President Trump lauded the Secret Service's rapid response to a shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, emphasising the importance of enhanced security measures and revealing details about the suspect.
Key Points
- Donald Trump praises the Secret Service for their quick response to a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
- The shooter, identified as Cole Tomas, was described by Trump as a 'sick' individual.
- Trump highlights the need for enhanced security infrastructure, advocating for a new ballroom at the White House.
- Trump shares CCTV footage of the shooter's entry and images of the suspect in custody.
- An officer was shot but saved by his vest, according to Trump.
United States President Donald Trump on Saturday (local time) said the shooter carried multiple weapons and heaped praise on security officers for their swift response during the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
Addressing a presser in the Press Briefing Room after the shooting incident, Trump announced that the shooter, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas, is a resident of California and is 'sick'.
"The law enforcement and DC police just spoke with the mayor. You see the attacker in different positions, but you also see the attacker totally subdued and under control. This is not the first time in the past couple of years that our republic has been attacked by a would-be assassin who sought to kill in Butler, Pennsylvania, less than two years ago... and in Palm Beach, Florida, a few months after that, we came close. We really had, again, some great work done by law enforcement," he said.
WATCH: Chaos Erupts At White House Press Dinner After Shooting
On July 13, 2024, a man had tried to assassinate Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. In another incident on February 22, an armed individual was shot and killed by the law enforcement officers, including Secret Service personnel, after he entered the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, Trump's residence in Palm Beach, Florida.
Referring to the latest incident, Trump called the shooting unexpected and said an armed man had been swiftly neutralised by security forces.
Secret Service's Swift Action
"That was very unexpected, but incredibly acted upon by the Secret Service and law enforcement... A man charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, and he was taken down by some very brave members of the Secret Service. They acted very quickly and have just released, for purposes of transparency and clarity, I've ordered it to be put out... a tape showing the violence of this thug who attacked our Constitution, and also showing how quickly the Secret Service and law enforcement acted on our country's behalf," he said.
Trump described the shooter as a "lone wolf", but said nothing is final at the moment as investigators are looking at all angles.
Details of the Shooting Suspect
Giving details of the incident, Trump said the shooting suspect was his "would-be assassin", but thanks to the Secret Service who stopped him.
Trump said he had also spoken to the security officer who was shot during the attack.
"A man charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, and he was taken down by some very brave members of the Secret Service... One officer was shot, but saved... the vest did the job. I just spoke to the officer, and he's doing great," he said.
Trump Calls for Enhanced Security
The US President further used the security breach at the Hilton to highlight the need for enhanced security infrastructure and to make the case for the ballroom he is constructing at the White House, suggesting that the structure would provide a more secure location for future events.
"It's not a particularly secure building, and I didn't want to say this, but this is why we have to have all of the attributes of what we're planning at the White House," Trump said during his news conference. "It's actually a larger room, and it's much more secure. It's got drone-proof. It's bulletproof glass. We need the ballroom. That's why Secret Service, that's why the military is demanding it."
Trump also shared a CCTV footage showing the entry of the shooter at the venue of the White House Correspondents' Dinner, along with images of the detained suspect.
