A White House Correspondents' Dinner attendee has gone viral for refusing to let a gunman ruin his meal. As dozens of guests took cover when shots rang out, one man remained focused on his dinner. Identified as CAA talent agent Michael Glantz, who represents major media figures, Glantz appeared unfazed while eating a spoonful of his burrata salad as Secret Service agents rushed by.
Viral Moment
The images of Glantz calmly munching his salad quickly spread online as more details about the event emerged. 'My man,' one account wrote, sharing a clip of Glantz eating. 'To each their own… The gentleman who continues to eat his salad calmly while the room is being evacuated and others seem to be hiding under the tables is the artistic agent, Michael Glantz,' another account posted. One user joked: 'He mistook the order from the Secret Service to “get down now” for “get it down now”.'
The Shooting Incident
The shooting unfolded just outside the vast ballroom holding thousands of dinner guests, disrupting the annual event meant to honor journalism and the First Amendment. Inside, guests scurried for cover at the sound of shots while Secret Service agents, including the heavily armed counter-assault team, swarmed the stage. Vice-President JD Vance was removed from the room first, while agents initially covered President Trump before escorting him and First Lady Melania Trump from the room. The president briefly stumbled off-stage before being assisted by his security detail.
Trump was held in a secure presidential suite at the hotel as organizers initially sought to resume the event. Hotel staff refolded napkins and refilled water glasses, and aides adjusted the teleprompter for the president. However, on the advice of the Secret Service, Trump was returned to the White House. This marked the third time since 2024 that the president faced an attacker in his immediate vicinity, including the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, that injured him and killed a local firefighter.
Guests React
Guests were dining on a spring pea and burrata salad when the noise began. Trump initially thought it was a tray dropping, but some journalists believed they heard five to eight gunshots. The Secret Service and other authorities swarmed the room as hundreds of guests ducked under tables. Audible gasps echoed through the ballroom as guests realized something was happening; hundreds of journalists immediately called in information. Outside the hotel, members of the National Guard and other authorities flooded the area as helicopters circled overhead.
After an initial attempt to resume, the event was scrapped for the night and will be rescheduled. The suspect, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, has been taken into custody.
