Trump says alleged shooter was motivated by his "hatred of Christians"
The suspect, Colen Tomas Allen, sent a writing to his relatives before the attack in which he said that government members were his "target"
WashingtonThe composure that Donald Trump showed on Saturday night in his first appearance after being evacuated due to an assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents' Dinner has dissipated this Sunday. In a phone interview with the Fox network, the US president stated that the alleged shooter was motivated by his “hate for Christians”. “When you read his manifesto, he hates Christians. That is for sure. It is a strong, anti-Christian hate”, the Republican assured.
On Saturday night, the motive for the shooting was still being investigated. This Sunday, however, it became known that the suspect, a 31-year-old man identified as Colen Tomas Allen, sent his family an extensive manifesto ten minutes before the attack. In the writing, he stated that his "targets" were members of Donald Trump's government, according to The New York Post. He also made several references to Trump, but without naming him directly, and showed his rejection of some of the US government's recent actions, such as extrajudicial executions in the Eastern Pacific and the Caribbean Sea. Allen remains in police custody and his first court appearance is scheduled for Monday.
"Turning the other cheek is for when one is oppressed. I am not the person raped in a detention camp. I am not the fisherman executed without trial. I am not a schoolchild who has been murdered, nor a starving child, nor a teenager mistreated by the many criminals of this administration. Turning the other cheek when someone else is oppressed is not Christian behavior; it is complicity with the crimes of the oppressor," stated the attacker's writing, according to fragments published by The New York Post. And he added: "I am no longer willing to allow a pedophile, a rapist, and a traitor to stain my hands with their crimes."
At the correspondents' dinner, in addition to President Trump, were Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, FBI Director Kash Patel, Secretary of Health Robert Kennedy Jr., Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Deputy Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller, among others. An unusual governmental representation. Normally, the only event where the entire presidential cabinet is present is the State of the Union address in Congress. For security reasons, however, one of the secretaries does not attend so as to be able to lead the government in case of an attack.
Furthermore, it was the first time Trump attended the correspondents' dinner as president. During his first term, he boycotted the event, and he also did not attend last year. The last time he attended was in 2015 as a private citizen. In 2011, he was also in the audience when then-President Barack Obama made him the target of his mockery, at a time when the tycoon was just a figure in New York's real estate and television sectors. Later, Trump explained that it was as a result of that episode that he decided to run for president, which he ended up winning in 2016.
An attack amid a peak of unpopularity
in July 2024, marked a turning point in the MAGA movement during the election campaign, with the image of a bloodied Trump shouting the US delegation had cancelled its flight to Islamabad, after the Iranians left the Pakistani capital without waiting for them.
The attack in Butler (Pennsylvania), in July 2024, marked a turning point in the MAGA movement during the election campaign, with the image of a bloodied Trump shouting "Fight, fight, fight" and which his followers elevated to an icon. In fact, it reinforced the Republican's candidacy in the polls. The perpetrator of the attack, Thomas Crooks, was shot dead at the scene. In the case of the second attack, in Palm Beach, Ryan Routh was arrested before pulling the trigger and he has already been sentenced to life imprisonment.
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Last night, Trump was more measured in his words. An unusual fact compared to his initial reaction in other situations, such as the attack in Butler or the murder of far-right influencer Charlie Kirk. "We have changed this country so much that some people are not happy with it," said the president when he appeared for the first time after being evacuated on Saturday. Still dressed in his tuxedo, the president recounted the attack to the journalists – who were also still dressed in formal wear – from the White House press room. The only thing that did not disappear were his messianic pretensions: Trump went so far as to equate himself with Abraham Lincoln.
Veiledly, Trump also pointed to the opposition during the press conference: "In light of tonight's events, I ask all Americans to recommit themselves wholeheartedly to resolving our differences peacefully. We must resolve our differences. I will say that we have Republicans, Democrats, independents, conservatives, liberals, and progressives, concepts that perhaps are interchangeable, or perhaps not.
Multiple weapons
Trump and his wife, Melania, were evacuated unharmed from the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night after a gunshot was heard. The Secret Service also escorted Vice President J.D. Vance and other administration members out of the ballroom at the Washington Hilton Hotel, where the event was taking place. The alleged shooter was immediately apprehended as he attempted to go through security screening before entering the dinner, where hundreds of journalists and also official representatives from different countries were present. A federal agent was hit by a gunshot, but his bulletproof vest saved him.
Allen, who was subdued and immobilized on the ground, was carrying "multiple weapons," including a shotgun, a pistol, and several knives, according to the FBI. The federal agency has called on the public to contact authorities to provide any available information. Federal prosecutor Jeanine Pirro explained on Saturday night that the individual will face two charges: one for the use of a firearm in an act of violence, and another for assault on a federal agent, who was injured. She also said that the defendant will be arraigned on Monday before a federal court, and that more charges are expected to be filed later. The initial police hypothesis is that this is an isolated incident and, according to preliminary information, the man had been staying at the same Hilton.
The suspect is a resident of Torrance, a city south of Los Angeles. Some American media also report that he is a professor. Last night, Trump shared the video from the security cameras in the Hilton lobby, which shows what appears to be the moment the shooter fires and the secret service reacts; and he has disseminated two photographs of the detainee, immobilized on the ground and surrounded by a group of security agents.
The images from the dinner, broadcast live, show that the gala was proceeding normally when suddenly loud noises were heard in the room. Within seconds, secret service agents appeared who, amidst the background instrumental music, made Trump and all his diners duck under the table and exit the room. The armed security forces took control of the area where the presidential table was, while chaos and confusion erupted throughout the room. Journalists at the dinner, bewildered by the still unidentified noise, hid under the tables.