President Donald Trump and other top leaders of the United States were evacuated from the annual dinner of White House correspondents after an unspecified threat. The Secret Service and other authorities swarmed the banquet hall as guests ducked under tables by the hundreds. This was Trump's first time as president attending the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner. The dinner, which traditionally features celebrities, journalists, and a puppet named Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, has raised questions about whether it is acceptable for journalists to socialize with their sources. The New York Times stopped attending the dinner more than a decade ago for that reason. On the eve of the dinner, nearly 500 retired journalists signed a petition opposing President Trump's efforts to restrict freedom of the press.