WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner would not deter him from the Iran war, although he believed the incident was unlikely linked to the conflict.
“It’s not going to deter me from winning the war in Iran. I don’t know if that had anything to do with it, I really don’t think so, based on what we know,” Trump told reporters in a briefing at the White House after the shocking security incident.
Trump had earlier said, however, that “you never know” if it could be linked to the Iran war, and said investigators were working on the motive of the shooter whom he described as a “lone wolf.”
The US leader earlier Saturday canceled his envoys’ trip to Pakistan for peace talks with Iran, after being unimpressed with Tehran’s negotiating position following nearly two months of war.
Trump was uninjured and other top leaders of the United States were evacuated from an annual dinner of White House correspondents on Saturday night after a shooting incident outside the ballroom.
One law enforcement official said a gunman had opened fire. A law enforcement officer was shot in the bullet-resistant vest but is expected to be OK, one officer told The Associated Press.
The shooting suspect was identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press.
Addressing reporters at the White House later, Trump said the suspect was armed with multiple weapons before stopped by Secret Service.
Trump struck a somber tone as he addressed reporters at the White House, saying being president is “a dangerous profession” and that attempted violence against him is “part of the job.”
Trump said more details would be forthcoming about the shooter’s identity and motive, but said that the world was a violent place and, when it came to his own presidency, “When you’re impactful they go after you.”
The president commended the Secret Service and suggested that the shooter wasn’t close to breaching the ballroom where Trump was seated on stage at the time of the incident.
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said the suspect is being charged preliminarily with two charges related to using a firearm and assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon, but that there will be many more charges filed “based on the information that we are learning in this very fluid situation.”
Pirro said the suspect would be arraigned on Monday in federal district court.
The Secret Service and other authorities swarmed the banquet hall at the Washington Hilton as guests ducked under tables by the hundreds. Audible gasps echoed through the ballroom as guests realized something was happening. Hundreds of journalists got on phones to call in information.
“Out of the way, sir!” someone yelled. Others yelled to duck. From one corner, a “God Bless America” chant began as the president was escorted offstage. He fell briefly — he apparently tripped — and was helped up by Secret Service agents. Outside the hotel, members of the National Guard and other authorities flooded the area as helicopters circled overhead.
Authorities said the incident occurred outside the subterranean ballroom where Trump and other guests were seated. After an initial attempt to resume, the event was scrapped for the night and will be rescheduled.
“We will do this again,” said Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association. Shortly afterward, staff began breaking down table settings and the presidential lectern.
All officials protected by the Secret Service were evacuated. Those in attendance included Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — and many other leaders of the Trump administration.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he and his wife, Kelly, who both attended the event, were “praying for our country tonight.” The House Democratic leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, said “The violence and chaos in America must end.”
Agencies