Lloyd Blankfein Reacts Calmly to Shooting at White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Calls It ‘Exciting’ and Ends Early

Lloyd Blankfein, senior chairman of Goldman Sachs, attended the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night when a gunman opened fire near the event’s security perimeter.

The 71-year-old former Goldman Sachs CEO remained composed during the incident, later describing it on social media as “exciting” while emphasizing that no one was killed and the event ended early.

Blankfein was seated with CBS News journalists toward the front of the room when the shooting occurred. As confusion unfolded, he turned to his seatmate and asked, “Are you going to finish that salad?” according to CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss, who reported the exchange on X.

Podcaster Coleman Hughes, who was crouched under a table during the active shooter situation, shared Blankfein’s comment on X, writing: “things I never thought I’d hear while crouching under a table at an active shooter incident: ‘hey, are you gonna finish your salad?'”

The following day, Blankfein posted his own reflection on X, characterizing his attendance as “a rare DC trip for me without a subpoena.” He referenced his prior congressional testimony in 2010 regarding Goldman Sachs’ role in the financial crisis.

While many attendees described the evacuation of President Donald Trump and other guests as traumatic, Blankfein maintained a lighthearted outlook. He wrote on X: “On the positive side—was exciting, no one was killed, and ended early.”

He added a reflective observation about the incident’s social dynamics: “I noted a new litmus for status among the gov’t elite—whether you were whisked away by secret service, or left to fend.”

Secret Service agents responded swiftly, tackling the shooter—a 31-year-old teacher and video game developer identified as Cole Allen—to the floor. One agent was shot but sustained no serious injury due to their bulletproof vest.

There were no other reported injuries from the evacuation, which Blankfein said he monitored closely throughout the ordeal.

The suspect is expected to face formal charges on Monday following the incident at the Washington Hilton ballroom where the dinner was held.