Two things struck me in a significant way regarding the shooting fiasco at the April 25, 2026, White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Given that this was a correspondents’ dinner, with a room full of folks conversant in reporting the news, the reporting that followed the event was abysmal. Here, for instance, is part of the Atlanta Black Star’s account from that evening: “Melania was left hiding under the table before crawling to safety with other people left behind on the dais, says WHCA president Weijia Jiang. Meanwhile, security dragged a collapsing Trump out of the room.”
It turned out that the president was pushed by a Secret Service agent and partially fell, but that hardly qualifies as “collapsing.” It also developed that Trump made certain that his wife Melania and pregnant press secretary Karoline Leavitt left the dais safe and unharmed.
For a brief time, social media also circulated a photo showing that Usha Vance, the vice president’s wife, had met the shooter a decade ago, which to conspiracy theorists meant this was likely some kind of carefully orchestrated whacko event. Others criticized JD Vance for not ensuring that his pregnant wife reached safety. More careful reporters soon revealed that the woman in the 10-year-old clip with the shooter was not Usha Vance and that Usha Vance herself was apparently not present at the dinner.
It's an object lesson for the rest of us: always, always, always check the facts of any news report before jumping to conclusions.
But what really nabbed my attention were two articles that followed the attempted shooting. Significantly, both were by women.
First, Monica Showalter discusses the strength and style that Trump demonstrated both during the shooting event and in the following hours when he hosted a press conference and called for the dinner to be rescheduled.
Sarah Anderson, meanwhile, sings the praises of how Trump and his associates reacted to the shooting. According to reporter David Alandete, who was seated directly in front of Trump, the president made sure Melania and Leavitt were evacuated first, then tripped when a Secret Service agent shoved him toward the exit.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller reacted by shielding his pregnant wife, hovering over her and then escorting her from the room. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth appears in one photograph with Miller doing the same thing, standing over his wife, focusing intently on any sign of danger from the room.
Anderson then mentions other men who were clearly intent on protecting their wives from harm. Later, in a shot taken at the White House, we see Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his wife, Jeanette, waiting to be admitted to the White House. Clearly chilly, Jeanette is wearing her husband’s tux jacket.
What surprised me about these columns was that the two female reporters were drawn to these reactions at all. The instincts of these men appeared to me so natural that I would have never otherwise noticed them. In situations like this, what else would a man do?
Had they reported that a whimpering Trump had to be led from the dais by Melania, that would be news. Had we seen a picture of a trembling Rubio wearing his wife’s blush-pink Oscar de la Renta coat to block the chilly night air, I would have been shocked, and then laughed.
On the other hand, we live in a time when a 14-year-old boy can slam a teenage girl to the ground and kick her in the head while all the bystanders do is either shout encouragement or film it. No one stepped forward to defend the girl from a thug.
In her article, Sarah Anderson links us to a piece, “Eliminate Toxic Masculinity, Ladies—Marry Men and Have Kids,” written by her colleague, Jamie K. Wilson. Here Wilson offers some glimpses of true masculinity, the kind we saw on display at the D.C. dinner, writing:
There is something almost magical about healthy masculinity when it is aimed right.
…
Masculinity, in its essence, is powerful, positive raw material. It is not a defect to be managed or diluted. It is the spark that drives men to excel in their environments, to push limits, to shoulder responsibility, to stand between their family and a hostile world. When I see a man truly excelling — decisive under pressure, competent in crisis, quietly determined to provide and protect — I feel an almost spiritual awe. This is what men were built for. This is what the world needs from them.
That’s what we saw on display at the correspondents’ dinner, not only from the politicians but from the Secret Service agents, the police, and many of the attendees.
In spite of all the baloney we’ve heard for the last 30 years or so, and in spite of the aberrant behavior of many boys ages 13 to 65 or older – I refuse to call them men – that behavior was and remains the mark of true manhood.
Jeff Minick is a father of four and grandfather to many. A former history, literature, and Latin teacher, Jeff now writes prolifically for The Epoch Times, American Essence Magazine, and his Substack.
This culture article was made possible by The Fred & Rheta Skelton Center for Cultural Renewal, a project of 1819 News. To comment on this article, please email [email protected]. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News.
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