The lobster and steak dinners that went uneaten after a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner this week did not go to waste.
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The Washington Hilton, the site of the annual gala, donated the meals to two shelters for abused women and their children.
That’s according to Weijia Jiang, the CBS News correspondent and president of the journalists’ association that throws the so-called “nerd prom.”
“They freeze dried the steak and lobster for longer shelf life,” Jiang said in a post on X on Monday. “HUGE thank you to the staff that worked through the night under terrible circumstances.”
The Hilton donated the ~2600 dinners that went unserved at WHCD. They freeze dried the steak and lobster for longer shelf life before giving them to 2 shelters for abused women and children. HUGE thank you to the staff that worked through the night under terrible circumstances.
— Weijia Jiang (@weijia) April 27, 2026
A Hilton spokesperson said in a statement that “the hotel regularly donates unused food from events to support local organizations.”
“Food from this weekend is being donated to our local community partners, and remaining produce items were composted and will be sent to farms for agricultural use,” the spokesperson said.
After the shooting, social media was abuzz with people wondering what would happen to the 2,600 sumptuous suppers slated to be served to the media and political elite.
A member of TMZ’s new Washington bureau went to the hotel on Monday in search of the leftovers, going so far as to inspect some dumpsters for signs of them.
The $350-a-seat dinner was halted Saturday night after shots rang out during the salad course while President Donald Trump was onstage for his first appearance at the event while in office.
Prosecutors say Cole Allen, 31, traveled from his home in California to the nation’s capital and checked into the Hilton with two guns and three knives before trying to crash the party and kill Trump.
A Secret Service agent was shot but saved by his protective vest, and Allen was arrested at the scene.
Anyone affected by abuse and in need of support can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233). Advocates are available 24/7 and can also be reached via live chat on thehotline.org or by texting “START” to 88788 or “LOVEIS” to 22522.
