DONALD Trump has relived the terrifying seconds a gunman stormed his glittering black-tie dinner – admitting he resisted Secret Service orders as chaos erupted around him.
In a gripping interview with 60 Minutes, the President described how he “wasn’t making it that easy” for agents as they scrambled to get him to safety during the shocking attack at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
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Trump was escorted off the stage after shots were fired Credit: Reuters
Members of the National Guard respond with weapons drawn at the Washington Hilton Credit: Getty
Melania was the first to warn Trump it could be gunfire Credit: Splash
“I wanted to see what was happening, and I wasn’t making it that easy for them. I wanted to see what was going on,” Trump said of the moment gunfire shattered the glamorous evening.
The 2026 gala – held at the opulent Washington Hilton – was meant to mark Trump’s first-ever appearance at the prestigious event.
Trump had been seated beside Melania Trump, preparing to deliver his keynote speech, when a chilling sound rang out across the ballroom.
The president recalled: “And by that time, we started to realise maybe it was a bad problem, different kind of a problem, bad one, and different than what would be normal noise from a ballroom, which you hear all the time.”
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Trump recalled the moment agents urged him to drop.
“I said, ‘Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Let me see. Wait a minute,’” he said.
But the urgency escalated as Secret Service Agents urged Trump to go as low as possible on he floor.
The president told the interviewer: “I was walking out… about halfway there, and they said, ‘Please go down to the floor. Please go down to the floor.’ So I dropped to the floor. So did the First Lady.”
Guests screamed “get down, get down!” as terrified attendees dived under tables, while tactical officers flooded the ballroom with weapons drawn.
Melania was the first to warn Trump it could be gunfire – later described by Trump as a “rather traumatic experience for her.”
“Melania was very cognisant,” he said.
“The First Lady was doing a terrific job. She loves the country.
“She recognises it better than any. But she told me numerous times, she said ‘you are in a dangerous job’.”
It comes as…
Within seconds, heavily armed Secret Service agents swarmed the stage.
In harrowing footage, Melania ducks beneath the table as officers grab the President and force him to the ground.
Melania and White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, were seen crawling backstage in a desperate bid to escape.
Trump’s said: “My thought was I’ve been through this a couple of times.”
He also revealed that he wanted to continue the event “if possible” as he admits he “really” wanted to go back into the ballroom.
When pressed by the interviewer – who was also in the room when the chaos unfolded – Donald Trump was asked whether he believed he had been the gunman’s intended target.
His response was characteristically blunt.
“I don’t know… I read a manifesto… he radalaised that he was a christian believer, and then he became an anti-christian, he had a lot of change, he’s been going through a lot.
“He was probably a pretty sick guy.”
Despite the carnage and confusion that gripped the ballroom, Trump insisted he never feared the worst.
He said he “wasn’t worried” about anyone being hurt, adding: “we live in a crazy world.”
Moments earlier, grainy CCTV footage – later shared by Trump on Truth Social – appeared to capture the suspect’s brazen charge.
A suited staffer leans casually on a bench outside the dining room – unaware of the terror about to unfold.
Suddenly, a man bursts into frame, sprinting at full speed through a security cordon.
Mugshot of the suspect Cole Tomas Allen
Trump posted a chilling video to Truth Social appearing to show the suspect charging security Credit: Splash
The suspect in custody after attempting to enter the ballroom with guns and knives during the White House Correspondents Dinner
Within seconds, Secret Service agents draw their weapons and open fire toward the “would-be assassin” as more officers swarm the scene.
The suspect allegedly engaged in a shootout with agents in the hotel lobby before being swiftly arrested.
He has been named as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen.
Authorities say Allen lay in wait before launching a calculated attack targeting the President and senior officials attending the gala.
He was armed with a shotgun, handgun and multiple knives – and wearing a bulletproof vest.
Officials say he even opened fire on a Secret Service agent at close range.
Incredibly, the wounded agent survived thanks to his protective vest.
Trump, addressing the world just an hour after the attack, said the officer was in “great shape” and being treated in hospital.
At a White House briefing, Trump unleashed on the suspect, branding him a “would-be assassin” and a “lone wolf whack job” from California.
He described Allen as a “sick person” who charged a security checkpoint and injured law enforcement.
Allen reportedly worked as a tutor in Torrance after graduating from the prestigious California Institute of Technology.
Investigators believe he was staying at the hotel at the time of the attack – chillingly placing him right at the heart of the event.
CBS News reported he told authorities he was targeting Trump.
In a disturbing twist, an alleged manifesto sent to family members minutes before the attack revealed a warped justification for violence.
Calling himself the “Friendly Federal Assassin,” the document outlined political grievances and a plan to minimise casualties – while still declaring a willingness to “go through most everyone here” if necessary.
It also listed “administration officials” as targets.
Overnight, FBI agents descended on a property in Torrance linked to Allen.
Armoured vehicles and heavily armed officers flooded the street in a dramatic raid.
A neighbour told CNN they had only seen Allen “a couple of days ago” and were unsure if he lived there, though his father was known locally.
Deputy Secret Service Director Matthew Quinn condemned the attack.
“Tonight, a coward attempted to create a national tragedy,” he said.
“He underestimated the protective capabilities of the U.S. Secret Service, and was stopped at first contact.”
Allen now faces firearms and assault charges as the investigation continues.
Authorities are working to piece together how the suspect was able to get so close – and whether anyone else was involved.
Guests ducked for cover under tables as shots rang out
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (3rd-L) is taken out of the ballroom by security agents Credit: Getty
FBI tactical agents leave on a vehicle after entering in a house believed to be linked to the suspected gunman Credit: Getty
