‘Awesome’: Every other attendee dove under tables when shots rang out at the WHCA dinner, but Dana White called it the experience of a lifetime

A gunman opened fire inside the Washington Hilton hotel in Washington, D.C., during the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. A Secret Service agent was injured in the shooting. The suspect has been identified as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old teacher from California.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Face the Nation that officials believe Allen “was targeting members of the administration.” The investigation is still ongoing, and a motive has not yet been confirmed. President Trump took to Truth Social after the incident, writing, “Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely.”

UFC CEO Dana White, a known ally of President Trump, was among the attendees at the dinner. While many guests dove under tables when the shots rang out, White had a very different reaction. According to People, he described the incident as “f—ing awesome” and said he “literally took every minute of it in.” His comments drew widespread criticism, with many questioning his response to what was a violent and dangerous situation.

Dana White’s reaction to the WHCA dinner shooting stood in sharp contrast to how most people in that room felt

White later described the night as “a pretty crazy, unique experience.” This is not the first time White has made headlines for his blunt and unfiltered opinions, he has previously shared his no-holds-barred take on the war with Iran.

His remarks came at a time when a Secret Service agent had just been shot and guests were scrambling for cover in fear. The contrast between his reaction and the fear felt by others in the room made his comments all the more controversial. For most attendees, it was a terrifying night they would rather forget.

Separately, actor and comedian Ben Stiller made a social media post around the same time that was misread by many online as a celebration of the shooting. However, the post was not related to the incident at all. Despite this, the misinterpretation spread quickly, causing outrage among some social media users. Many called for more care when posting during an active and unfolding crisis.

The episode was a reminder of how quickly things can spiral online when context is missing. The confusion around Stiller’s post appeared to be connected to the buzz around UFC Freedom 250, an upcoming event that Dana White has been heavily promoting.  The event is scheduled to take place on the South Lawn in Washington, D.C., on June 14.

According to Sports Illustrated, White also made an Instagram Live announcement revealing a surprise fight between Josh Hokit and Derrick Lewis as part of the event. It is likely that Stiller’s post was made in the context of this UFC excitement, and had nothing to do with the shooting at the correspondents’ dinner.

White has long maintained close ties with the Trump circle, though not every UFC figure has stayed in lockstep, Colby Covington’s White House ambitions hit a wall after a surprising recent announcement. The shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and the online controversy that followed are two separate stories that got tangled together in the fast-moving world of social media.

The facts around the shooting are serious, a federal agent was injured, a suspect with an alleged political motive was arrested, and hundreds of guests were put in immediate danger. Dana White’s cheerful response to those events is what made the night even more talked about, and not for good reasons.