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  • Trump “Fought Like Hell” to Return to White House Correspondents’ Dinner After Shots Were Fired, Shares Details on Suspect

    Trump “Fought Like Hell” to Return to White House Correspondents’ Dinner After Shots Were Fired, Shares Details on Suspect

    President Donald Trump spoke with press after he and First Lady Melania Trump were rushed off stage and evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner after shots were reportedly fired at the Washington Hilton ballroom on Saturday night.

    Trump said that the suspect was “armed with multiple weapons” and charged through security checkpoint, and an accompanying video of the incident was shared on his Truth Social page. He also revealed that an officer was shot, but “saved by the fact that he was wearing a obviously very good bulletproof vest.”

    “He was shot from very close distance with a very powerful gun, and the vest did the job,” Trump said. “I just spoke to the officer, and he’s doing great.”

    The president confirmed that the dinner would be rescheduled in the next 30 days or so, noting, “I fought like hell to stay, but it was protocol.” He further commended the response time from law enforcement officials.

    “The response time was really incredible, and we’re going to reschedule. We’re gonna do it again, we’re not gonna let anybody take over our society we’re not gonna cancel things out because we can’t do that,” he said. “We wanted to stay tonight. I will tell you, I fought like hell to stay, but it was protocol.”

    Trump said that he had a “rough” speech ready for the dinner, but that the events of Saturday night will likely shift his remarks to be “probably very nice.”

    “I am ready, willing and able, and I was all set to really rip it,” Trump said of his speech. “I’ll be very boring the next time, but we’re going to have a great event.”

    When answering questions from reporters, Trump said that he believed the suspect acted alone. The Associated Press identified Cole Tomas Allen as the shooting suspect.

    He also recounted the moment as it happened, explaining that he initially thought a tray had dropped. Trump said it sounded “quite far away,” but that Melania was “very cognizant” that it could have been a shooting.

    Trump announced on Truth Social after the evacuation that he and Melania were safe, and that the event will be rescheduled within the next 30 days after law enforcement requested that attendees exit the premises.

    “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,” he wrote. “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. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

    President Trump and the First Lady were seated on the stage with the head of the White House Correspondents Association when the loud sounds were heard inside the ballroom. It was not immediately clear what the loud sounds that led to the evacuation were attributed to, but the president was removed from the dinner.

    Trump took to Truth Social after he was evacuated, writing, “Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely. The shooter has been apprehended, and I have recommended that we ‘LET THE SHOW GO ON’ but, will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement. They will make a decision shortly. Regardless of that decision, the evening will be much different than planned, and we’ll just, plain, have to do it again. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

    A source told CNN that Trump is safe; the condition of the suspect is unknown. A White House official reiterated Trump’s sentiments to MS Now that the he is still planning to deliver his speech, though it’s unclear when he will deliver remarks.

    The program will reportedly resume, MS Now and C-SPAN both detailed on their broadcasts. Trump was attending the event for the first time since 2011.

    The room, which was filled with journalists, politicians, and celebrities, was not evacuated following the incident. Initial concern at the gala seemed to fade as security swept the ballroom and guests began to converse as they waited for any instructions.

    A news executive on the scene shared details from inside the venue with The Hollywood Reporter, noting, “We heard shots and people were huddled under the tables and threw themselves on the ground as soon as the shots rang out. But the band kept playing. There was a lot of panic in one corner of the room, and it seemed like in other corners no one could hear what was going on. Some people here really want to get the hell out, but at the moment they are blocking everyone from leaving.”

    The exec continued, “Everyone is in the phone right now but reception here is very spotty. There’s a pack of CNN reporters Huddled around [CNN chief] Mark Thompson, all of them on their phones. It’s like controlled pandemonium.”

    The Secret Service issued a statement confirming they are investigated the incident: “The U.S. Secret Service, in coordination with the Metropolitan Police Department, is investigating a shooting incident near the main magnetometer screening area at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The president and the first lady are safe along all protectees. One individual is in custody. The condition of those involved is not yet known, and law enforcement is actively assessing the situation.”

    On March 2, the president posted to his Truth Social account that this would be the year he would head to the Washington Hilton and step onto the stage in front of the people he has long referred to as the “enemy of the people.”

    “In honor of our Nation’s 250th Birthday,” he wrote, “And the fact that these ‘Correspondents’ now admit that I am truly one of the Greatest Presidents in the History of our Country — the G.O.A.T., according to many — it will be my honor to accept their invitation, and work to make it the GREATEST, HOTTEST, and MOST SPECTACULAR DINNER OF ANY KIND, EVER!”

    Trump’s attendance at the event came with controversy as Dan Rather, the Society of Professional Journalists, and 350-plus other journalists and organizations signed a letter calling on the body to “forcefully demonstrate opposition to President Trump’s efforts to trample freedom of the press.”

    More to come.

