Did Karoline Leavitt predict the correspondent's dinner shooting? White House Press Secretary's statement goes viral

A video of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is going viral from the correspondent's dinner night. It was recorded moments before the open firing by a shooter. Watch video inside.

Sneha Biswas
Published26 Apr 2026, 09:39 AM IST
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt at the White House Correspondents' dinner.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt at the White House Correspondents' dinner.(AFP)

Planned or not, the recent shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner (WHCD) has left people shocked across the globe. Amid this, a video of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has surfaced online, almost predicting the shooting on Saturday evening. Moments before Trump and other attendees sat down for the event, Leavitt told viewers that the President would "bring the heat” and that there would be “shots fired.”

Shooting at White House Correspondents’ Dinner

The gunfire erupted from an alleged shooter who is currently being investigated under police custody, reported AP.

The shooting took place at the reputed Washington Hilton where several top leaders, including Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and others, were present. All of them, including Trump, were evacuated by the Secret Service.

However, Leavitt's remark was seemingly intended as a figurative nod to the sharp political jabs and humour expected that Trump was supposed to bring in the evening. Now, it is going viral for a different, and far more serious, reason.

Also Read | Viral Video: Donald Trump falls as evacuation turns chaotic; social media reacts

What did Karoline Leavitt say

In the now viral video, Karoline Leavitt is seen interacting with a reporter on the red carpet. She hinted at the speech she wrote for the president and made some quirky comments.

Leavitt said, “He (Donald Trump) is ready to rumble. This speech tonight will be classic Donald. J. Trump. It will be funny, it will be entertaining. There will be some shorts fired tonight in the room.”

She also requested viewers to “tune in” and “look forward” to his speech.

Watch:

Reacting to the words, a user wrote on X, formerly Twitter, "You put "Shots fired" in quotes 38 min before the dinner even began... Coincidence or are you part of the problem and pre-framing the narrative?"

“What an odd choice of words,” said another.

One more reacted, “Leavitt's comments sure to raise an eyebrow or two in the coming days. Expect Trump to laugh it off, as we all should.”

Someone else commented, “Well that escalated quickly.”

Also Read | Shooting at Hilton: Trump says 31-year-old suspect in custody

Trump on Hilton shooting

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump shared details about the incident at a press briefing at the White House.

He said that the shooter who opened fire acted as a “lone wolf” at the high-profile event.

"A man charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, and he was taken down by some very brave members of Secret Service,” he said, as per Bloomberg.

“He’s in custody and they’re asking him a lot of questions."

Trump earlier confirmed that Vice President JD Vance, First Lady Melania Trump and members of his Cabinet remained safe.

“As you know this is not the first time in the past couple of years that our republic has been attacked by a would-be assassin who sought to kill,” Trump said. “In light of this evening’s events, I ask that all Americans recommit with their hearts and resolving our difference peacefully.”

“We have to resolve our differences,” he added, as per the same news agency.

However, one officer was shot, confirmed Trump, but was saved by wearing a bulletproof vest.

“I don’t care how many people you have, how good they are. They can be the greatest people you have, the greatest security in history — if you have a whack job who’s got a brain, but it’s a little bit distorted, or a lot distorted, they can make trouble,” he said.

About the Author

Sneha Biswas specialises in covering entertainment and pop culture, with a specialisation on Bollywood, Hollywood, OTT platforms, K-pop, K-dramas, and major developments in the US entertainment industry. She believes in telling stories that balance speed with substance, and in making entertainment journalism contextual, culturally aware, and reader-first rather than purely reactive.<br><br> With over six years of experience in digital media, Sneha currently serves as a Deputy Chief Content Producer at Live Mint. She has spent more than three and a half years with the HT Group and returned to the organisation in February 2025, joining Live Mint to uplift the entertainment section. Over the past year, she has been closely involved in entertainment coverage including breaking news, explainers, trend reporting, box office reports and analysis for the audience.<br><br> Sneha is Google News certified, having completed training focused on newsroom best practices, digital reporting, and SEO-driven content strategies. Her work reflects a strong understanding of audience behaviour, search trends, and the evolving consumption patterns of entertainment news across formats.<br><br> Prior to her current role, Sneha has worked across multiple content and editorial functions within digital newsrooms, building expertise in content planning, editing, and real-time coverage. Her professional interests lie at the intersection of entertainment, internet culture, and global pop trends.<br><br> Working for the National city team, Biswas closely follows global entertainment movements while maintaining a strong pulse on what is happening in India.

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