President Donald Trump described the suspect in the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting as “a very troubled guy,” saying the individual’s writings reflected hostility toward Christians. His comments came during an April 26 interview following the April 25 attack at the Washington Hilton, where the dinner was underway before being interrupted by gunfire.
“The guy is a sick guy when you read his manifesto. He hates Christians. That’s one thing for sure, he hates Christians, a hatred… So he was a very troubled guy,” Trump said, referencing material investigators have described as a manifesto and social media activity connected to the suspect.
According to reporting from CBS News cited in the aftermath of the attack, the suspect—identified as Cole Allen, 31—had written documents describing plans to target administration officials and law enforcement personnel. Those writings were reportedly sent to family members before the incident, with one relative alerting police prior to the attack. The material reviewed by investigators allegedly included anti-Trump and anti-Christian rhetoric, as well as references to targeting government officials in a prioritized manner.
CBS News also reported that family members told investigators the suspect had made radical statements and frequently referenced plans to “do something” to address perceived societal issues. Authorities said he legally owned firearms and had been practicing at shooting ranges, and that he had associations with activist groups and attended political demonstrations in the past.
Trump characterized the suspect as having long-standing ideological grievances, saying there was “a lot of hatred in his heart for quite a while,” while noting that law enforcement had intervened before the situation escalated further.