Dana White found himself at the center of a frightening situation after a shooting disrupted events near the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C.

White was seated just feet away from Donald Trump when security forces rushed into the ballroom at the Washington Hilton following reports of an active shooter.
Secret Service agents and local law enforcement quickly moved to secure the area and evacuate key individuals, including Trump and Melania Trump.

The suspect was eventually detained, though not before a police officer was shot.
According to Trump, the officer survived thanks to protective gear:

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

White, who attended the event as a guest, described the moment the situation escalated:

Inside, the whole event just started getting noisy, tables getting flipped over, guys running in with guns and they were screaming: “Get down!”

Despite the urgency, his reaction stood out:

I didn’t get down. It was f*cking awesome. I literally took every minute of it in.
It was a pretty crazy, unique experience.

Positioned near the president’s table, White did initially fear the danger was even closer:

We were sitting right in front of where the president was…
I thought the shooter was by us or something.

UFC CEO Dana White was in attendance during the alleged shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and gave his reaction.

“It was f*cking awesome. I literally took every minute of it in. It was a pretty crazy, unique experience.”

(via @USATODAY) pic.twitter.com/FHRQVcmHgx

— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) April 26, 2026

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