  • White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting: Reporters React to ‘Lockdown in the Ballroom’ After ‘Multiple Shots Fired’

    White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting: Reporters React to ‘Lockdown in the Ballroom’ After ‘Multiple Shots Fired’

    The 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner wrapped early on Saturday night as gunshots were heard in the lobby outside of the ballroom of the Washington Hilton Hotel, which caused President Trump and his family to evacuate, and many of the journalists who were in attendance reported on the event in real time from their phones.

    Attendees quickly took to X in order to describe the scene, such as Tony Morrison, who wrote, “NOW: Reports of shots fired at WHCD and that secret service has neutralized an assailant in the lobby of the Washington Hilton. My clients and I are safe and left the event 10 minutes prior to the incident. My colleagues and friends on lockdown in the ballroom.”

    Political pundit Kevin Walling wrote on X, “The scene from the red carpet at the #WHCD moments after multiple shots fired on the other side of the doors to the ballroom,” coupling it with a video.

    Journalist Leonardo Feldman, Newsweek’s White House reporter, wrote, “Something I noticed even before coming into the #WHCADinner was that the security was only outside the ballroom inside, not outside the building. So the entrance of the building did not have a security machine only guards, you only went through the screening before the ballroom.”

    Following the incident, Trump took to Truth Social, writing, “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.”

    See more messages below.

  • Chainlink Whales Pull $4.67M in LINK from Binance in Fresh Accumulation Move

    Chainlink Whales Pull $4.67M in LINK from Binance in Fresh Accumulation Move

    Large investors (whales) continued to accumulate Chainlink’s $LINK token today, with two prominent wallets withdrawing a combined 496,630 $LINK worth approximately $4.67 million from Binance, according to on-chain analytics platform Onchain Lens. In a tweet on X, Onchain Lens reported that wallet 0x52761A….7bE00cAc2 withdrew 370,631 $LINK valued at $3.48 million. Following the withdrawal, the wallet now holds a total of 565,612 $LINK worth $5.33 million.

    Whales are accumulating $LINK

    Wallet “0x527” withdrew 370,631 $LINK ($3.48M) from #Binance; it now holds 565,612 $LINK ($5.33M).

    Wallet “0x526” withdrew 125,999 $LINK worth $1.19M from #Binance.

    Addresses:

    – 0x52761AacA0D244d355fb7DC7AB960B87bE00cAc2
    -… pic.twitter.com/yghRhGpJxO

    — Onchain Lens (@OnchainLens) April 25, 2026

    A second wallet, 0x526757bC2c73ab2078f10bbcee2432d5809acBd8 (labeled “0x526”), pulled 125,999 $LINK worth $1.19 million from the exchange. The activity was accompanied by on-chain data highlighting the withdrawal transactions and updated wallet balances.

    Whale Withdrawals Signal Accumulation Trend

    This latest move adds to growing speculation of institutional or high-net-worth accumulation in $LINK. Large withdrawals from centralized exchanges to self-custody wallets are often interpreted as a bullish signal, suggesting that whales prefer holding assets off-exchange rather than selling in the near term. The post quickly gained traction among crypto traders, with some analysts pointing to the self-custody trend as a sign of long-term confidence in Chainlink’s fundamentals.

    Rising Interest in Chainlink Ecosystem

    Chainlink, the leading decentralized oracle network, has seen renewed interest amid the broader crypto market recovery. Its growing adoption, particularly through the Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) and data feeds, continues to expand across DeFi, real-world assets (RWA), and traditional finance sectors.

    As of this writing, $LINK is trading near $9.40–$9.50, with whale activity unfolding alongside steady on-chain metrics and increasing total value locked (TVL) in Chainlink-powered protocols.

    Overall, this marks the latest in a series of notable $LINK whale movements tracked in recent weeks. Market participants will be watching closely to see whether these accumulations translate into sustained buying pressure or reflect strategic positioning ahead of potential developments within the Chainlink ecosystem.

  • ‘Project Crypto’—Why Atkins Could Suddenly Push Bitcoin Past $80K

    ‘Project Crypto’—Why Atkins Could Suddenly Push Bitcoin Past $80K

    X spent the latter half of the week digesting SEC Chair Paul Atkins’s April 21 Economic Club of Washington keynote as a regime change.

    “SEC Chair Paul Atkins unveiled ‘Project Crypto’, a formal token taxonomy co-developed with the CFTC that classifies when digital assets qualify as securities, with a forthcoming ‘innovation exemption’ for on-chain trading of tokenized securities,”

    a user wrote on April 24, summarizing the speech. The post racked up engagement as commentators digested the chair’s commitment to a signed SEC-CFTC memorandum of understanding. Bitcoin was trading near $77,586 as of Saturday, April 25, recovering from a brutal selloff that bottomed close to $60,000 in February from late-2025 highs above $100,000. The question for traders heading into next week is whether the most aggressive pro-crypto pivot in SEC history is enough to push bitcoin back above the $80,000 line.

