Trump shares what was discussed at head table before gunshots were fired at WHCD

The suspect Cole Tomas Allen opened fire outside the ballroom at the Washington Hilton
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, First Lady Melania Trump and US President Donald Trump attend of the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner April 25, 2026 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, First Lady Melania Trump and US President Donald Trump attend of the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner April 25, 2026 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump has revealed the discussion that was going on at the head table before gunshots were heard at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, had opened fire outside the ballroom at the Washington Hilton.

The commander-in-chief reportedly spoke with CBS correspondent Norah O’Donnell on Sunday, April 26, while recalling Saturday's incident. He shared that just before the firing, the event’s entertainer, mentalist Oz Pearlman, was trying to guess the name of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s second baby.

US Secret Service agents surround President Donald Trump before he was taken from the stage after a shooting incident outside the ballroom during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Secret Service agents surround President Donald Trump before he was taken from the stage after a shooting incident outside the ballroom during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump realized something was wrong after seeing Melania's changed expression

Leavitt is expected to deliver her baby girl in the coming weeks, and Pearlman apparently correctly guessed the name, leaving the political spokesperson as well as CBS White House correspondent Weijia Jiang stunned.



“Right around that point, you can see the expression on the first lady’s face,” Trump stated while noting that at the moment he understood something was not right.

He then mentioned, “Well, my thought was, ‘You know, I've been through this before a couple of times.’ And-- she has not to this extent. She handled it great.”

“I mean, she was-- she's-- very strong, smart. She got it. She knew what was happening. She listened. I did too, by the way,” Trump added.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, left, arrive at the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House after an unspecified threat at the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, left, arrive at the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House after an unspecified threat at the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington, Saturday, April 25, 2026 (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)

Trump appeared to blame Democrats for the Saturday firing

Also during the interview, the Republican leader was asked, “Political violence has touched so many people in that room. Is there something that you, as president, can do? What can be done to change the trajectory?”

In response, Trump said, “Well, you know, you go back 20 years, 40 years, 100 years, 200 years, 500 years, it's always been there. People are assassinated. People are injured. People are hurt. And I'm not sure that it's any more now than there was.”

“I do think that the hate speech of the Democrats, much more so, is very dangerous. I really think it's very dangerous for the country,” he asserted.

Members of law enforcement respond during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)
Members of law enforcement respond during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)

Blanche says suspect wanted to target 'folks who work in the administration, likely including' Trump

Meanwhile, as per reports, after Allen’s arrest, a note was found that he had sent to his family in which he had said, “I don’t expect forgiveness. Again, my sincere apologies.”

“Administration officials (not including Mr. Patel): they are targets, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest,” he allegedly wrote. He had even added that he “experience[s] rage thinking about everything this administration has done.”

(TruthSocial/@realDonaldTrump)
Cole Tomas Allen has been identified as the suspect (TruthSocial/@realDonaldTrump)

As per Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who spoke to NBC’s 'Meet the Press', "It does appear that he [Allen] did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president."

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