Georgian, Azerbaijani presidents condemn shooting incident at White House dinner as ‘unacceptable’

Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Sunday condemned the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, saying such acts of violence are disturbing and endanger state institutions and the democratic order.

Kavelashvili condemned the attempted attack in a statement, calling it “categorically unacceptable.”

“Such acts of violence threaten not only specific individuals but also state institutions, the democratic order, and public stability. It is of utmost importance that the President @POTUS, the First Lady @FLOTUS, and all those present at the event are safe,” he wrote on US social media company X.

Separately, Aliyev said he is “deeply disturbed” by the shooting incident in Washington, adding that “such acts of violence are unacceptable and must be firmly condemned.”

“Relieved that President Trump, the First Lady, and all attendees are safe. Wishing them continued safety and well-being,” he added.

The incident took place on Saturday evening at the Washington Hilton Hotel, where the annual dinner was being held, prompting the evacuation of Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other senior officials.

A suspect identified by US media as a 31-year-old man is in custody, and authorities are investigating his motives. A Secret Service officer was shot but protected by a bulletproof vest and is recovering, according to officials.

Later, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told CBS News that the suspect was targeting members of the Trump administration.

“We do believe, based upon just a very preliminary start to understanding what happened, that he was targeting members of the administration,” Blanche said, while noting the suspect was not cooperating and that a full motive had not yet been determined.