    Crypto podcaster Scott Melker, who runs The Wolf Of All Streets, has been beating the regulatory drum since the announcement. “WATCH: SEC CHAIR ATKINS SAYS THE AGENCY HAS MOVED AWAY FROM THE ‘OLD PRACTICE OF REGULATION THROUGH ENFORCEMENT’ ON CRYPTO,” Melker posted on April 20, sharing the CNBC clip. Marc Baumann, founder of fiftyone.xyz, broke down what that actually means.

    “The phrase that matters: ‘regulation through enforcement.’ The prior SEC tried to define digital asset rules by suing issuers and exchanges one at a time. Atkins is saying the SEC will write rules instead,”

    Baumann wrote on April 21. The Solana ecosystem account @tokens confirmed the pivot the same day: “NEW: SEC Chairman Paul Atkins on CNBC says the agency has ‘pivoted from the old practice of regulation through enforcement’ on crypto.”

    The bull thesis is that institutional capital, which sat on the sidelines through the Gensler era, finally has a green light. Crypto.news laid out the structural significance on April 23.

    “Paul Atkins reveals the SEC is on the cusp of releasing an ‘innovation exemption’ to enable tokenized securities trading onchain and has initiated Project Crypto to modernize securities rules,”

    the outlet wrote in a thread that drew 71 likes and 29 reposts. ChainGain, a crypto-macro analyst, put it more bluntly. “Paul Atkins announced an ‘innovation exemption’ + launched ‘Project Crypto’, full modernization of securities rules for onchain trading. The SEC is carving explicit legal space for onchain securities to exist,” ChainGain wrote on April 23. Strategy chairman Michael Saylor has been buying through the entire selloff. As of April 19, his firm holds 815,061 bitcoin acquired for roughly $61.56 billion at an average price of $75,527, according to his own X disclosures, building on the $1 billion preferred-stock pipeline he detailed earlier this month.

    Melker himself has been the most vocal skeptic of the current bounce, flagging a historical pattern that has turned earlier rallies into bull traps.

    “June 2022. Bitcoin bottomed at 17,600 and made a move to 25,200. Roughly a 43% gain. Then it went down to 15,500 in November. Has happened a few times,”

    he warned on April 22, a direct caution that the current bounce off the $60,000 lows could mirror the 2022 pattern. His more pointed framing the same week: “Bitcoin Smashes $78K As Investors Go Risk On! Real Breakout Or Bull Trap?” The macro overhang is also unresolved. ETF inflows have been strong, with Melker citing a $1.9 billion seven-day inflow streak in a Yahoo Finance segment, but a regulatory headline alone has historically failed to overpower a broader risk-off tape.

    “This is the most pro-crypto SEC stance in the history of the institution,” SHARKY, a Web3 analyst who tracks regulatory shifts, wrote on April 24. The chair first launched Project Crypto back in July 2025. What is new this week is the signed SEC-CFTC memorandum of understanding and the operational shape of the innovation exemption, which would let firms trade tokenized securities on-chain without bolting them onto legacy securities infrastructure. Crypto.news on April 23 framed the stakes plainly:

    “Atkins reveals the SEC is on the cusp of releasing an ‘innovation exemption’ to enable tokenized securities trading onchain.”

    Atkins is set to speak at Bitcoin 2026 in Las Vegas on April 27-29, his first major bitcoin appearance as SEC chair. Saylor, who is also speaking, used his April 21 X post to mark Strategy’s first three weeks of April: “Strategy has generated 6.2% $BTC Yield and ₿47,079 of $BTC Gain in the first three weeks of April, worth approximately $3.6 billion. $BTC Gain is the closest analog to Net Income on the Bitcoin Standard.” Two days out from the conference, he is unlikely to stop accumulating, and Atkins is unlikely to walk back the policy pivot in front of a Las Vegas crowd. Whether that combination is enough to break the $80,000 line is what traders find out next week.

  • 4 takeaways: Pistons-Magic Game 3 leaves Detroit stunned after Orlando re-takes series lead

    Game Recap: Magic 113, Pistons 105

    The Magic defeat the Pistons, 113-105, to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

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    Paolo Banchero’s circus shot wound up being unnecessary, triggering a few smiles and alleviating some tension in the final minute of Orlando’s 113-105 home victory Saturday. But in the moment, it seemed invaluable as the bucket that pushed the Magic’s lead from five points to eight – with 38 seconds left, a three-possession lead beats the heck out of a two-possession margin.

    No one knew at the time that Detroit already was done scoring for the night, its final points coming way back at the 2:52 mark. So it was 110-105 when Orlando center Wendell Carter Jr. appeared to deke Cade Cunningham in the post into his ninth turnover. Banchero got the steal with 58.3 seconds left and, 20 seconds after that, launched a 3-pointer.

