Trump calls WHCA dinner gunman ‘full of hatred’ as White House details alleged target

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump on Sunday, April 26, described the suspect in the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting as a “sick” and “bad” person, saying the man was motivated by hatred.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said investigators believe the attack was aimed at assassinating the president and harming senior administration officials. 

The incident, which disrupted the annual dinner in Washington on Saturday night, April 25, triggered an emergency evacuation of Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and other attendees.

Trump says suspect was ‘full of hatred’ 

Speaking to Fox News, Trump said investigators recovered what he described as a manifesto from the suspect’s hotel room, though federal authorities have not publicly confirmed its contents.

 “The guy is a sick guy,” Trump said. “When you read his manifesto, he hates Christians; that’s one thing for sure. He hates Christians, a hatred.”

Trump was also asked about the suspect, identified by federal officials as 31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen of California, and did not dispute the identification during the interview.

Allen is accused of breaching security at the Washington Hilton, where the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was underway.

The president also said the suspect’s family had previously contacted law enforcement over concerns about his behavior.

“I wish they would have told us about it a little bit, but it is what it is,” Trump said.

Authorities have said the suspect was armed with multiple weapons when he approached the event and exchanged gunfire with law enforcement before being taken into custody.

Trump also said he wants the annual WHCA dinner to be rescheduled soon despite the attack, saying the event should not be derailed by violence.

“We can’t let these criminals and these really bad people change the course of events in our country,” Trump said. “That was going to be an important event.”

Leavitt says suspect sought to assassinate Trump

Leavitt said the shooting was not a random act and described it as a direct attempt on the president’s life.

“What was supposed to be a fun night at the WHCA dinner with President Trump delivering jokes and celebrating free speech was hijacked by a depraved, crazy person who sought to assassinate the President and kill as many top Trump administration officials as possible,” Leavitt wrote on X.

Leavitt said she was backstage with Trump and the first lady when Secret Service agents moved them to safety.

She added that Trump remained composed during the evacuation. “President Trump was truly fearless, but as he said last night, this political violence needs to end,” she said. 

Trump also praised the Secret Service and other responding officers, saying their rapid intervention prevented further casualties.

“The Secret Service and all law enforcement was, I thought they were outstanding,” Trump said. “They stopped him cold.”

The president linked the incident to the ongoing Department of Homeland Security funding dispute, noting that Secret Service personnel are operating during a partial shutdown. 

“They are not being paid,” Trump said. “The Democrats are holding up their pay, and I think maybe they’ll loosen up a little bit now.”