Former deputy press secretary Harrison Fields praised President Donald Trump’s strength and reassurance following the chaos at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, where panic ensued after shots were fired.
“We thank the president for his strength during a time when our nation and everyone in that immediate moment needed it,” Fields said Sunday on “Fox & Friends Weekend.”
Chaos broke out at the event Saturday night when suspected gunman Cole Allen reportedly stormed a security checkpoint and opened fire.
Fields described “pandemonium” in the ballroom after shots were fired and said it took more than a minute before attendees on stage, including Trump and first lady Melania Trump, were aware of the possible danger.
Despite the confusion, Fields said the president wanted to return to the stage when the threat was no longer present.
“When we heard he wanted to come back out, we all kind of chuckled and said, ‘Of course he does, because that’s exactly who he is.'”
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“In a moment of chaos and uncertainty, he gave us transparency. He gave us clarity. And he gave his reassurance that we were not going to be cowards in this moment,” Fields said.
Cole Allen, a 31-year-old computer scientist from Torrance, California, was identified as the suspect accused of opening fire at the Washington Hilton Hotel.
During a news conference Saturday night, authorities said Allen was armed with multiple weapons when he rushed a Secret Service checkpoint. He then allegedly opened fire on a Secret Service officer, who was taken to the hospital after being shot in his ballistic vest.
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Agents reportedly fired back at Allen, who was not struck. He was also taken to the hospital.
Fields said he noticed a lack of security checkpoints ahead of the main event, where cabinet secretaries and high-level officials were in attendance.
“And there was not a security apparatus leading up to that point. So I think there’s going to have to be a buffer. Of course, everyone can Monday morning quarterback, and we have to agree that the Secret Service and local law enforcement took immediate steps to keep us safe. But there was no real buffer, and that was one of the immediate feelings I felt as soon as I walked into the hotel.”
