Donald Trump shared his version of events when a gunman disrupted the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, revealing that he resisted Secret Service agents who were trying to move him to safety during the attack. The President mentioned on CBS’s 60 Minutes that he delayed taking cover as the suspected gunman, Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from Torrance, California, approached the event at Washington DC’s Hilton Hotel and shot an officer before being apprehended.
Trump explained that he wanted to observe the situation and was not cooperating with the agents’ evacuation efforts initially. He recalled telling the agents to hold off as they urged him to seek shelter, eventually complying after some hesitation. The suspect, identified as a teacher from California, traveled across the country to attend the event and checked into the hotel as a guest.
Law enforcement officials discovered that the suspect intended to target members of the Trump administration present at the dinner. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that Allen had planned to focus on administration officials, potentially including the President. Allen is facing charges for assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon, with additional charges expected to be filed.
Prior to the shooting, Allen reportedly sent a disturbing anti-Trump manifesto to his family, where he referred to himself as the “Friendly Federal Assassin” and expressed his determination to harm administration officials. The manifesto detailed his intent to use buckshot instead of slugs to minimize casualties and listed his targets as administration officials, excluding FBI Director Kash Patel. In the manifesto, Allen referenced allegations against Trump and expressed his reasons for the attack.
Allen’s actions have raised concerns about the safety of government officials and the potential for targeted violence.