President Donald Trump avoided addressing questions about Melania’s response to the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. In a recent interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes on Sunday, April 26, the US president discussed the events of the previous evening when a gunman entered the Washington Hilton.
During the interview, reporter Norah O’Donnell inquired about both Trump and Melania’s reactions. While Trump mentioned Melania’s “rather traumatic experience,” he was cautious in his responses. O’Donnell asked if Melania was scared, to which Trump replied, “Well, I don’t want to say, and people don’t like having it said that they were scared, but certainly. I mean, who wouldn’t be when you have a situation like that?” He added, “I think she realized ahead of time that it was more of a bullet than it was a tray.”
Reflecting on the incident, Trump remembered seeing his wife looking upset after the shooting took place. The couple was conversing with Karoline Leavitt and CBS’s Weijia Jiang when gunshots interrupted the dinner. Attendees sought cover while Trump and JD Vance were swiftly escorted away. Later, Trump showed footage of the gunman charging at security during a press briefing that evening.
Trump commended Melania for her composure during the ordeal, acknowledging the intensity of the situation. He mentioned Melania’s quick response to the gunshot sound and how she immediately understood the gravity of the situation.
Following the shooting, the Secret Service responded promptly as the room was put on lockdown for about an hour. Normalcy resumed at 9 pm, with Jiang welcoming guests back to their seats.
The gunman, identified as Cole Allen, a 31-year-old California teacher, was apprehended and charged with using a firearm during a violent crime and assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon.
