WHCA to honor Secret Service officer, Hilton staff for their service during April dinner
The White House Correspondents’ Association will present special awards for exceptional service to its members and guests when its annual dinner was jarringly interrupted by a gunman trying to breach the security perimeter outside the dinner ballroom.
The President’s Award for Exceptional Service to the WHCA will be presented to Secret Service Police Officer Victor Gonzales and to the staff of the Washington Hilton.
Gonzales was at a security checkpoint when the gunman tried to burst through.
“Gonzales heroically engaged the armed suspect, placing himself directly in harm’s way,” said the Secret Service. “During the confrontation, Gonzales was struck in his protective vest and continued responding to the threat. His swift and decisive actions assisted in deterring the gunman from proceeding any further.”
“The WHCA is deeply grateful that law enforcement officials prevented the armed suspect from entering the ballroom,” said Weijia Jiang of CBS News, who as president of the association presided over the April dinner.
“Officer Gonzales played a significant role when he ran toward danger so that thousands of others could make it home safely. His courage stemmed from a dedication to service, which we are looking forward to honoring this week.”
The staff of the Hilton, in the ballroom and hallways throughout the hotel, remained on duty to help guests find their way in the aftermath of a dinner abruptly canceled. In the kitchen, staff worked quickly to preserve more than 2,000 unserved meals for donation to local shelters.
“Even after the men and women of the Washington Hilton experienced a harrowing situation, they continued to take care of guests,” said Jiang. “The WHCA appreciates their professionalism and commitment to service, which was on full display on April 25th. Every member of the team deserves to be recognized for their dedication.”
Both awards will be presented at a summer dinner of the association Friday in Washington, being held to finish the program that was interrupted in April, including a salute to the First Amendment in 250 years of American history, awards honoring groundbreaking reporting now, a salute to scholarship winners, and remarks by President Trump and entertainment by mentalist Oz Pearlman.
About Gonzales
A native of Texas, Gonzales served 5 years in the Marine Corps, as a Guard Company section leader at Marine Barracks Washington, D.C., and as an infantryman with 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment.
In 2022, Gonzales joined the United States Secret Service Police. His assignments have included protecting the White House complex, securing locations associated with Secret Service protectees, and supporting major public gatherings and National Special Security Events.
Said the Secret Service: “Officer Victor Gonzales’s service that evening exemplified the values that have guided him throughout his military and federal law enforcement careers. He embodies the core values of the Secret Service: duty, justice, courage, honesty, and loyalty, as a commitment to safeguarding his country and community.
About the Washington Hilton and the WHCA
The WHCA and the Washington Hilton have a long history together.
The hotel has hosted the association dinner 62 times, roughly two out of three since they started with reporters and Calvin Coolidge in 1921.
After trying other hotels over the years, the WHCA moved to the Hilton in 1968, three years after it opened and shortly after Lyndon Johnson had announced he would not seek another term. It held its dinner there every year since 1972.
For more, contact WHCA Executive Director Steve Thomma at director@whca.press