    The ball hit the heel of the rim and kicked high, straight up. There was just enough time to flash back to that Tyrese Haliburton freak shot against the Knicks last spring in Game 1 of the East Finals, before Banchero’s shot dropped straight down through the rim.

    “The optimist in me was like, ‘That’s going in,’” Banchero said.

    The optimists in Orlando are feeling good about the Magic’s chances now that they hold a 2-1 lead in their first-round series against Detroit. The Pistons have until Monday to figure out how to grab back homecourt advantage in Game 4 (8 ET, NBC/Peacock).

    Here are four takeaways from Game 3:

    1. Your momentum, wait, our momentum

    The floor seemed tilted against Orlando. The Magic had done so much, so right late in the third quarter and early in the fourth to craft a handsome 96-79 lead with less than nine minutes left and then … everything shifted.

    Over the next five minutes, the Pistons accelerated hard, hit shots, earned free throws, cashed in on second chances and bottled up Orlando’s offense. To the dismay of the Kia Center crowd and maybe another dozen or more fellows in Magic uniforms, a lead that had been 17 vanished in a flash. Paolo Banchero got blocked at the rim, Cade Cunningham hit a 26-foot pull-up three and poof! Gone.

    Tied at 104-104, the Magic looked flat-footed. And worse, when Jalen Suggs threw the ball away coming out of his coach’s timeout. Cunningham got fouled and hit one of two free throws for the Pistons’ first lead of the half. Now not only was Orlando’s momentum gone, the air in the building was leaking out.

    That’s when the game flinched. In a three-play sequence of 44 seconds, the Magic altered the trajectory and reset the mood. Franz Wagner sank a jumper off the dribble with 2:30 left. Tobias Harris, so essential to Detroit’s rally, missed from 15 feet and when the ball rolled off the rim, it was Magic center Wendell Carter who claimed it. Then it was Wagner again, draining a 3 from 27 feet.

    Somehow the Magic had slammed the brakes on a freefall. They were up 109-105 and 1:46 remained. Four points – 109-105 – normally wouldn’t feel safe, but the way Orlando closed, it proved insurmountable. That Cunningham free throw with 2:52 left? The Pistons’ last point. The Magic scored the night’s final nine.

    “Runs are part of the game. We’ve got to recognize what’s happening within them,” said Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley. “Are we getting the right shots, are we organizing what we’re doing offensively, are we getting the right type of stops? They hit some tough shots, we fouled a few times. But being able to settle it down. And part of that is, can we get to the free throw line in those moments to stop the run, get our composure, communicate with one another and get our sets right and get our defense set up right?”

    The Magic responded with a bundle of yeses to Mosley’s questions. They might even emerge better off for getting chased down yet wriggling free. Detroit had no intention of slowing down the stretch, until Orlando painted a tunnel opening on a mountain wall in time for the Pistons to go splat.

    2. Harris offers glimpse of value to Cunningham

    Too often in this series, Detroit’s point guard has seemed to be playing in a 1-on-5 predicament, with teammates cold or not clicking as reliable secondary scoring sources. Unhappy Pistons fans have been grumbling about coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s lineups and rotations, a shortage of perimeter shooters (that explained Javonte Green’s 23 minutes Saturday), and even the need for a backcourt upgrade next to Cunningham – remember Jaden Ivey?

    At least Tobias Harris responded this time like the veteran scorer he is. Harris scored 23 points, 10 during the rush to tie in the fourth. Now he needs to do it as aggressively for a bigger chunk of the game.

    By the way, non-Cunningham minutes could become a thing in Detroit the way non-Jokić minutes matter in Denver. In the 119 minutes their All-NBA point guard has been on the floor in the series, the Pistons are seven points better than Orlando. In the 25 he has sat, they have been outscored by 11.

    3. Bully ball backfires on Bickerstaff’s bunch

    Look, the NBA gets it: Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart is all about intimidation, a boxer in a hoops player’s uniform. Teammate Jalen Duren is so ripped, you’d wince just standing next to him. But the brawn battle hasn’t worked well so far for Detroit.

    Duren has underperformed after a regular season in which he earned his first All-Star invitation and was voted to be a finalist for the Kia Most Improved Player award. He had eight points and nine rebounds in Game 3, and is averaging 9.0 points and 8.3 rebounds in the three games, compared to 19.5 and 10.5 during the season. His five blocked shots – Ausar Thompson also swatted five – were great disruptors of Orlando’s attacks. But little is coming for Duren that’s intentional, mostly leaving scraps off broken plays or offensive boards.

    Stewart has stepped back even further. He was one of the NBA’s most effective rim protectors this season, but he has yet to reach 20 minutes in any game of the series. It was 12:25 for him Saturday, including a cameo in the fourth quarter in which Stewart missed one shot and was a minus-7 in a mere 1:55.

    His first half was busy, at least, with three personal fouls, one technical and one flagrant-1 foul in a scoreless 8:22. After that, Bickerstaff was seen having a 1-on-1 talk with Stewart, presumably about what the Pistons need from him and what they do not.

