interview
In an interview, Ralf Heckner provides information about the dramatic events on Saturday in Washington – and why he didn’t lose his nerve when President Trump had to be evacuated.
April 27, 2026, 06:18April 27, 2026, 06:19
Renzo Ruf, Washington DC
Mr. Ambassador, you were at the journalists’ gala in Washington on Saturday where shots were fired. How are you doing?
Ralf Heckner: I am relieved that we are all safe and well after yesterday’s attack. And glad that nothing happened to President Trump, his wife, the cabinet members and all the other guests.
This was the second time you attended the White House Correspondents’ Association gala evening. Can you describe to us how the evening went?
The ballroom was full and the atmosphere was good. President Trump was already in the room. People were excited for the evening. Then I heard a muffled sound. But I couldn’t tell where the noise was coming from. Then something fell on the floor and security guards all over the hall jumped up, ran across the tables and brought the president, the vice president and the cabinet members out of the hall first. It all happened incredibly quickly.
Ralf Heckner has represented Switzerland in the USA since September 2024. The native of Davos was previously ambassador to Kenya and India, among other things.Image: zvg/EDA
What you heard was the assassin being subdued by the Secret Service one floor above. They were in the banquet hall at this time. Where exactly were you sitting in this huge room?
Very close to the podium, about 10 meters from President Trump.
What was going through your mind at that moment? Did you think there was an assassin in the banquet hall?
I stayed calm. I was already ambassador to Kenya, and I got into the habit of always checking where the emergency exits are on occasions with lots of people. I was well positioned, right next to an important door behind which the President was also taken out of the room. So I knew my escape route. Then we hid under the tables and I asked a security guard if he knew the cause of the incident. He told me: Yes. And then I asked if he felt like we were safe now. He also answered yes to this question. Then I actually knew that we would just have to wait and see.
Chaotic scenes took place in the ballroom of the “Hilton Washington” on Saturday evening.Image: keystone
The situation then calmed down because the suspected assassin was already overwhelmed. When did you have the feeling that the danger had been averted?
I had the feeling that the situation was under control very quickly. But many people were very worried. There were also many media representatives in the hall who reported live from the hall.
After the gala, an “after-party” took place at the Swiss ambassador’s residence, organized by Time magazine. Can you describe to us a bit what the atmosphere was like at this party?
Washington is the city of gala dinners and parties. The organizers of the four big after-parties coordinated after the event was canceled and said: Either we all carry on or we all cancel our events. Together we came to the conclusion that we wanted to continue. We then increased the security precautions again after consulting with the relevant federal authorities. I felt like a lot of people who visited the residence late Saturday night enjoyed the party. But it wasn’t a celebration in an exuberant setting.
Were you able to relax a little?
Everyone reacts differently in a crisis. I was once a crisis manager and am used to the fact that something can happen. I am very calm in crises and that was actually a good thing on Saturday because many people around me were restless.
I can well imagine it. One last question: I noticed that President Trump sounded quite conciliatory in his statement on Saturday. He spoke out clearly against political violence. Does such a statement make you feel positive, given the major divisions in the country?
That was the right message that President Trump sent out. And it was also good that he appeared in front of the media immediately after the attack. (aargauerzeitung.ch)