Donald Trump said he felt “honored” after a reporter asked why shooting attempts “keep happening to him,” following gunfire that disrupted the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Police say a suspect, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, was taken into custody after several shots were fired at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night (April 25).
The hotel was hosting the annual Correspondents’ Dinner, an event held to raise funds for aspiring journalists, including scholarships and other support distributed through the White House Correspondents’ Association.
Trump attended the dinner with First Lady Melania Trump, and Vice President JD Vance was also among those present. It was his first appearance at the event since taking office.
The night was cut short when the sound of gunfire prompted an evacuation, and the dinner was ultimately called off.
Afterward, the president shared video that appeared to show the suspected shooter running through the lobby in an effort to avoid security, before being quickly detained.
Following the incident, Trump held a press conference where a reporter appeared to reference the attempted assassination in Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024.
“Why do you think this keeps happening to you?,” the reporter asked Trump.
Trump replied by suggesting that prominent figures are more likely to be targeted, and said he viewed it as a sign of influence.
He said: “I’ve studied assassinations and I must tell you, the most impactful people – the people that do the most… the people that make the biggest impact, those are the ones they go after.
“They don’t go after the ones that don’t do much because they like it that way. When you look at the people… whether it was an attempt or successful attempt, they’re very impactful people… They’re big names.
“I hate to say I’m honored by that but I’ve done a lot. We’ve taken this country and we were a laughing stock for years, now we’re the hottest country anywhere in the world. We’ve changed this country and there’s a lot of people that are not happy about that.”
Sources cited by CBS News say Allen told investigators after his arrest that he was aiming at “administration officials,” though he reportedly did not specifically claim Trump was his intended target.
Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn said in a statement that the suspect failed to anticipate the agency’s response.
“Tonight, a coward attempted to create a national tragedy. He underestimated the protective capabilities of the U.S. Secret Service and was stopped at first contact,” Quinn said.
Allen is expected to appear for arraignment in federal court on Monday (April 27).