Donald Trump said on Saturday night that he initially thought the sound of a gunman opening fire at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner was a tray falling, describing the incident as 'totally shocking'. The president was rushed out of the ballroom by Secret Service agents after a suspect charged a security checkpoint and fired on an agent, who was saved by a bulletproof vest.
Speaking at an impromptu news conference at the White House, Trump recounted his reaction: 'I heard a noise, and sort of thought it was a tray. I thought it was a tray going down many times.' He added that his wife, Melania, 'was very cognizant' and 'knew immediately' it was something serious.
The gunman, described by Trump as 'a sick person' and 'a lone wolf wack job', was taken into custody. Trump said the suspect, from California, appeared to be working alone, and it was too early to determine his motive. The president praised the Secret Service for responding more effectively than at the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally assassination attempt.
Comparing himself to Abraham Lincoln, Trump suggested that those who make the biggest impact are targeted. He joked that if his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, had warned him about assassination attempts, 'maybe I wouldn’t have run'. However, he said he does not view the presidency as dangerous and is 'here to do a job'.
