UFC president Dana White offered a blunt, and for some, jarring reaction after finding himself just feet away from the chaos at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner when gunfire erupted Saturday night.
Speaking in a video that quickly spread across social media, White said he was seated “right in front of the president” when the situation unfolded. As the sound of gunshots cut through the ballroom, he described the scene turning frantic almost instantly.
“It started getting noisy — tables getting flipped over, guys running in with guns and screaming ‘get down!’” White said, recounting the moment security personnel rushed in to secure the area.
What stood out most, though, was his response to it all. Rather than ducking for cover, White said he stayed put and took in the moment.
“I didn’t get down, it was f–king awesome,” he said. “I literally took every minute of it in. It was a pretty crazy, unique experience.”
The remark, delivered in his usual unfiltered style, drew a mix of reactions online. Some people saw it as consistent with White’s larger-than-life persona and his tendency to embrace high-adrenaline situations. Others criticized the tone, arguing that describing a violent incident in those terms downplayed the seriousness of what had happened and the danger faced by those in the room.
Dana White on the incident at the White House Correspondents Dinner: pic.twitter.com/IPa0QKDGCd
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White went on to explain that, at the time, he didn’t fully understand what was happening. As Secret Service agents and other law enforcement officers moved quickly through the venue, he initially thought the threat might be close to his table.
“Guys came in looking for shooters, they came toward our table,” he said. “I thought the shooter was over by us or something.”
The incident itself remains under investigation. Authorities say a suspect attempted to breach security at the Washington Hilton, where the annual dinner was being held, and opened fire before being subdued. The event was attended by President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, administration officials, journalists, and other public figures.
His reaction may not sit well with everyone, but it underscores the surreal nature of the night: a high-profile political gathering suddenly interrupted by violence, leaving those inside to make sense of it in real time.
