Oz Pearlman says he feels secure returning to correspondents’ dinner
Oz Pearlman told CBS News he is returning for Friday’s rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner after an April shooting.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
Oz Pearlman is going back to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner after a gunman opened fire outside the original event in April, telling CBS News he feels ready for Friday’s rescheduled gathering.
Pearlman, a mentalist and the headline entertainer for the dinner, described the April incident in stark terms during a CBS News appearance. He said he was scared for his life when the shooting happened and recalled feeling “pure fear and panic.”
The event was later rescheduled, according to CBS News. Pearlman is still set to perform as the top entertainer at the dinner, despite what happened outside the first event.
Why is Oz Pearlman returning to the correspondents' dinner?
Pearlman told CBS News he wanted to come back for the rescheduled dinner and said he feels “very secure” ahead of Friday’s event. CBS News did not report additional details about his decision beyond his comments on returning and his description of how he felt during the shooting.
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is an annual Washington event tied to the press corps covering the White House. In this case, CBS News reported that Pearlman’s role is as the headline entertainer for the rescheduled dinner.
Security around the rescheduled event has also been part of CBS News’ coverage. The network listed related video segments on the dinner’s security, including one titled “Rescheduled correspondents’ dinner security” and another describing tighter security ahead of the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
CBS News also listed a related segment saying the Secret Service warned of a rise in threats this year. The available CBS News description did not give further details about the shooting outside the April event, the gunman, injuries, charges or security changes.
For Pearlman, the public takeaway was narrower and more personal: he said the April shooting left him terrified in the moment, but he now feels safe enough to return to the stage for Friday’s dinner.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.