Early Sunday morning, President Trump made a personal call to Jonathan Karl, the ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent. This call was to check on Karl’s safety following a shooting that occurred during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Karl reported that Trump called his landline shortly after 7 a.m. to confirm he was unharmed after the previous night’s incident. “He was calling to see if I was ok with what happened last night,” stated the seasoned journalist.
During their conversation, Trump emphasized points from his speech at the dinner, noting the strong sense of togetherness he witnessed. Additionally, he expressed his desire to reschedule the event soon, stating he was “quite firm” about it.
The shooting incident happened just under 12 hours prior to Trump’s call when Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old from Torrance, California, attempted to breach a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton Hotel. Armed with several weapons, he fired at least one shot, injuring a Secret Service agent.
Law enforcement quickly responded with gunfire, apprehending Allen, who was then taken into custody and transported to a local hospital. Fortunately, the injured agent suffered no serious injuries due to protective gear.
Attendees, including the president and various congressional members, were evacuated immediately after shots were fired. Despite President Trump urging for the event to continue, the dinner was ultimately canceled.
Later that evening, Trump held a press conference to address the situation. He described the event as one meant to promote freedom of speech and foster unity among political representatives and the press.
“This was an event dedicated to freedom of speech that was supposed to bring together members of both parties with members of the press,” Trump remarked, noting the gathering’s unifying spirit despite the chaos. He called for a peaceful resolution to political differences, stating, “We have to, we have to resolve our differences.”
