U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a message of unity Saturday evening, urging Americans to settle their disagreements peacefully following a shooting that disrupted a major Washington event.
He made the remarks during an impromptu press briefing shortly after being returned to the White House under U.S. Secret Service protection.
Moments earlier, agents had escorted Trump away from the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel after a gunman brought the gathering to an abrupt halt.
“That was very unexpected, but incredibly acted upon by Secret Service and law enforcement,” said Trump, who was still dressed in a tuxedo.
“This was an event dedicated to freedom of speech that was supposed to bring together members of both parties with members of the press, and in a certain way, it did,” he said. “I saw a room that was just totally unified. It was, in a way, very beautiful, a very beautiful thing to see.”
After commending law enforcement for their swift response in stopping the attacker, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, Trump emphasized his determination to remain at the event before security concerns forced his departure.
He said he “fought like hell to stay” but ultimately complied with the instructions of security personnel.
Pointing to a broader pattern of violence in recent years, Trump used the moment to call for national unity and restraint. He urged “that all Americans recommit with their hearts and resolve our differences peacefully.”
“We have to. We have to resolve our differences,” he said.
Trump also described the attacker as “a sick person, very sick person,” framing the incident as an assault on values such as free speech and constitutional principles, while assuring that the WCHA dinner would be rescheduled.
“We're not going to let anybody take over our society. We're not going to cancel things out, because we can't do that,” he said, adding that the incident also showed the necessity of the ballroom he has been building on the former site of the East Wing.
Following his remarks, Todd Blanche and Kash Patel stepped to the podium, after which Trump fielded questions from reporters in the briefing room.
During the question-and-answer session, Peter Doocy of Fox News asked Trump why he believes he continues to face assassination attempts. In response, Trump suggested such threats often target influential figures.
“I hate to say I'm honored by that, but we've taken this country, and we were a laughingstock for years, and now we're the hottest country anywhere in the world,” he said. “We've changed this country, and a lot of people are not happy about that.”
When asked about concerns over political violence, Trump acknowledged the risks, but that danger comes with the presidency.
“I can't be so concerned that you can't function. I'm here. It's a dangerous profession,” he said.
