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.
Trump posts photo of suspect who opened fire at press dinner; survived assassination attempt thanks to bulletproof vest
“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:
Live: Shooting Reported Outside White House Correspondents' Dinner, Trump and First Lady Safe
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.
MY HUSBAND LEFT ME AND MY DISABLED BROTHER TO DROWN. THEN MY BROTHER STOOD UP.
THE LAST THING MY HUSBAND SAID BEFORE ABANDONING US
“The more you fight that door, Valerie, the faster you’ll drown.”
Julian said it almost casually.
Then he climbed through the driver’s window and disappeared into the freezing river.
I froze.
Water rushed into the SUV.
My brother Mason was trapped in the back seat.
“Julian!”
I slammed against the passenger door.
“Come back! Mason is still inside!”
He never looked back.
Minutes earlier, we had been driving toward Sterling Shipyard when Julian suddenly jerked the wheel.
The SUV smashed through the guardrail and plunged into the river.
It wasn’t an accident.
I reached for my seat belt.
It wouldn’t release.
I felt underneath the seat.
Wire.
Someone had deliberately locked the mechanism.
My blood ran cold.
Then I saw Julian on the riverbank.
And he wasn’t alone.
Chloe.
My half-sister.
She stood beneath a black umbrella, one hand resting on her pregnant stomach.
Julian walked straight into her arms.
They looked at the sinking SUV.
At us.
Then Julian smiled.
Three years of marriage shattered in one second.
The secret phone calls.
The endless business trips.
The lies.
Chloe appearing at every family gathering.
They had been together all along.
And now they had left us to die.
“Mason…”
My voice broke.
“I’m sorry. I brought him into our family.”
The water reached my chest.
Then something hit the back of my seat.
Once.
Twice.
I turned.
And stopped breathing.
Mason was standing.
Standing on both legs.
The legs I had believed were useless for fifteen years.
He reached inside his coat and pulled out a compact rescue cutter.
“Not now, Val.”
He sliced through the wire holding my seat belt.
“What happened to your legs?”
“Later.”
He pulled me free.
The SUV was almost completely submerged.
Mason forced open the rear door and dragged me into the freezing water.
I swam toward the surface.
He grabbed my arm.
“Not there.”
He pointed toward the riverbank.
Julian and Chloe were still watching.
Mason pulled me beneath an abandoned pier.
We surfaced in the darkness between two concrete supports.
I gasped for air.
Mason pressed a finger to his lips.
“Julian can’t know we survived.”
I stared at him.
“You’re walking.”
“I know.”
“For fifteen years…”
“I know.”
“You let me believe you were crippled.”
His face hardened.
Then I saw the pain in his eyes.
“Valerie…”
He looked toward the distant riverbank.
“Mom and Dad’s crash wasn’t an accident.”
My entire body went cold.
“What did you just say?”
Mason tightened his grip on my arm.
“Julian didn’t just try to kill us tonight.”
He leaned closer.
“He finished what he started fifteen years ago.”
I stared at him.
“Come with me.”
And for the first time that night, I realized the sinking SUV was only the beginning.
