Trump was a 'caged lion' roaring to return to WHCA Dinner ballroom after shooting, Leavitt says
Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed new details on President Donald Trump’s behind-the-scenes response after shots were fired at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in April.
Leavitt said in a new episode of "Hang Out with Sean Hannity" that Trump was behaving like a caged animal and was adamant about returning to the ballroom, despite having just narrowly escaped from an alleged assassination attempt.
"He was like a caged lion backstage, like just roaring to get out, like, 'We gotta go back out there,’" she said. "And I'm sitting there like, ‘I don't know if I want to go back out there.’"
TRUMP ADMITS HE 'WASN'T MAKING IT THAT EASY' FOR SECRET SERVICE DURING WHCD SHOOTING
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and US President Donald Trump attend the 2026 White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, DC, on July 24, 2026. The 2026 WHCA Dinner was originally scheduled for April 25 at the Washington Hilton, but was rescheduled and relocated after an alleged gunman breached security. (Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)
Minutes after the WHCA Dinner began at the Washington Hilton, a gunman, later identified as Cole Allen of Torrance, Calif., allegedly stormed the hotel while armed with weapons. Trump and Vice President JD Vance were quickly escorted out of the ballroom by members of the Secret Service.
Allen, who was quickly apprehended by Secret Service agents, allegedly wrote in a manifesto that his targets were Trump administration officials except for FBI Director Kash Patel.
Guests dived under tables as the gala, meant to celebrate White House correspondents, descended into chaos.
Yet, Leavitt said, the president was eager to return to the ballroom and willing to wait hours for the event to resume.
Armed Secret Service agents stand on stage during a shooting incident at the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton on April 25, 2026, in Washington, D.C. According to reports, President Donald Trump and other government officials were evacuated from the venue after gunshots. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
"[Trump] really was asking hard questions of his detail, like, ‘Why can't I go? I will wait all night. I don't care if it's 3 in the morning, get it started,’" Leavitt shared.
The former White House spokeswoman said officials even began making preparations to resume the dinner as she described Trump’s impatience to make a public statement immediately after the incident.
WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER SHOOTING SHARPENS FOCUS ON TRUMP’S BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION PROPOSAL
"[Trump] wanted to say something and the best way to say it was in the briefing room. And we did," Leavitt said.
Trump held a news conference at the White House later that night alongside top administration members, recounting how the shooting unfolded.
US President Donald Trump holds a press conference at the White House in Washington, DC, shortly after a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 25, 2026. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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After the shooting, the president reignited calls to build a ballroom at the White House to create a space for safe and secure official events. Trump attended the rescheduled WHCA Dinner that took place in July.
Leavitt’s full interview on the latest "Hang Out with Sean Hannity" will be available Tuesday on YouTube, Spotify and Apple.
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