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Grace Over Rage: What the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting Offered the Press

What if the assassination attempt at the Correspondents’ Dinner was our moment of reckoning?
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Grace Over Rage: What the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting Offered the Press
Guests walk away from the Washington Hilton amid a heavy police presence after shots were heard during the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington on April 25, 2026. Ulysse Bellier/AFP via Getty Images
Mari Otsu
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Commentary

It was raining in Washington and I was hurrying down Connecticut Avenue in a gown and heels, hiking my skirt up to avoid puddles. I trailed slightly behind my colleague, who was moving at a brisk pace in his tux. We were rushing to the White House briefing room, where President Donald Trump had called an impromptu news briefing to address the shooting incident we just experienced.

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Mari Otsu
Mari Otsu
Author
Mari Otsu holds a bachelor’s in psychology and art history and a master’s in humanities. She completed the classical draftsmanship and oil painting program at Grand Central Atelier. She has interned at Harvard University’s Gilbert Lab, New York University’s Trope Lab, the West Interpersonal Perception Lab—where she served as lab manager—and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.