    Credit to Carter for not getting drawn into any antics and winning the strong, bruising race.

    4. Magic rotation sorting out

    Desmond Bane, Paolo Banchero combine for 50 points in Game 3

    One of the theories behind Orlando’s underwhelming regular season was their abundance of talent and the lengthy process – still unfinished two weeks into April – needed to sort it out. There was speculation that Banchero and Wagner overlap or chafe in tandem, and other pecking-order concerns that many teams nail down in the fall.

    But a formula seems to have emerged in this series. Banchero is the closest thing the Magic has to Cunningham as far as a beginning, middle and end go-to player. Wagner has a knack for showing up late in close games.

    Desmond Bane tied a franchise record with seven 3-pointers in Game 3, hitting his first six attempts. Jalen Suggs is streaky enough to ignite his team’s performance or occasionally torch it. With Bane cramping up late and Suggs in foul trouble, Anthony Black provided 26 helpful minutes and shot eight free throws to buy time when other options weren’t working.

    If it’s all replicable, Orlando – 7-1 at Kia Center over the past three postseasons – Orlando is a Game 4 victory away from putting real drama into this 1 vs. 8 matchup.

    * * *

    Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.  

  • 3 things to watch in Spurs-Trail Blazers Game 4

    Dylan Harper scores a playoff career-high 27 points, including 22 in the second half, of the Spurs Game 3 victory.

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    The Portland Trail Blazers don’t have much time to mull their Game 3 home loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

    Game 4 is an early afternoon start Sunday in Portland, less than 48 hours after the Spurs took a 2-1 series lead with a 120-108 victory Friday night.

    San Antonio won without center-forward Victor Wembanyama, who requires medical clearance to play after sustaining a concussion in Game 2, and San Antonio burrowed through a 15-point second-half deficit thanks to impressive scoring from 20-year-old rookie guard Dylan Harper (27 points) and 21-year-old second-year guard Stephon Castle (33 points).

    Will the Spurs take a 3-1 series lead? Will the Blazers tie the series? Will Wembanyama play in Game 4 Sunday (3:30 ET, ESPN)?

    Here are three things to watch in Game 4:

    1. What is Wembanyama’s status for Game 4?

    Even if Wembanyama, 22, wants to play and says he can go, it’s not his decision. After a concussion, a player must be symptom-free and go through a series of tests and physical exertion steps and get clearance from a doctor and the NBA’s director of the concussion program before returning.

    Wembanyama, the Kia Defensive Player of the Year and one of three finalists Kia MVP this season, set a franchise record for points in a playoff debut with 35 in San Antonio’s Game 1 victory.

    The Spurs await his return with patience. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said Wembanyama is progressing but would not speculate on his availability, citing the detailed return-to-play process.

    2. Blazers must avoid a letdown

    Portland led 82-67 with 5:09 remaining in the third quarter. With 5:48 to go in the fourth, San Antonio owned a 108-96 lead. During that stretch, Portland was 6-for-23 from the field, missed its six 3-point attempts, Deni Avdija was 0-for-4, Jrue Holiday — who otherwise had a terrific game with 29 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals — was 1-for-4 and Jerami Grant was 0-for-3.

    The Trail Blazers couldn’t do much to slow the Spurs, who shot 13-for-19 from the field and 7-for-9 on 3-pointers. Harper scored 20 points during that run, and 20-year-old rookie Carter Bryant was on the court for the entire stretch, contributing offensively and defensively. He finished with an impactful three points, six rebounds, four assists and three blocks.

    Harper also had 10 rebounds, becoming the youngest guard to record a double-double in a playoff game. Per the Spurs, Harper was the first rookie with at least 25 points and 10 rebounds off the bench in a playoff game since 1987. Harper and Castle also joined Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook as the only duos in NBA history, age 21 or younger, to score 25 or more points in the same playoff game.

    3. Can Avdija produce more offensively?

    After scoring 30 points in Game 1, Trail Blazers All-Star Deni Avdija had 14 points in Game 2 and 19 points in Game 3. Of those 19 points, 12 came on free throws, and he was 3-for-15 from the field and scored eight points in the second half and three in the fourth quarter.

    The Spurs have made shooting difficult for him, especially in the paint, where Luke Kornet was waiting to alter Avdija’s shots at the rim. Avdija was 2-for-10 on shots in the paint as San Antonio played a physical game and used multiple defenders on him.

    * * *

    Jeff Zillgitt has covered the NBA since 2008. You can email him at jzillgitt@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.

  • Trump evacuated from White House correspondents’ dinner after shots fired

    Trump evacuated from White House correspondents’ dinner after shots fired

    BREAKING,

    The US president was escorted out of the event at a Washington, DC, hotel by Secret Service agents.

