On Tuesday, President Donald Trump humorously commented on the Secret Service's swift actions during an attempted attack at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, sarcastically recounting how agents quickly removed Vice President JD Vance from his chair in mere seconds.
Trump made these remarks at the Rose Garden Club Dinner, an event held at the White House to celebrate National Police Week, where he publicly thanked Sean Curran, the director of the Secret Service, for the agency's response that night.
"I thought you did a fantastic job two weeks ago. You know why? Because I'm here," Trump said, addressing Curran. "We consider being here a success," the president joked, a moment captured by CBS News during his speech.
The president reminisced about the moment agents evacuated Vance, describing it as "the sight of the week": "I saw them grab JD by the shoulders and lift him up like a little kid. I said, why didn’t they lift me that fast? JD was literally yanked out of his chair."
Trump concluded his comment by turning to the vice president: "But they got the job done, JD, right? I think they did."
The incident Trump referred to took place around 8:36 p.m. on April 25 at the Washington Hilton in Washington D.C., the venue for the 105th Annual White House Correspondents' Dinner, which gathered approximately 2,600 attendees.
Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old resident of Torrance, California, and a teacher by profession, burst through the security checkpoint wielding a 12-gauge shotgun, a .38 semi-automatic pistol, and several knives.
Allen fired between five and eight shots before being subdued by Secret Service agents in the hotel's lobby, never reaching the main ballroom where attendees were present.
A Secret Service agent was injured by a bullet that was stopped by his bulletproof vest; there were no civilian casualties or fatalities.
Trump, Melania Trump, Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and several cabinet members—including Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, and Kash Patel—were evacuated safely. This marked the first time Trump attended the Correspondents' Dinner as a sitting president during his second term.
Following the attack, Trump took to Truth Social, stating: "The Secret Service and law enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted swiftly and bravely."
Allen was charged with four federal counts, including attempted assassination of the president. On the same day Trump joked about the incident, Allen pleaded not guilty before federal judge Trevor McFadden. The next status hearing in the case is scheduled for June 29, 2026.
Key Insights on the White House Correspondents' Dinner Incident
What was the role of the Secret Service during the attempted attack?
The Secret Service acted promptly by evacuating key individuals and subduing the attacker before he could reach the main ballroom.
Who was involved in the attempted attack at the Correspondents' Dinner?
Cole Tomas Allen, a teacher from Torrance, California, attempted the attack with firearms and knives.
What were the consequences for Cole Tomas Allen?
Allen was charged with four federal counts, including attempted assassination of the president, and pleaded not guilty.