Trump, evacuated from White House correspondents' dinner after shooting
Although the motive is not confirmed, the suspect in committing the attack has been identified as a 31-year-old California teacher, according to police sources revealed to US media
WashingtonUS President Donald Trump and his wife Melania were evacuated unharmed from the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner this Saturday night after the sound of gunshots was heard. Vice President JD Vance and other members of the administration were also escorted by the Secret Service out of the ballroom of the Washington Hilton hotel, where the event was taking place. The shooter has been apprehended, Trump said, and authorities have confirmed. Almost two hours after the incident, the president appeared from the White House press room, still dressed in a tuxedo, to provide details of what he has considered the third assassination attempt he has suffered in the last two years.
"As you know, this is not the first time in the last two years that our republic has been attacked by an aspiring assassin who intended to kill; and in Pennsylvania less than two years ago, you know, and in Palm Beach, Florida, shortly thereafter, he came close," the tycoon said, recalling the other two assassination attempts that occurred during the presidential campaign. The attack in Butler (Pennsylvania) in July 2024 marked a turning point in the MAGA movement in the midst of the election campaign, with the image of a bloodied Trump shouting ""fight, fight, fight,"" and which was elevated to an icon by his followers. The author, Thomas Crooks, was shot dead at the scene. In the case of the second attack in Palm Beach, Ryan Routh was apprehended before pulling the trigger and has already been sentenced to life in prison.
a pistol and several knives.
A 31-year-old man from California The leader provided more details of the incident, flanked by FBI Director Kash Patel, Vice President JD Vance, and Acting Attorney General and his former lawyer, Todd Blanche. The president offered a few more details about the incident, although he already anticipates that authorities may offer more details about the detainee by Sunday morning. The man, according to Trump's account, was intercepted at the entrance of the Hilton at security control and lives in California, where police forces would already be searching his apartment to find out the motive. One of the agents was hit by a bullet from the subject, but it was intercepted by the bulletproof vest. Patel explained that the apprehended man had "multiple weapons" and called on citizens to contact the FBI with any information they have available. Among the weapons he carried were a shotgun (shotgun), a pistol, and several knives.
A 31-year-old man from California
The suspect has been identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, according to sources familiar with the matter who spoke to the Associated Press and The New York Times. Allen lives in Torrance, a city south of Los Angeles, according to these same sources. Other American media outlets, such as the New York Post, say Allen is a teacher. Shortly before appearing before the media, Trump shared a video from the security cameras in the lobby of the Hilton, showing what appears to be the moment the shooter fires and the secret service reacts. The Republican also shared two photographs of what would appear to be the subject being detained by security agents. The man is immobilized on the ground, surrounded by secret service agents.
In a parallel press conference, federal prosecutor Jeanine Pirro stated that the individual faces two charges: the use of a firearm in an act of violence and assault on a federal agent with the use of a dangerous weapon. This charge is because at the time of the shooting, one of the federal agents present at the security checkpoint was hit by a bullet from the subject, but it was intercepted by the bulletproof vest. Pirro said the accused would be prosecuted on Monday before a federal court and that she anticipated more charges would be filed later. The initial police hypothesis is that this is an isolated case and, according to preliminary information, the man had been staying at the Hilton hotel. Pirro stated that the individual "wanted to do as much damage as possible".
Unlike other similar occasions, such as Butler or the assassination of far-right influencer Charlie Kirk, Trump has been much more restrained in capitalizing on the event. "We have changed this country so much that there are people who are not happy with that," the president affirmed. However, the messianic pretenses have not disappeared and Trump has gone so far as to equate himself with Abraham Lincoln. The tycoon has also, more subtly, pointed to the opposition again: "But, in light of tonight's events, I ask all Americans to recommit themselves wholeheartedly to resolving our differences peacefully. We have to resolve our differences. I will say that we have Republicans, Democrats, independents, conservatives, liberals, and progressives —concepts that perhaps are interchangeable, or perhaps not."
The images of the dinner, broadcast live, show how the gala was proceeding normally when suddenly loud noises are heard in the room. In a matter of seconds, secret service agents appear who, amidst the background instrumental music, make Trump and all his diners duck under the table and leave. The armed security forces take possession of the box where the presidential table was while chaos and confusion erupt throughout the dinner. Journalists in the room, bewildered by the still unidentified noise, hide under the tables.
It was the first time Trump had attended the correspondents' dinner since he became president. Neither during his first term, nor his first year of presidency after re-election, had he returned after attending in 2015 in a personal capacity. In 2011, then-President Barack Obama made jokes about the tycoon, who was then only a personality in New York's real estate and television world. At that time, Trump was also in the audience.