    Published On 26 Apr 2026

    United States President Donald Trump was evacuated from the White House correspondents’ dinner in Washington, DC, after shots were fired outside the event.

    Trump was rushed out of the Washington Hilton hotel on Saturday evening after gunshots were heard outside the ballroom where the president and the first lady had been seated before the start of the annual media gala.

    Trump said in a post on Truth Social that he and his Cabinet were safe, and that he would give a news conference from the White House shortly.

    “The First Lady, plus the Vice President, and all Cabinet members, are in perfect condition,” Trump said.

    “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 also hailed the US Secret Service and local law enforcement.

    “They acted quickly and bravely,” Trump said, adding that he had recommend that the event continue as planned but would defer to law enforcement.

    The US Secret Service said the shooting had occurred at a “screening area” and that one individual was in custody.

    “The condition of those involved is not yet known, and law enforcement is actively assessing the situation,” the agency said.

    Footage from the scene showed Trump and attendees taking cover behind their table after shots rang out, as people yelled “Get down!” and “Stay down!”

    Trump was then rushed away from the scene by Secret Service agents, after which heavily armed agents surrounded the table.

    Al Jazeera producer Chris Sheridan said he heard what he believed to be five gunshots outside the ballroom.

    “We could smell the powder. We immediately dove to the ground. It was directly behind me,” Sheridan said.

    “I couldn’t tell how many feet away, but it was definitely behind the doors to the entrance to the ballroom.”

    More to come…

  • White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting: President Trump and First Lady Evacuated After Shots Fired; Trump to Hold Press Conference as He Vows to Reschedule

    White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting: President Trump and First Lady Evacuated After Shots Fired; Trump to Hold Press Conference as He Vows to Reschedule

    The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was turned upside down Saturday night as a gunman was taken into custody after shots were fired near the ballroom at the Washington Hilton. President Trump, first lady Melania Trump and other administration officials were evacuated by the Secret Service after the shots disrupted the annual gala fundraiser event.

    President Trump and first lady and numerous cabinet officials were swiftly evacuated from the event as the shooter was tackled by law enforcement. On a night that was to mark Trump’s first time at the WHCA dinner as president, the commander-in-chief ended it with plans for an impromptu White House briefing that is expected to take place after 10 p.m. ET.

    After about an hour of confusion within the ballroom, WHCA president Weijia Jiang, of CBS News, came to the podium with tears in her eyes to tell the attendees to leave the ballroom. And she also informed members of the association of the President’s plan to hold a press briefing at the White House within 30 minutes. “That is not a joke,” Jiang deadpanned.

    Jiang added that Trump “insists that we will reschedule this event in the next 30 days,” Jiang said. “He wanted to continue desptie the news but has to follow security protocol,” she said. Jiang noted that journalism is a profession designed to rise to the occasion in a crises.

    “On a night when are thinking about those freedoms and the First Amendment, we must also think about how fragile they are,” she siad. “I saw all of you reporting and that’s what we do. So thank god, everybody’s safe. Thank you for coming together tonight, and we’ll do this again.”

    Trump’s statement issued on his Truth Social platform also laid out his determination to proceed with the event.

    “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. President DONALD J. TRUMP,” the statement read.

    Earlier in the night, after he’d been removed from the ballroom, Trump issued a message stating his hope to go back to the Hilton to finish the night as planned. In that statement, Trump addressed the extraordinary brush with violence: “Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely. The shooter has been apprehended, and I have recommended that we ‘LET THE SHOW GO ON’ but will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement. They will make a decision shortly. Regardless of that decision, the evening will be much different than planned, and we’ll just, plain, have to do it again,” the President stated.

    CNN’s Wolf Blitzer reported on-air that he heard the gunshots and was thrown to the ground by police for safety. Blitzer said he saw the gunman “shooting randomly” and saw him being tackled by police. He was ushered into a restroom for safety by police. Blitzer said he heard at least six dozen loud “booms.” Blitzer said he left the ballroom to use the restroom. As he walked back to his table, he suddenly heard “a whole bunch of gunshots and someone firing. The next thing I saw were a lot of police officers and other law enforcement grabbing [the gunman] and getting him to the ground.”

    Shortly after 9 p.m. ET, WHCA president Weijia Jiang told the crowd that the program would continue despite the commotion caused by the incident and Trump’s swift departure. However, by 9:20 p.m. ET it was clear that security was clearing out the ballroom, indicating that the event had been formally scrapped.

    The situation sparked immediate on-the-ground reporting from journalists across the media spectrum who took to social media platforms to deliver urgent reports.

    ABC News’ Rachel Scott called the situation “terrifying” and described the confusion as attendees suddenly looked up to see Secret Service personnel swarming the president. And it all happened “as [WHCA] members here in this ballroom ducked for cover,” Scott reported on Instagram.

