Trump says he ‘wasn’t worried’ during Washington press dinner shooting

US President Donald Trump has said he “wasn’t worried” as he was evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner after a gunman attempted to storm the venue.

Speaking to 60 Minutes a day after the incident, Mr Trump said: “I understand life. We live in a crazy world,” describing how security agents rushed him from the ballroom at a Washington DC hotel on Saturday night.

US media identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, who was arrested after allegedly opening fire near a security checkpoint. Authorities say he is due to appear in court on Monday, as the FBI and its terrorism task force investigate the attack.

US Attorney General Todd Blanche said preliminary findings suggest the suspect was “likely” targeting senior White House officials, although a motive has not yet been confirmed.

Mr Trump had been attending the dinner alongside senior members of his administration, including Vice-President JD Vance and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.. All were safely evacuated.

In a statement, the White House described the incident as an “assassination attempt” and said the president “stands fearless”.

The president later told reporters he initially hesitated to leave, saying he wanted to see what was happening before being urged by security to take cover.

Officials said law enforcement officers exchanged fire with the suspect, who was taken into custody and later hospitalised for evaluation. He was reportedly carrying multiple weapons.

A police officer injured during the incident has since been discharged from hospital, with officials crediting protective equipment for preventing more serious harm.

The White House Correspondents’ Association president Weijia Jiang described the attack as “harrowing” and praised the Secret Service for protecting those in attendance.

World leaders also condemned the shooting. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “shocked”, while Canada’s Mark Carney and Australia’s Anthony Albanese expressed relief that the president and other guests were safe.

The incident is the latest in a series of security threats involving Mr Trump in recent years.

Source: BBC News