A shooting near President Donald Trump and several Cabinet members Saturday night is putting a spotlight on the Secret Service’s funding shortfall amid an ongoing standoff in Congress.

A gunman opened fire outside the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., where celebrities, members of the press and administration officials had gathered, prompting a swift security response. The suspect is in custody and has not been identified. One Secret Service agent was reportedly shot in their protective vest but is uninjured.

The incident unfolded near a security screening area, prompting a rapid response from Secret Service agents and law enforcement.

The shooting comes amid a more than 60-day funding stalemate in Congress over the Department of Homeland Security — a lapse driven by Democrats blocking funding bills and rejecting multiple GOP-backed proposals to reopen the department.

TRUMP RUSHED AWAY FROM WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER AS SHOTS FIRED

The funding standoff centers on disputes over immigration enforcement policy and has raised concerns about resources for agencies including the Secret Service, FEMA and the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Secret Service, which is responsible for protecting the president, vice president, their families and other senior U.S. officials, along with visiting heads of state, has faced growing demands in recent years.

The incident adds to a growing list of threats against Trump, including two confirmed assassination attempts and a recent incident involving an armed intruder at Mar-a-Lago.

DHS SHUTDOWN LOOMS OVER MAR-A-LAGO SHOOTING AS SECRET SERVICE AGENTS NEUTRALIZE ARMED SUSPECT

Senate Democrats declined to fund DHS through regular appropriations earlier this year following a deadly January incident involving immigration officers, triggering a funding lapse that has now stretched beyond 60 days. Negotiations remain stalled. Democrats are seeking changes to DHS operations, while Republicans are relying on alternative funding to continue enforcement.

Republicans are also considering funding the department for the remainder of Trump’s term through budget reconciliation, the same process used for immigration funding last year.

The shooting also comes as the Secret Service faces increasing pressure during a high-threat election cycle.

Last week, Secret Service Director Sean Curran warned lawmakers the agency is not adequately staffed to handle the demands of the upcoming FIFA World Cup, the 2028 Olympics and the 2028 presidential cycle, underscoring mounting concerns about staffing and resources.

As more details emerge from the investigation into this latest shooting, questions continue to mount over whether the Secret Service has the resources needed to handle an increasingly complex threat environment.

President Donald Trump gave rare praise to the press in the aftermath of shots fired at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Saturday night that led to the evening’s rescheduling.

“This was an event dedicated to freedom of speech that was supposed to bring together members of both parties with members of the press, and in a certain way it did, because the fact that they just unified,” Trump said at a White House press briefing. “I saw a room that was just totally unified. It was, in one way, very beautiful, a very beautiful thing to see.”

Trump’s comments came after he confirmed that the dinner would be canceled in accordance with security protocol despite how he “fought like hell” to have it continue. He reiterated his intention to have the event rescheduled within the next month.

An assailant rushed security at the Washington Hilton Saturday night, shooting a Secret Service officer, who was hit in his bulletproof vest and survived. The suspect was apprehended and has been charged with multiple felonies. The gunfire led to Trump and the Cabinet at the dinner being evacuated, and the dinner will be rescheduled.

WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES EVENT BEING RESCHEDULED AFTER SHOOTING

Adding to the strangeness of the scene at the White House, Trump and many of the White House figures and reporters in the room were still wearing tuxedos and dresses after coming from the black tie dinner.

“I think it’s very important that I say, though, and I told the representatives of the evening they did such a beautiful job. It was such a beautiful evening. And again, they’re talking about free speech in our Constitution. That’s what it’s all about, not just White House correspondents. It was really based on free speech in our Constitution. But I said very importantly that we’ll do it again within the next 30 days. And we’ll make it bigger and better and even nicer. So I just want to thank everybody that was involved. I also want to thank the press, the media. You’ve been very responsible in your coverage. I will say I’ve been seeing what’s been out, and you’ve been very responsible,” Trump said.

Trump also took questions from members of the press. The first was from White House Correspondents’ Association president Weijia Jiang, where he took the opportunity to compliment the CBS correspondent for the evening.

TRUMP, FIRST LADY EVACUATED FROM WH CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER AFTER GUNSHOTS HEARD

“I just want to say you did a fantastic job. What a beautiful evening. And we’re going to reschedule. And after that, it’s very tough for her to ask a killer question, but you have done a fantastic job,” Trump said.

Jiang asked Trump his thoughts in the moment as the chaos unfolded, given his experience with assassination attempts. Trump said it was always a shocking event, no matter when it happened.

Trump also shared an image of the suspect being arrested from his Truth Social account.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

Trump, first lady Melania Trump and the rest of the president’s Cabinet were rushed from the head table after shots rang out. The site of the Washington Hilton was also the location of the assassination attempt against President Ronald Reagan in 1981.

Trump announced last month that he accepted the invitation to attend this year’s dinner, explaining that the country’s 250th anniversary influenced his decision.

Trump’s attendance marked the first time he had been present at the event as president in either term. Trump previously attended the dinner as a private citizen in 2011, when he was famously roasted by then-President Barack Obama.

Trump faced two assassination attempts in 2024, including one in Pennsylvania when an assailant’s bullet grazed his ear.

White House Correspondents’ Association President Weijia Jiang announced Saturday that the White House Correspondents’ Dinner would be canceled and rescheduled following a shooting at the event that prompted President Donald Trump to be evacuated.

“Law enforcement has requested that we leave the premises consistent with protocol. [President Donald Trump] wanted to emphasize that nobody was hurt. He and the first lady, the Cabinet, everybody’s safe,” Jiang said.

The crowd cheered at the news of the Cabinet’s safety as Jiang confirmed Trump would be giving a press briefing from the White House after the events of the night, despite wanting to continue the dinner.

TRUMP, FIRST LADY EVACUATED FROM WH CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER AFTER GUNSHOTS HEARD

“That is not a joke,” Jiang said as the crowd laughed. “And he insists that we will reschedule this event in the next 30 days, and that he wanted to do it tonight. He wanted to continue despite the news, but has to follow security protocol.”

She continued, “I said earlier tonight that journalism is a public service because when there is an emergency, we run to the crisis, not away from it. And on a night when we are thinking about the freedoms in the First Amendment, we must also think about how fragile they are. I saw all of you reporting, and that‘s what we do. Thank God everybody is safe. And thank you for coming together tonight. We will do this again. Thank you.”

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Jiang’s comments came after a Truth Social post from Trump about his press conference.

“Law Enforcement has requested that we leave the premises, consistent with protocol, which we will do, immediately. I will be giving a press conference in 30 minutes from the White House Press Briefing Room. The First Lady, plus the Vice President, and all Cabinet members, are in perfect condition. We will be speaking to you in a half an hour. I have spoken with all the representatives in charge of the event, and we will be rescheduling within 30 days,” Trump wrote.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

Trump, first lady Melania Trump and the rest of the president’s Cabinet were rushed from the head table after reports of gunfire at the Washington Hilton. The site of the Washington Hilton was also the location of the assassination attempt against President Ronald Reagan in 1981.

Trump announced last month that he accepted the invitation to attend this year’s dinner, explaining that the country’s 250th anniversary influenced his decision.

Trump’s attendance marked the first time he has been present at the event as president in either term. Trump previously attended the dinner as a private citizen in 2011, when he was famously roasted by then-President Barack Obama.

Trump faced two assassination attempts in 2024, including one in Pennsylvania when an assailant’s bullet grazed his ear.