Donald Trump is making bold historical comparisons after walking away from another attempt on his life.
Following a chaotic scene at the Washington Hilton where shots were fired during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Trump spoke to reporters about the reality of being a frequent target of violence.
Rather than expressing fear, the 79 year old president framed the danger as a testament to his political impact. “Well, you know, I’ve studied assassinations, and I must tell you the most impactful people, the people who do the most, take a look at Abraham Lincoln,” Trump said during a late night press briefing. “The people that make the biggest impact, they’re the ones that they go after. They don’t go after the ones that don’t do much.”
The Saturday night incident saw Secret Service agents rush Trump, Melania Trump, and JD Vance out of the ballroom as gunfire erupted near a security checkpoint. One agent was struck by a bullet but was saved by his protective vest. The suspect, 31 year old Cole Tomas Allen from California, was tackled and arrested on the spot.
Trump didn’t hold back on his opinion of the gunman, calling him a “lone wolf” and a “sick person.” He also shared images of the suspect being pinned to the ground on Truth Social, confirming that the threat had been neutralized. Despite the gravity of the situation marking the third time he has been targeted in less than two years Trump insisted he felt “honored” by the company he now keeps in history books.
“I hate to say I’m honored by that, but I’ve done a lot, we’ve done a lot,” he continued. “We were the laughing stock for years and now we’re the hottest country anywhere in the world. We’ve changed this country and there are a lot of people that are not happy about that.”
Fox’s Peter Doocy asks President Trump: Why does this keep happening to you?
Trump responds: The people who make the biggest impact are the people they go after. I hate to say I’m honored by that. pic.twitter.com/vm7HBqOK8C
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 26, 2026
