Trump's body language during Correspondents' Dinner shooting explained

A body language expert has highlighted an 'interesting' detail about how US president Donald Trump reacted when gunshots were heard at the 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Footage from inside the Washington Hilton that night captures the scene as it unfolded, with more than 2,000 guests gathered together, completely unaware of what was about to happen.

The suspected attacker, identified by law enforcement sources as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from Torrance, California, stormed past a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton allegedly armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives.

Trump and other senior-ranking officials were whisked away in a matter of seconds by the Secret Service.

One secret service agent was shot in the chest but thankfully, he saved by his bullet resistant vest.

In the aftermath of the incident, body language expert Darren Stanton has been analyzing the footage of the moment the shots rang out to share his breakdown of Trump's reaction.

Darren said: "He was in discussion with someone at the time the shots went off and what was interesting was there wasn’t the slightest flinch from him.

"He either has nerves of steel or just wasn’t aware of it."

This is the latest in a long line of security incidents and assassination attempts involving Trump.

In July 2024, a bullet infamously grazed the president's ear after Thomas Matthew Crooks fired at him during a Pennsylvania rally. Two months later, Ryan Wesley Routh attempted to kill Trump while he was playing golf at his West Palm Springs resort in Florida.

Donald Trump addressed the shooting shortly after it took place at the White House (Al Drago/Getty Images)

Then in February 2026, a man carrying a gas can and a shotgun crashed his car into the security perimeter of Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort and was shot by Secret Service agents.

During the White House Correspondents' dinner, Stanton said it was clear he didn't have much idea of what was going on until the Secret Service got to him.

He continued: "The first movement he made that suggested he knew something was going on was when the Secret Service got to him.

"In other videos I have seen that were closer up, he again didn’t react at all. This definitely shows he was totally unaware, because no matter how strong you are, you jump at a gunshot.

"Even when the Secret Service got to him, he just furrowed his brow in confusion. He seemed to have no idea there were any gunshots."

The president has had his fair share of security breaches during his time in office (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)

What happened to the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting suspect?

Allen was tackled, uninjured and is due in federal court today on firearm and assault charges.

Trump later held a press conference describing Allen as a 'sick guy' with a 'lot of hatred in his heart', confirming the suspect had left a manifesto described as 'strongly anti-Christian.'

Reports also suggest Allen had sent a note to his family shortly before the attack expressing outrage at the administration, stating his intention to target officials from the highest ranking to the lowest.

Will the White House Correspondents' Dinner be rescheduled?

Trump has since confirmed the dinner will be rescheduled within the next 30 days, promising it will be bigger than ever.

Trump promised that he was all set to unleash 'the most inappropriate speech ever' in the press conference after the shooting.

He said: "I was all set to really rip it and I said to my people, this would really be the most inappropriate speech to give - so I’ll have to save it.

"I don’t know if I can ever be as rough as I was going to be tonight.

"I think I’ll probably be very boring and nice next time. We’re going to have a great event.”