Morning Note

Donald Trump attended the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner for the first time as president on Saturday. It did not go as expected.

An armed suspect attempted to storm the gala and kill Trump and other administration officials shortly after they took their seats, sprinting past the event’s first layer of security, firing his weapon multiple times, and shooting at least one Secret Service officer. Law enforcement apprehended the alleged culprit before he could enter the ballroom. Despite initial reports, the attack claimed no lives. 

The president hosted an impromptu news conference shortly after the incident, praising the Secret Service, saying the crime proves the necessity of his White House ballroom project, and remarking that political shooters only target “the people that make the biggest impact.”

Trump also called for national unity, saying Americans “have to resolve our differences” and that “there was a tremendous amount of love” after the shooting. He used similar language after he nearly died in Butler. It did not last. 

Read more here and watch Trump’s press conference here.