    CSPAN coverage indicated that just as guests were finishing the salad course of the dinner, the dais for the event was abruptly cleared out and many of the several thousand attendees of the event dove under tables amid concerns about a major security breach. Witnesses told CSPAN that they heard yelling from the back of the ballroom before the Secret Service swept into the room. On CSPAN’s coverage around the 8:40 p.m. ET mark, shouts of “USA, USA” can be heard from the back of the ballroom.

    The scene outside the Washington Hilton earlier in the night was tense, with protestors chanting about U.S. action in Iran as attendees entered the hotel. Multiple layers of security with Washington, D.C. streets around the hotel closed off and tickets were required to move past several checkpoints in the hotel and facility.

    After shooting, there was initial confusion as to what had happened before journalists were able to reach their news outlets to report the details of what unfolded. CNN, CNBC, CSPAN and other outlets delivered the news of what just happened in the ballroom in telephone interviews with startled journalists who were on site.

    Most of journalism’s top players were in attendance at the annual fundraiser event. Versant CEO Mark Lazarus, ABC News president Almin Karamehmedovic, “Good Morning America” executive producer Simone Swink and Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott are among the notables who were seen at pre-parties on Saturday.

    Among the Trump administration officials attending the event were Vice President JD Vance, White House deputy chief of policy Stephen Miller, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, director of national intelligence, and Erika Kirk, CEO of Turning Point USA. There were numerous reports that Kirk was seen to be visibly shaken by the incident, which comes seven months after her political activist husband, Charlie Kirk, was shot during an appearance at a Utah university.

    The Trump administration’s strong showing at the event is in sharp contrast to his actions in his previous time in the White House. The 2026 dinner marks Trump’s first time attending the event, which traditionally features a comedian who roasts the president and Washington establishment. This time around the WHCA booked mentalist Oz Pearlman as the celebrity performer. Pearlman was seen making the rounds with top journalists prominently in the live coverage of the event before the disruption.

    Trump has had a contentious relationship with mainstream journalist since his political ambitions took off in 2015. Since his return to the White House, the Trump administration has been aggressive in challenging journalism conventions, and the President has not let up on his attacks on the integrity and competence of mainstream journalism. Trump has also engaged in litigation with ABC News, CBS News and the Wall Street Journal, among others.

  • ‘Joe Turner’s Come and Gone’ Broadway Review: Taraji P. Henson and Cedric the Entertainer Lead Stellar Cast

    Nearly 40 years after its debut, “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” has returned to Broadway. The second installment in legendary playwright August Wilson’s “The Century Cycle,” “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, grapples with Black life in the decades after Emancipation. Directed by Debbie Allen, the emotionally gripping play is set in a Pittsburgh boarding house. There, Seth Holly (Cedric the Entertainer) and his wife Bertha (Taraji P. Henson in her Broadway debut) welcome boarders searching for salvation, freedom from the oppressive South and new opportunities in the North. However, when a stoic drifter named Herald Loomis (Joshua Boone) and his young daughter, Zonia (Savannah Commodore) arrive on their doorstep, the Holly’s world turns on its axis. Stunningly depicted and gorgeously acted, “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” is a deeply grounded production about identity, home, love and how the horrors of slavery, racism and injustice continue to reverberate through time and across generations, impacting us all.
    ​
    “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” opens in Pittsburgh in 1911. Seth, a craftsman, has just arrived home from his overnight shift making pots and pans at a factory. As Bertha whips up breakfast for their boarders, the couple peers out of the window, watching Bynum Walker (a fantastic Ruben Santiago-Hudson) dance with the pigeons and riffle through Seth’s vegetable garden. A formally enslaved man and known conjurer, Bynum has his eccentricities, but Bertha and Seth mostly let their long-standing boarder be. As the morning progresses, the audience is introduced to the other boarders living at the Hollies’ home. There’s Jeremy Furlow (Tripp Taylor), a young guitarist who recently moved from South Carolina and has found a job laying roads for $8 a week. Also, there is Rutherford Selig (Bradley Stryker), a white trader who comes in once a week to buy and sell pots and pans for Seth.
    ​
    Despite external stressors, including the racism that Jeremy and Seth both endure at work and the uncertainty surrounding Bynum’s rhymes and riddles, the Holly’s boarding house is full of love, warmth and joy. David Gallos’s scenic design showcases a modest but welcoming home where Bertha’s biscuits bake in the oven, a box of dominoes lies tucked on a side table, and warm coffee heats on the stove. However, the atmosphere – and the lightning by Stacey Derosir shifts after Herold arrives at their doorstep, requesting a room and the whereabouts of his estranged wife, Martha (Abigail Onwunali).
    ​
    Bertha is immediately enamored with Zonia and eagerly takes her under her wing. Yet, Seth and Bynum are skeptical of Herold, whose torment and anguish cloaks him better than his long grey coat. While the older men are fairly certain they know the woman Herold is seeking, they decide it’s in their and Martha’s best interests to remain silent.
    ​
    As the play continues, Herold becomes increasingly obsessed, desperate to connect to the man he once was. Meanwhile, the boarding house buzzes around him. Despite facing his own injustices, Jeremy is mostly focused on chasing skirts and finds himself entangled with two women. Mattie Campbell (Nimene Sierra Wureh) enlists Bynum’s services, desperate for some root work to get her man to return to her. Instead, she finds Jeremy to keep her company. Contrastingly, Molly Cunningham (Maya Boyd) has shed any vestige of her life in the South. Decedantly dressed, in stunning dresses by Paul Tazewell, she looks ahead, determined that neither a man nor the color of her skin will hold her back. She is immediately dazzling to Jeremy, who has already hooked his wagon to Mattie. Meanwhile, Zonia makes a new friend in a neighborhood boy, Reuben Mercer (Jackson Edward Davis). Their joyous innocence depicts the newest generation of Black Americans who won’t contend with enslavement but will be forced to confront the terrors of Jim Crow.
    ​
    The audience also learns the reasons behind Herold’s torment. In addition to his wife vanishing, he was illegally captured by Joe Turner, the brother of the governor of Tennessee, and forced to work on a chain gang for seven years. The enslavement and separation from his family warped his mind. For Herold, Joe Turner has entirely stripped him of his sense of self.
    ​
    Just as it did when it first debuted on Broadway in 1989, “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” remains timeless. Though she doesn’t have much to do, Henson and the rest of the cast, including the younger actors, are exceptional. Bursting with heart and humor, the production showcases all of the intricacies and beauty of Black American life, the never-ending costs of slavery, racism and discrimination and how Black people flourish and move forward despite it all.

