Following the shooting at the White House correspondents dinner in Washington on Saturday night, US President Donald Trump said he has “studied assassinations” and suggested that leaders with the most influence are often targeted.Trump made the comments while speaking to reporters after a shooter approached the site of a media event, sparking panic and a major security response.“I respectfully ask, why do you think this keeps happening to you?” a reporter asked Trump after the chaotic event.Trump responded by linking the attacks to his influence as president.“Well, you know, I’ve studied assassinations,” Trump said. “And let me tell you about the most influential people, the people who do the most – you take a look at Abraham Lincoln… The people who make the biggest impact are the ones they follow.”“I hate to say I’m honored by this, but I’ve done a lot of things,” Trump said. “We’ve changed this country, and there are a lot of people who are not happy with it. So I think that’s the answer.”Trump, who survived an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in 2024, also reflected on the personal risks of political life.“I lead a perfectly normal life, considering, you know, it’s a dangerous life,” he said.“A lot of other people, you know, you read stories where they become basket cases. To be honest, I’m not a basket case.”Despite his often aggressive relationship with the media, Trump took a softer stance toward reporters after the incident, saying that the atmosphere following the scare was marked by unity.She said there was “overwhelming love and coming together” after the event was disrupted due to the shooting.Trump also said he had prepared a speech for the dinner, which he described as “the most inappropriate speech I’ve ever given,” but joked that it would be “very boring” now that the event is rescheduled.The president also used the moment to criticize security at the Washington Hilton, where the correspondents’ dinner was held, and reiterated his push for a new ballroom under construction at the White House.Trump said the hotel was “not particularly safe” and that the incident reflected the need for a planned $400 million White House ballroom.
