In a statement that drew particular attention after the incident, Erica Kirk, seemingly in a joking tone, said: "There will definitely be gunshots fired tonight." Speaking about the anticipated address by U.S. President Donald Trump, she emphasized that his speech would be in his signature style. "It will be classic Donald J. Trump. It will be funny, it will be entertaining," Kirk said, adding: "There will be a few bullets fired in the room tonight, so everyone should follow along." Her statement, which at the time was understood as a metaphor for sharp rhetoric or humor in the speech, took on an entirely different context after an actual shooting occurred during the dinner. Kirk also stressed that the president prepares his own speeches. "In true Donald Trump style, he writes them himself, with a pen on paper, so it is very much his own work," she said.