  • Ripple Says Multi-Asset Stablecoin Rails Are Becoming Critical for Global Payments

    Ripple Says Multi-Asset Stablecoin Rails Are Becoming Critical for Global Payments

    Stablecoin payments are moving rapidly into multi-asset infrastructure as volumes climb across global markets. Ripple says institutions that chose infrastructure already operating across assets, rails, and markets are better positioned as adoption consolidates.

    Key Takeaways:

    • Ripple says institutions are adopting multi- stablecoin strategies as cross-border settlement demands keep expanding globally.
    • Markets using $RLUSD, $USDC, and $USDT show payment infrastructure must support flexible asset choices.
    • Regulatory frameworks like MiCA may require institutions to use compliant assets, stablecoins, and fiat together.

    Stablecoin Payments Pressure Banks to Adapt Faster

    Global payments infrastructure is undergoing a shift as institutions adopt multi- stablecoin strategies across cross-border markets, driven by differing corridor requirements, counterparties, and regulatory conditions. This transition reflects how settlement assets now vary by region, requiring platforms capable of handling multiple stablecoins and fiat simultaneously.

    In its April 24 insight, Ripple stated:

    “Global stablecoin transaction volume hit $33 trillion in 2025, larger than global credit card volume. The institutions moving most of it aren’t betting on a single asset.”

    “They’re operating across $RLUSD, $USDC, $USDT, EURC, and local-currency stablecoins simultaneously, because different corridors, counterparties, and regulatory environments call for different assets,” Ripple detailed, emphasizing that institutions are no longer relying on a single asset, instead using multiple stablecoins across corridors, counterparties, and regulatory environments.

    It added that the GENIUS Act, signed in July 2025, accelerated infrastructure timelines, placing early adopters ahead while others face pressure as volumes consolidate and relationships form. Ripple noted that $33 trillion reflects settled activity already flowing through live platforms, highlighting the cost of delayed adoption. It also stated: “This is not a future state, it is how payments are already operating today.”

    Multi-Asset Settlement Becomes Key for Enterprises

    The insight emphasized that the stablecoin market has already shifted toward a multi-asset structure, with settlement assets varying across regions and counterparties. It explained that platforms limited to a single asset face structural limitations, as enterprise clients increasingly operate with different stablecoin preferences shaped by custody, banking relationships, and regulation. The analysis pointed to regulatory frameworks such as MiCA in Europe, which may require specific compliant assets, reinforcing the need for infrastructure capable of supporting multiple tokens. Ripple described asset-agnostic design as a core requirement, enabling settlement across stablecoins and fiat simultaneously to reflect real-world payment flows across global markets.

    AMINA Bank’s Chief Product Officer said: “Our clients need payment infrastructure that can handle both fiat and stablecoin rails simultaneously, but traditional correspondent banking networks weren’t designed to support this.” Ripple highlighted that its payments solution supports multi-asset settlement with integrated custody, liquidity, and conversion, already operating across financial institutions globally. It also detailed $RLUSD’s regulatory positioning and adoption across institutions. The company concluded:

    “The market has already moved. The institutions that win won’t be the ones that chose the right stablecoin. They’ll be the ones that chose infrastructure already operating at scale across assets, rails, and markets, without needing to rebuild as the ecosystem evolves.”