UFC CEO Dana White was one of many people in attendance at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner on Saturday night, which was interrupted by a series of gunshots heard inside the ballroom.
Like many people on the scene, he provided an account of what happened in the immediate aftermath. He did it with … enthusiasm:
“Inside, they started up. All of a sudden, it just started getting noisy. Tables getting flipped over, guys running in with guns and they were screaming ‘Get down!’ I didn’t get down — it was f***ing awesome. I literally took every minute of it in. It was a pretty crazy, unique experience.”
It really needs to be conveyed just how visibly overjoyed White seemed while speaking with reporters.
White, a longtime friend and ally of President Donald Trump, said he was sitting at a table near the front of the room, “right in front of where the president was.” He also said he initially thought the shooter might have been near him when the Secret Service rushed in.
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Per authorities, the suspect rushed past a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives. Gunshots were audible in the ballroom before he got taken down by law enforcement. He is now in custody.
The incident saw Trump, vice president J.D. Vance and other dignitaries rushed away from the stage. In a press briefing after the incident, Trump vowed to reschedule the dinner within the next 30 days.
In addition to their friendship, Trump and White’s offices are currently working UFC Freedom 250, the upcoming UFC event scheduled to be held on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14.
