TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: 60 Minutes Exclusive Reveals Everything the White House Didn’t Tell You
TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: 60 Minutes Exclusive Reveals Everything the White House Didn’t Tell You
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a broadcast exclusive interview airing Sunday night on 60 Minutes, President Donald Trump sat down with Norah O'Donnell to recount the shooting that disrupted the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25, praise the Secret Service’s response, and share new details about the alleged gunman.
The interview, taped in the Oval Office just 48 hours after the incident, marks the first time Trump has spoken at length about the moment U.S. Secret Service agents rushed the stage at the Washington Hilton and evacuated him within seconds of gunfire erupting behind the ballroom.
“I Knew Something Was Wrong”
Trump told O'Donnell he initially mistook the sound for a metal tray dropping. “It came from a distance,” he said. “But the First Lady knew right away. She looked at me and said, ‘That’s gunfire.’ By then, the Secret Service was already on me.”
According to the President, the suspect approached from roughly 50 yards out and was “moving very fast” before agents engaged him. “Their response was incredible. I was off that stage in under three seconds,” Trump said. He confirmed that one Secret Service agent was struck at close range but survived thanks to a bulletproof vest. “I spoke to him. He’s doing great. He’s proud of what he did.”
Video posted by Trump to Truth Social shows the suspect running through a security checkpoint before agents draw their weapons and appear to open fire. Trump described the man as a “thug who attacked our Constitution.”
No Prior Warning, Agents Were “Everywhere”
Trump stressed that there had been “no intelligence warning” ahead of the event. He credited undercover Secret Service personnel positioned throughout the ballroom with preventing the suspect from getting closer. “They were at every table. That’s why he had to cover so much ground. That gave my people time to react.”
Asked if he believed he was the target, Trump said it was “hard to say,” but noted the suspect was “heavily armed and heading toward the stage.”
Suspect: 30-Year-Old California Man, Likely Acted Alone
Acting Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffery W. Carroll said the suspect is a male in his 30s from California who had been staying at the Washington Hilton. A hotel room was sealed off for investigation. Authorities believe he acted alone.
Federal prosecutor Jeanine Pirro said the suspect faces two federal charges: using a firearm to commit an act of violence and assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon. He is expected in federal court on April 27. Pirro added that the suspect “appeared intent on causing maximum damage” and more charges could follow.“I’m Not Shaken. America Can’t Be Interrupted.”
Trump acknowledged the incident was “a pretty shocking experience” for First Lady Melania Trump, but said he was “not shaken.”
“I live a normal life, even though it’s a dangerous one,” he told O'Donnell. “I do this for the country. We can’t let violence shut down public events.”
The President said the dinner will be rescheduled within 30 days with “better and safer” security. He also used the incident to renew his push for a new White House ballroom equipped with bulletproof glass and anti-drone systems. “The Secret Service and the military both support it. We need safer venues for events of this scale.”
Trump closed by calling for unity, referencing previous attempts on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania, and Palm Beach, Florida. “This isn’t the first time our republic has been attacked. But Americans from both parties condemned the violence. That matters.”
Watch video:
Full 40 minutes video:
The full exclusive interview with President Trump airs Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on 60 Minutes on CBS.
Each weekday morning, “CBS Mornings” co-hosts Gayle King and Nate Burleson will continue coverage of the investigation, featuring breaking updates and in-depth analysis from law enforcement experts. “CBS Mornings” airs weekdays at 7 a.m. on CBS and streams at 8 a.m. ET on the CBS News app.
“Daddy… do I cost too much?” Callum Calder froze. His four-year-old daughter stood beside the kitchen table, three quarters clenched in her tiny fist. She was trying to slip them into the front pocket of his work bag without him noticing. “Sweetheart, what is this for?” Sadie lowered her eyes. She had started doing that lately whenever she thought she had done something wrong. Callum still didn’t know where she had learned to brace for trouble before anyone even raised their voice. “The cookie,” she whispered. “And my bath.” At the sink, Ivy stopped moving. The dish towel remained frozen in her hands. They had already left Walter and Diane’s house. Two weeks earlier, they had packed the car in a rush and driven away. It had started with something as small as Sadie reaching for a second cookie. Then came the screaming. Then Diane slapped the back of Sadie’s hand hard enough to make her cry. Another night, Diane snatched away Sadie’s bowl of noodles while she was still eating. The food spilled down the front of the little girl’s shirt. And Diane told her four-year-old granddaughter she hadn’t “earned” the right to finish dinner. Callum had driven away from his childhood home with Ivy and Sadie in the back seat believing one thing: Getting them out would be enough. Those two months with his parents had only been temporary. A way to save money while their apartment leases overlapped. Callum thought distance would undo whatever damage had been done there. Then his four-year-old daughter stood in their new kitchen holding seventy-five cents— trying to pay her own father for a cookie and a bath. And Callum realized leaving that house had only removed Sadie from the place that hurt her. It hadn’t removed the fear that place had taught her. 👉👉 I’ve exceeded the character limit, so please read the rest of the episode in the comments below. If you don’t see it, click **“All comments.”** 👇👇👇
“Daddy… do I cost too much?”
Callum Calder froze.
His four-year-old daughter stood beside the kitchen table, three quarters clenched in her tiny fist.
She was trying to slip them into the front pocket of his work bag without him noticing.
“Sweetheart, what is this for?”
Sadie lowered her eyes.
She had started doing that lately whenever she thought she had done something wrong.
Callum still didn’t know where she had learned to brace for trouble before anyone even raised their voice.
“The cookie,” she whispered.
“And my bath.”
At the sink, Ivy stopped moving.
The dish towel remained frozen in her hands.
They had already left Walter and Diane’s house.
Two weeks earlier, they had packed the car in a rush and driven away.
It had started with something as small as Sadie reaching for a second cookie.
Then came the screaming.
Then Diane slapped the back of Sadie’s hand hard enough to make her cry.
Another night, Diane snatched away Sadie’s bowl of noodles while she was still eating.
The food spilled down the front of the little girl’s shirt.
And Diane told her four-year-old granddaughter she hadn’t “earned” the right to finish dinner.
Callum had driven away from his childhood home with Ivy and Sadie in the back seat believing one thing:
Getting them out would be enough.
Those two months with his parents had only been temporary.
A way to save money while their apartment leases overlapped.
Callum thought distance would undo whatever damage had been done there.
Then his four-year-old daughter stood in their new kitchen holding seventy-five cents—
trying to pay her own father for a cookie and a bath.
And Callum realized leaving that house had only removed Sadie from the place that hurt her.
It hadn’t removed the fear that place had taught her.
👉👉 I’ve exceeded the character limit, so please read the rest of the episode in the comments below.
If you don’t see it, click “All comments.” 👇👇👇
