'Thought A Bomb Was Going To Go Off': Performer Attending Trump's Dinner Event Recounts Horror

Last Updated:April 27, 2026, 14:10 IST

Mentalist Oz Pearlman describes chaos and fear as gunfire erupts near Trump at Washington Hilton. Suspect Cole Allen arrested.

Oz Pearlman, a mentalist who was set to perform at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Saturday, recounted moments of fear and confusion after gunfire erupted near the ballroom at the Washington Hilton.

Speaking to ABC News, Pearlman said he was positioned close to President Donald Trump when the situation unfolded. He recalled his immediate reaction: “Are we about to die?"

‘I Dropped To All Fours,’ Says Pearlman 

Describing the chaos, Pearlman said, “When I dropped down, and dropped down to all fours, and I’m waiting and bracing because I think a bomb’s going to go off. I watch the two Secret Service guys get behind the president, bring him down." He added that being so close to Trump made the moment surreal: “So the exact same way you are at this distance. I just look at him right here, and I think right that moment, ‘Oh no, are we about to die?’ That was my first thought."

Mentalist Says Trump ‘Seemed To Be In Shock’

The mentalist said he struggled to understand what had happened in the immediate aftermath. “I’m looking at him, and I can’t gauge from him what happened to him," he said, adding, “No part of me was like, he’s OK." He noted the force used by agents: “I didn’t expect them to take him down so violently. They never would have tackled him that hard," adding that it “seemed to me like he was in shock."

He later “army-crawled" to safety, describing a tense backstage scene filled with armed personnel. “So we get backstage, we’re all standing. There’s so many people with guns going by, and so we’ve got SWAT team — full tactical, like, assault rifles," he said.

Footage showed Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and others being rushed out. Authorities said the suspect, identified as Cole Allen, was armed with multiple weapons and taken into custody. The suspected shooter was scheduled to be produced before a court on Monday.

News world 'Thought A Bomb Was Going To Go Off': Performer Attending Trump's Dinner Event Recounts Horror

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