Donald Trump tells 60 Minutes in wake of White House press dinner shooting: ‘we live in a crazy world’ – live
NEWS | 27 April 2026
From 1h ago 19.38 EDT Trump says he 'wasn't worried' during shooting Donald Trump also told 60 Minutes he “wasn’t worried” about injuries during the commotion at the press dinner and that “we live in crazy world”. Norah O’Donnell says in the interview soon to be aired on television that she was in the room when it occurred and could hear what sounded like gunshots or commotion. People nearby could smell gunpowder and “everybody hit the floor”. She asks Trump: “How worried were you that there were going to be injuries?” Trump replies: double quotation mark I wasn’t worried. I understand life. We live in a crazy world.” Share Updated at 20.24 EDT 1m ago 20.57 EDT Donald Trump’s interview with 60 Minutes became confrontational when reporter Norah O’Donnell read parts of the “manifesto” allegedly written by the suspected shooter that referred a “rapist” and “pedophile” and asked Trump to react. “I was waiting for you to read that, because I knew you would, because you’re horrible people,” the president responded, continuing: double quotation mark Yeah he did write that, I’m not a rapist … I read the manifesto. You know, he’s a sick person. You shouldn’t be reading that on 60 Minutes, you’re a disgrace, but go ahead, let’s finish the interview.” As our full report says, Trump continued to take jabs at O’Donnell for the rest of the interview. After she noted that the shooting suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, had reportedly attended a “No Kings” protest, Trump shot back: double quotation mark The reason you have people like that, is you have people doing ‘No Kings’. I’m not a king. What I am – If I was a king, I wouldn’t be dealing with you.” Notwithstanding Trump’s criticisms of the press, which he described as a “soft on crime”, he urged the White House Correspondents’ Association to reschedule the dinner event within the next 30 days. “I don’t want to see it be canceled. I think it’s really bad for a crazy person to be able to cancel something like this,” Trump said, adding: double quotation mark It’s not that I want to go. I’m very busy. I don’t need that.” Share 23m ago 20.35 EDT Donald Trump describes the chaotic moments after the shots when security came in to secure his safety, as well as others including vice-president JD Vance, who is grabbed by his coat at the table and moved away. Norah O’Donnell asks Trump: “At one point you were down. What was happening?” The president replies in the 60 Minutes interview: double quotation mark Well … it was a little bit me. I wanted to see what was happening, and I wasn’t making it that easy for ’em. I wanted to see what was going on. 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. And I was surrounded by great people. And I probably made them act a little bit more slowly. I said: ‘Wait a minute, wait a minute. Lemme see. Wait a minute.’ So, you know, I’m telling guys to –” O’Donnell: Just at that moment where it looks like you go sort of down with the [Secret] Service, you were telling them to wait? Trump: double quotation mark Well, no what happened is then I started walking with them. I turned, I started walking, and they said, ‘Please go down. Please go down on the floor.’ So I went down and the First Lady went down also. But we were asked to go down by the agents as I was walking.” Share Updated at 20.43 EDT 1h ago 19.58 EDT Trump is asked about the moments before the incident occurred, when the performer known as Oz the Mentalist is speaking to Donald and Melania Trump, and is shown a video clip. Q: When did you know something was wrong? Trump says: double quotation mark Right round that point. In fact, you can see the expression on the First Lady’s face...” Interviewer Norah O’Donnell says on 60 Minutes that the First Lady looked very alarmed. “She was”, Trump replies. Q: “Was she scared?” Trump says: double quotation mark Well I don’t want to say, and people don’t like having it said that they were scared. But certainly, who wouldn’t be when you have a situation like that?” Share Updated at 20.18 EDT 1h ago 19.38 EDT Trump says he 'wasn't worried' during shooting Donald Trump also told 60 Minutes he “wasn’t worried” about injuries during the commotion at the press dinner and that “we live in crazy world”. Norah O’Donnell says in the interview soon to be aired on television that she was in the room when it occurred and could hear what sounded like gunshots or commotion. People nearby could smell gunpowder and “everybody hit the floor”. She asks Trump: “How worried were you that there were going to be injuries?” Trump replies: double quotation mark I wasn’t worried. I understand life. We live in a crazy world.” Share Updated at 20.24 EDT 2h ago 19.28 EDT Donald Trump has said he doesn’t know if he was the target of the alleged gunman but described him a “probably a pretty sick guy”. In a promotional clip posted on X by 60 Minutes ahead of the show’s airing of his interview with 60 Minutes, Norah O’Donnell of CBS News asks the president if he knows whether he was the gunman’s target. Trump replies: double quotation mark I don’t know. It sounds to me, I read a manifesto, he’s radicalised, 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, based on what he wrote. His brother complained about him, and I think reported him to the police, and his sister likewise complained about him. His family was very concerned. He was probably a pretty sick guy.” As posted earlier, US attorney general Todd Blanche said preliminary findings suggested that the suspected shooter – identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31 – targeted Trump and officials in his administration at the dinner event in Washington DC. Share Updated at 19.48 EDT 2h ago 18.51 EDT Alleged gunman wrote anti-Christian 'manifesto', says Trump Donald Trump has