Crowded into the ballroom were Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, several cabinet members and top lawmakers, and hundreds of guests in black tie.
Trump said at a hastily arranged late-night news conference at the White House that he first thought the noise was a tray being dropped, before realizing it was gunfire.
He said he hoped the annual gala, hosted by the White House Correspondents Association, would be rescheduled within a month.
“They seem to think he was a lone wolf, and I feel that too,” the president said. One officer was shot at close range in his safety vest and appeared to be not seriously harmed.
Trump added that the hotel venue was “not a particularly secure” facility, as questions swirled about the president’s safety protocols.
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