Former President Donald Trump shared his version of events when a gunman disrupted the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, revealing that he resisted Secret Service agents’ attempts to evacuate him during the incident.
In an interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes, Trump revealed that he hesitated to move to safety as the suspected gunman, Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from Torrance, California, approached the event at Washington DC’s Hilton Hotel and shot an officer before being apprehended.
Trump stated that he wanted to observe the situation and did not cooperate immediately with the agents trying to protect him. He acknowledged that his actions may have delayed the response, saying, “I probably slowed them down a bit. I wanted to assess the situation first before taking cover.”
Regarding claims that he crawled away from the scene, Trump insisted that he walked out, downplaying his stature. The suspect, identified as a teacher from California, is believed to have traveled to Washington with the intent of targeting Trump administration officials present at the event.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche disclosed that Allen took a train across the country, checked into the hotel as a guest, and aimed to harm administration members. Authorities found a manifesto from Allen outlining his intentions to use buckshot to minimize casualties and his willingness to harm everyone present, prioritizing administration officials in his list of targets.
The manifesto also mentioned his motivations, referencing allegations against Trump and declaring his intention to stop the perceived wrongdoings. Allen now faces charges for assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon, with additional charges expected to follow.