said the suspect accused of trying to attack administration officials at the White House correspondents dinner had an anti-Christian manifesto and “a lot of hatred in his heart”. The president told Fox News that the suspect was “a sick guy” and that his family previously expressed concerns about him to law enforcement officials. “When you read his manifesto, he hates Christians,” Trump said. The suspect – identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of California – was arrested at the scene of the Washington DC event after being stopped well short of the hotel ballroom hosting it. The manifesto was sent to Allen’s family members shortly before the attack, a law enforcement official told Reuters. In it, the suspect called himself the “Friendly Federal Assassin”, the official said, as mentioned earlier. “Turning the other cheek when *someone else* is oppressed is not Christian behavior; it is complicity in the oppressor’s crimes,” the manifesto read, according to the official. Targets listed in the manifesto included administration officials – although not FBI director Kash Patel – prioritised from highest-ranking to lowest, the official said. The manifesto mocked the “insane” lack of security at the Washington Hilton, where the dinner was held, the official added. Share Updated at 18.52 EDT 3h ago 18.18 EDT Obama denounces correspondents' dinner shooting Barack Obama has taken to social media to decry the Washington DC shooting and say violence has no place in the US democracy. The former Democratic president posted on X: double quotation mark Although we don’t yet have the details about the motives behind last night’s shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner, it’s incumbent upon all us to reject the idea that violence has any place in our democracy. It’s also a sobering reminder of the courage and sacrifice that U.S. Secret Service Agents show every day. I’m grateful to them – and thankful that the agent who was shot is going to be okay. Share Updated at 18.23 EDT 3h ago 18.00 EDT Summary of the day so far The suspect in the shooting at last night’s White House correspondents’ dinner has been identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California. Preliminary findings suggest that the shooter targeted Donald Trump and officials in his administration, according to acting US attorney general Todd Blanche. The suspect’s writings, reportedly found inside his hotel room, are being examined as part of the investigation into the attack . An alleged manifesto was reported earlier in which the suspect called himself a “Friendly Federal Assassin” and created a list of targets for the shooting, formatted from highest to lowest priority, with Trump administration officials at the top. Trump and his allies have repeatedly cited the shooting as evidence for why a White House ballroom is necessary. In a letter shared by Blanche, the DOJ pressured the National Trust for Historic Preservation to end its lawsuit challenging the $400m construction project and insisted that the ballroom is “essential for the safety and security of the president.” In a statement, Weijia Jiang , president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, said “Last night’s shooting at the Washington Hilton was a harrowing moment for everyone in attendance,” adding “We are proud of everyone in that room”. Trump will make an appearance later tonight on the CBS News program 60 Minutes , according to Steven Cheung, the White House communications director. Buckingham Palace has confirmed that King Charles and Queen Camilla’s four-day state visit to the US will go ahead as planned. Earlier, the palace said a “number of discussions” were taking place to discuss how last night’s shooting may or may not affect security planning, with the British monarch due to arrive in the US tomorrow. Share 3h ago 17.48 EDT Oz Pearlman, a mentalist who was performing a trick for Trump during the White House correspondents’ dinner, spoke to CNN about his experience. “I didn’t hear any shots or see what looked like a shooter. I thought there was about to be a bomb,” Pearlman said. “I really very much thought, ‘oh my god, it’s about to explode,’ because of the way that it was being approached. It wasn’t like, guns out. It was like to stop someone.” “They bring the president down directly in front of me, and we just look at each other for about two seconds, and my mind [is like], ‘Oh, no. Are we about to die?” he added. “I thought it was about to explode. That was really my instinct.” After Trump was taken away, Pearlman said there was “chaos” backstage for several minutes, during which he didn’t know the president’s condition. “No one really knew what had happened for an extended period, which was kind of jarring,” he said. Share 4h ago 17.13 EDT Senator and close Trump ally Lindsey Graham also posted in support of building the new White House ballroom, writing that he is in “total agreement” with the president’s “assessment that the presidential ballroom at the White House is a national security necessity.” “This facility would accommodate large events like the White House Correspondents Dinner and others in the most secure fashion for this president and future presidents,” he wrote in an X post. “The Secret Service will be one of the largest beneficiaries of the ballroom because they will have immense control over the security environment of future events with a very hardened facility.” “The most obvious benefit is the President can attend future functions like this without ever having to leave the White House grounds,” he added. Again, the White House correspondents’ dinner is not hosted by the White House, but by the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), so it remains unclear whether a White House ballroom would be used for such events hosted by independent organizations. Share 4h ago 16.38 EDT The US Department of Justice is