‘I Have Been Through This a Couple of Times’: 60 Minutes Gets Trump’s Reaction to Frenzied Moment Shots Were Fired at WHC Dinner

 

President Donald Trump told 60 Minutes correspondent Norah O’Donnell on Sunday he “wasn’t worried” during the frenzied moment a shooter attempted to storm the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and kill him and members of his administration the night before.

O’Donnell wanted to find out what the president was thinking and feeling during the latest assassination attempt against him.

“I was in the room not far from you. I could hear what sounded like gunshots or commotion. People nearby could smell the gunpowder. Everybody hit the floor,” O’Donnell said. “How worried were you that there were going to be injuries?”

“I wasn’t worried. I understand life,” Trump said matter-of-factly. “We live in a crazy world.”

The president later said he wasn’t as worked up as you’d expect during the shooting because, “I have been through this a couple of times.”

Trump was obviously referring to the previous assassination attempts against him, including the 2024 attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania where a bullet hit his ear before killing firefighter Corey Comperatore.

O’Donnell then asked Trump about the look of terror that was captured on First Lady Melania Trump’s face.

“She looked very alarmed. Was she scared?” O’Donnell asked.

“I don’t want to say, and people don’t like having it said that they were scared. But who wouldn’t be when you have a situation like that?” Trump said.

He continued, “I think she realized ahead of time that it was more of a bullet than it was a tray [dropping]. I looked at her face just a little while ago before I came [on the show], I saw the scene. They played it for me, pretty good close-up. She looked very upset about what just took place. Why not?”

That image — which you can see below — has already become a bit of a meme on social media.

(Photo Credit: CBS)

Cole Tomas Allen — the 31-year-old suspected shooter — appeared to have been motivated by conspiracy theories about Trump and Jeffrey Epstein; he wrote in his manifesto that Trump was a “pedophile” and “rapist” who needed to be killed.

Trump was not happy when O’Donnell brought those remarks up during the interview, calling her a “disgrace” for even doing it.

“Well, I was waiting for you to read that, because I knew you would. Because you’re horrible people. Horrible people,” Trump said. “Yeah, he did write that. I am not a rapist. I didn’t rape anybody.”

“Oh, do you think he was referring to you?” O’Donnell asked.

“Excuse me. Excuse me. I am not a pedophile. You read that crap from some sick person,” Trump continued. “I got associated with all stuff that has nothing to do with me. I was totally exonerated. Your friends on the other side of the plate are the ones that were involved with, let’s say, Epstein or other things.”

Other parts of the interview were more tame, like when Trump applauded law enforcement for the “professional” job they did apprehending the shooter. Trump quipped it was impressive because Allen looked like a “blur” on security footage, and added he believed an NFL team should sign him. 

And Trump said he held up Secret Service from rushing him away from the stage because he “wanted to see what was going on.” 

Allen is expected in court on Monday.

Watch above via CBS.

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