Fox News Reporter Clarifies Call Drop After Karoline Leavitt’s Husband Warning Sparks Buzz

Last Updated:April 26, 2026, 18:43 IST

The abrupt interruption quickly fuelled speculation on social media, with some users suggesting the broadcast had been deliberately cut.

A Fox News reporter sparked discussion on social media after she appeared to suggest that she received a safety warning shortly before gunfire broke out near a White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington on Sunday.

Gunshots were reported outside the ballroom at the Washington Hilton hotel , prompting US President Donald Trump, his cabinet members, and other guests to be quickly escorted out by security. The suspected attacker, identified by media outlets as a 31-year-old mechanical engineer from California, was later taken into custody. The Secret Service said he was armed with a shotgun and fired at an agent outside the venue.

ALSO READ: Karoline Leavitt’s ‘Shots Will Be Fired’ Comment Before Trump Event Security Scare Raises Eyebrows

Reporter’s Comments During Live Call

During a live broadcast, Fox News reporter Aishah Hasnie recounted a conversation she said she had with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s husband while seated at the dinner.

“I was sitting next to Karoline Leavitt, the press secretary’s husband. He was seated right next to me. Right as the dinner was starting, the National Anthem happened. Then he leaned over and said, ‘I watched you on TV. You did a great job. You need to be very safe,’" she said on air. “He was very serious when he said that to me. He then looked around the room and he said there are some…"

The reporter’s remarks were cut off mid-sentence, with the presenter later saying, “Sounds like we’ve lost Aisha’s phone there. This happens, especially when many people are trying to utilise the same cell service at the same time."

The abrupt interruption quickly fuelled speculation on social media, with some users suggesting the broadcast had been deliberately cut. Some even suggested that the shooting was a planned attack.

Buzz Grows Online

“New way to manipulate markets — act like you were nearly assassinated. AGAIN. Also works to lift up dismal approval ratings below 30% “Art of the Dodge," a user wrote.

Another added, “His poll numbers were sliding. Here we go again! This is getting very old."

Some users dismissed the claim as a “conspiracy", saying that call drops are common when many people use mobile networks at the same time in a single area.

“When many people go on cell phones at once from same area at same time emergency personnel are accessing service…your calls drop. What century are you living in? This most definitely happens and if you ever had active shooter drills you would know that," the user remarked.

Clips of the exchange were widely shared online by some Iranian state-affiliated media outlets, including Tasnim News Agency.

Reporter’s Clarification

However, Hasnie later addressed the incident in a post on X, saying the interruption was due to poor service in the venue.

“Our calls were dropping, because there is barely any service in that ballroom," she wrote. She added that the conversation was about general safety concerns and not anything unusual, saying the guest was expressing concern for her wellbeing “because the world is crazy."

“He was expressing his concern for my safety. I was going to say – before I lost my signal – that it was unfortunate that only a short time later, this all happened," she clarified.

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