Last night a gunman targeted the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C. The attempted shooting was the latest incident in an alarming spate of political violence in America. For our view on the attempted attack, and where it leaves the country, read our editorial: “The American Way Is Under Fire.” Now, we bring you Suzy Weiss’s account of the evening—and her slightly lighter takeaway from a dramatic night. —The Editors
Minutes before he was shielding me under the table at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Elliot Ackerman, coiffed and dressed impeccably in his velvet tuxedo jacket, was telling me about the Roman Empire.
As we listened to the United States Marine Band pluck out “Who’s Who in the Navy Blue” and then the national anthem, I told him I had never been in a room like this before. “This is so formal and grand,” I said, surveying the dais where the President and First Lady were seated, and the thousands of men and women in black tie below it. I pointed out, extremely eruditely, “It’s like, British!”
Elliot told me about how when Roman soldiers came back from battle, there would be a military parade. The war hero was ensconced in fine robes, riding in a chariot with his whole family around them, the men they’d defeated at their feet, and a slave whispering in his ear over and over, “sic transit gloria, sic transit gloria.” It means, roughly, “glory is fleeting.”
I asked him which historical era he became obsessed with after becoming a father, a trend I’ve noticed among my male friends who become dads: Roman Empire or World War II? “Both.”
Not minutes later, after loud bangs sounded right outside the doors where we were seated in the back of the room, Elliot was behind me and his wife, Lea. We were huddled under the table with other reporters at the Free Press table, clutching hands, whispering to each other. “You got Maya?” “Do you see Jillian?” while Elliot calmly and quietly narrated what was going on. “Okay, now they’re taking the administration officials out of the room. Scott Bessent is going to come right around us now,” and steadily drumming, “It’s okay. It’s okay.” Olly kept poking up to monitor the situation before his wife, Lauren, admonished him, “Get your head down.”