pressuring the National Trust for Historic Preservation to end its lawsuit challenging Trump’s construction of a new ballroom at the White House in the aftermath of last night’s shooting. In a letter shared by acting attorney general Todd Blanche on X, the DOJ urges the preservation group to drop its case and insists that the ballroom is “essential for the safety and security of the president.” “When the White House ballroom is complete, President Trump and his successors will no longer need to venture beyond the safety of the White House perimeter to attend large gatherings at the Washington Hilton ballroom,” Brett Shumate, a top lawyer with the DOJ, wrote. “The White House ballroom will ensure the safety and security of the President for decades to come and prevent future assassination attempts on the President at the Washington Hilton.” In its lawsuit, the organization argued that Trump rushed demolition of the historic East Wing in October over objections from preservationists who urged the White House to pause and submit plans to federal review panels. Notably, the White House correspondents’ dinner is hosted by the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), not the White House itself, though the president is traditionally in attendance. It is unclear whether a White House ballroom would be used for events not hosted by the president. Share 5h ago 16.12 EDT Victoria Bekiempis Donald and Melania Trump appeared in good spirits as they settled in on the high table at the White House correspondents’ dinner in Washington, DC on Saturday night, despite the event already being steeped in controversy over the US president being invited when he frequently makes aggressive verbal and legal attacks on the media that covers him. But smiles turned to shock and fear, Trump dived to the ground and guests ducked under tables after loud bangs were heard. Here is a timeline of how the White House press dinner shooting unfolded: Shots rang out, pandemonium erupted: how the White House press dinner shooting unfolded Read more Share 5h ago 15.42 EDT FBI agents are currently inspecting the neighborhood and questioning local residents where the alleged shooter, Cole Allen, was located in Torrance, California. Members of the media are also outside the address connected to Allen. View image in fullscreen FBI inspects the neighborhood where the house associated with Cole Tomas Allen, the suspect in the shooting incident in Washington at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, is located, in Torrance, California, on 26 April. Photograph: David Swanson/Reuters View image in fullscreen FBI agents walk door to door to try to speak with neighbors as members of the media follow them, on 26 April. Photograph: Damian Dovarganes/AP View image in fullscreen Members of the media stand near an address connected to Cole Tomas Allen, who has been identified as a suspect in a shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner, on 26 April. Photograph: Damian Dovarganes/AP Share Updated at 15.51 EDT 6h ago 15.17 EDT C2 Education, the tutoring company where the suspected shooter allegedly worked, said in a statement shared with multiple news outlets that it is cooperating with law enforcement in the investigation. “We were shocked to hear the news of the horrifying incident that transpired at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner,” the statement said. “We are cooperating fully with law enforcement to assist them in their investigation. Violence of any kind is never the answer.” Share 6h ago 14.53 EDT Trump speaks to 60 Minutes about shooting Donald Trump will make an appearance on the CBS News program 60 Minutes, according to Steven Cheung, the White House communications director. “President Trump sits down with 60 Minutes to discuss what happened at the White House Correspondents Association dinner last night,” Cheung wrote in a post on X, accompanied by an image of the president being interviewed. Share Updated at 14.55 EDT 6h ago 14.33 EDT Ben Smee Leaders from around the world have condemned the shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday night as an act of “political violence” and expressed relief that Donald Trump, officials and journalists were unharmed. The president and his wife, Melania, as well as members of the US cabinet, were evacuated from the ballroom at the Washington Hilton on Saturday after gunshots were heard from the hotel lobby. Britain’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, sent a message of solidarity to Trump after the incident, according to his chief secretary, Darren Jones. “These are remarkable scenes. The prime minister has, this morning, sent a message to the president of the United States in solidarity for the events that took place,” Jones told Sky News. Buckingham Palace said King Charles was “greatly relieved” the Trumps and other guests were unharmed. Read more: ‘Violence is never the answer’: world leaders react to Washington shooting at Trump event Read more Share 7h ago 14.04 EDT King Charles's US state visit to go ahead as planned, Buckingham Palace confirms Buckingham Palace has confirmed that King Charles and Queen Camilla’s four-day state visit to the US will go ahead as planned. Earlier, the palace said a “number of discussions” were taking place to discuss how last night’s shooting may or may not affect security planning, with the British monarch due to arrive in the US tomorrow. “Following discussions on both sides of the Atlantic through the day, and acting on advice of government, we can confirm the state visit by their majesties will proceed as planned,” a palace spokesperson said. “The king and queen are most grateful to all those who have worked at pace to ensure this remains the case and are looking forward to the visit getting underway tomorrow.” Share Updated at 14.07 EDT
Author: Vivian Ho. Adam Fulton. Marina Dunbar. Lucy Campbell.
Source