On Saturday, April 25, shots were fired during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner where US President Donald Trump was also present. Following the attack, Trump appeared on CBS TV program 60 minutes.
Speaking to Norah O’Donnell, Trump said, “I wasn’t worried, I understand life. We live in a crazy world.”
During the interview, O’Donnell put portions of the gunman’s manifesto to Trump, which appeared to refer to Trump as a “rapist” and “pedophile”. Following that, Trump called call O’Donnell a “disgrace” and the media “horrible people”.
Notably, during the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, shots were fired as the gunman charged toward the ballroom in a chaotic encounter with Secret Service agents as guests dived under tables.
This is not the first time that President Trump has been the subject of such an attack. In July 2024, before he returned to the White House, Trump was shot and wounded in his upper right ear by 20-year-old Thomas Crooks.
The manifesto of the shooter described Trump as a rapist and a paedophile among other things. President Trump took umbrage at that during his interview on 60 Minutes with O’Donnell.
The manifesto of the shooter read, “I am no longer willing to permit a paedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.”
When O’Donnell read it in front of Trump, the US President lost his cool.
Trump said, “I was waiting for you to read that because I knew you would, because you’re horrible people. Horrible people.”
“I’m not a rapist. I didn’t rape anybody,” the US President said. He also mentioned that he was curious about the shooting and that probably slowed down Secret Service efforts to rescue him and the First Lady Melania Trump.
Law enforcement officers exchanged fire with the suspected gunman Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, at the Hilton hotel before tackling and arresting him.
