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 SHOOTINGWhite 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.WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER SHOOTING: TIMELINE TRACES HOW SUSPECT’S ALLEGED CROSS-COUNTRY PLAN UNFOLDEDGuests 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 incid...