m. ET
Donald Trump slammed the gunman who opened fire at the White House Correspondents' Dinner during a press briefing that took place shortly after the shooting, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
On Saturday, April 25, the POTUS, 79, announced that the man had been "captured" by "brave members of the Secret Service" as he shared a photo of the suspected shooter on Truth Social.
Photo of the Gunman Revealed
Trump called the gunman a 'very sick person' during a press briefing.
"He's a sick person, a very sick person, and we don't want things like this to happen," he said to the crowd of reporters at the briefing. "I told the representatives of the evening, and again, they are talking about Free Speech in our Constitution, it was really based on Free Speech and our Constitution."
Trump and other members of his Cabinet were urged to leave the hotel after the attack. Although the president said he "fought like hell to stay," he eventually conceded.
The event has since officially been postponed, but the 79-year-old promised to reschedule a "bigger" and "better" dinner for a later date that would come within the next 30 days.
One Officer Shot
One member of law enforcement was hit in the shooting, but survived.
During the briefing, Trump confirmed that one officer had been shot in the attack, but clarified he had been wearing a "very good bulletproof vest" that "saved" him.
"I spoke to the officer, and he's in great shape. He's in very high spirits," the POTUS continued. "We told him we love him and respect him, and he's very proud of what he does."
Donald Trump admitted the Washington Hilton was not a 'particularly secure building.'
However, he pointed out there were clear security concerns at the Washington Hilton, where the upscale event took place.
"We looked at all of the conditions that took place tonight, I will say, it's not a particularly secure building," the president explained. "I didn't want to say this, but this is why we have to have all the attributes of what we're planning at the White House."
"They wanted the ballroom for 150 years for lots of different reasons, but today is a little bit different," he added, seemingly referring to his plans to have a fortified bunker built beneath the White House ballroom. "WE need a level of security that no one has seen before."
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Past Attempts
Donald Trump has been the target of several assassination plots.
Over the past two years, there have been a number of assassination plots and outright attempts against Trump's life. Back in July 2024, during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, Trump was grazed in the ear by a bullet shot by Thomas Matthew Crooks.
A few months later, Ryan Wesley Routh was arrested after being caught lying in wait with a rifle just outside of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
On Saturday, Fox News' Peter Doocy asked Trump outright why he believes "this keeps happening" to him.
"Well, you know, I’ve studied assassinations and I must tell you the most impactful people ... the people that do the most and the people that make the biggest impact are the ones that they go after," Trump replied. "They don’t go after the ones that don’t do much because they like it that way."
