President Donald Trump’s apparent calm during another alleged assassination attempt has sparked online speculation, with the president himself now revealing why he chose to remain seated as gunshots rang out.
Shortly after 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, a suspect fired shots at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner inside the ballroom of the Washington Hilton hotel. The incident understandably caused panic among the estimated 2,000 guests in attendance.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania, along with other senior administration officials, were quickly escorted out by Secret Service agents, while journalists and guests took cover under tables.
Secret Service agents exchanged fire with the suspect, later identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, before ultimately apprehending him. One agent was struck in the body after Allen, who was allegedly armed with a shotgun, handgun, and knives, opened fire, but the bullet was stopped by a protective vest, preventing serious injury.
Reports have since claimed that investigators are reviewing a manifesto Allen allegedly wrote before the attack. The document is said to include a list of intended targets ranked by priority, with Trump administration officials reportedly at the top.
President Trump has now explained why he stayed seated when the gunfire began, telling CBS correspondent Norah O’Donnell on 60 Minutes that he was curious. “I wanted to see what was happening,” he said. “I wasn’t making it that easy for them. I wanted to see what was going on. And by that time we started to realize maybe it was a bad problem, different kind of problem, a bad one, and different than what would be normal noise from a ballroom.”
Trump added that he was surrounded by capable people, saying, “And I probably made them act a little more slowly. I said, ‘Wait a minute, wait a minute.’”
Addressing concerns about his safety, the 79-year-old president said, “I understand life. We live in a crazy world.”
According to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, investigators now believe Allen traveled to Washington by train from California, with a stop in Chicago along the way.
“It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president,” Blanche told NBC’s Meet the Press.
“He failed. Law enforcement did their jobs.”
What did you make of the alleged assassination attempt? Let us know in the comments.
