US2 min(s) read
Published 15:37 26 Apr 2026 GMT
One particular moment in the background of the apparent attempted Trump shooting has people saying the same thing
As more details emerge from the chaotic shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, viewers online are fixating on one unexpected background moment, and it’s quickly become one of the most talked-about details from the incident.
The incident unfolded at the Washington Hilton on Saturday (April 25), when a gunman charged a security checkpoint and opened fire, forcing guests, including Donald Trump, to be rushed to safety.
While the main focus has understandably been on the security breach and rapid response, a single line from a pool report, shared widely online, has sparked a wave of speculation.
Claim from reporter has prompted speculation around head of FBI
Journalist Shawn McCreesh described the frantic moments unfolding just outside the ballroom, writing: “Tuxedoed agents pulled out guns and began running toward the ballroom… Pandemonium reigned as top cabinet officials were evacuated.”
But it was one specific observation that caught people’s attention. In the same report, he added: “his girlfriend was hiding in a room with another man who was holding her hand”
The line refers to Kash Patel, the head of the FBI, who was seen moving quickly through the hallway during the incident.
Social media's interpretation
That single sentence has since been picked up across X (formerly Twitter), where users are sharing screenshots and debating what it might mean about the FBI chief's girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins.
Some have interpreted it as an “awkward” or “suspicious” moment, with others jumping to conclusions about potential infidelity.
One user wrote on X: “Kash Patel finding out his girlfriend was holding another man's hand hiding at the White House Correspondents' dinner wasn't on my bingo card for tonight.”
While one speculated, saying: “Kash Patel's girlfriend and some guy were in the closet making babies…”
Before another added: “How drunk do yall think kash patel was when he walked in on his girlfriend holding another mans hand”
Others, however, have pushed back, pointing out that in a high-stress, life-threatening situation, people often instinctively seek comfort and safety wherever they can, with some even denying the reports as false.
Editor and journalist, Brent Scher, who was at the event, denied reports, saying on X: “I watched Kash Patel walk out of the event hall with his girlfriend holding his arm. These reporters are trash people.”