President Donald Trump responded cryptically when asked why he keeps getting targeted by alleged assassination attempts. The president noted that the would be assassins like to target powerful people who tend to take big and bold actions.
Trump has been the alleged target of at least three assassination attempts including the January shooting at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last year where one of his supporters was killed and Trump was grazed by a bullet, the Daily Mail report.
President Trump posts on TruthSocial: What happened last night is exactly the reason that our great Military, Secret Service, Law Enforcement and, for different reasons, every President for the last 150 years, have been DEMANDING that a large, safe, and secure Ballroom be built… pic.twitter.com/y4kuh8VZ8f
— Donald J Trump Posts TruthSocial (@TruthTrumpPost) April 26, 2026
The most recent alleged attempt on Trump’s life occurred Saturday when 31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen allegedly tried to gain entry to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner being held at the Washington Hilton.
During a later press conference, Trump was asked directly: “Why do you think this keeps happening to you?”
He said his answer came from having “studied assassinations,” suggesting such acts often center on individuals with the greatest perceived impact.
“I must tell you the most impactful people, the people that do the most, you take a look at the people – Abraham Lincoln – I mean, you go through the people that have gone through this where they got ’em, but the people that do the most and the people that make the biggest impact are the ones that they go after.”
Trump added that attackers typically ignore figures who “don’t do much because they like it that way.”
He continued: “Just take a look at the names here. The big names, and I hate to say I’m honored by that, but I’ve done a lot. We’ve done a lot.” He also claimed his administration transformed the United States from “a laughingstock” into “the hottest country in the world.”
According to Trump, that shift has fueled hostility. “We’ve changed this country, and there are a lot of people that are not happy about that,” he said.
Authorities say Allen authored a manifesto prior to the incident, referring to himself as the “Friendly Federal Assassin.” The document was reportedly sent to family members roughly ten minutes before shots were fired at the Washington hotel hosting the high-profile media event.
NEW: Norah O’Donnell plays dumb as Trump tears into her after she brought up how the shooting suspect called him a “r*pist” in his manifesto.
O’Donnell: “He also wrote this: ‘I’m no longer willing to permit a p-d*phile, r-p*st, and traitor…’”
Trump: “I was waiting for you to… pic.twitter.com/t9tnqqrCGF
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 26, 2026
A relative later provided the writings to law enforcement, according to a U.S. official. In the manifesto, Allen wrote: “Turning the other cheek is for when you yourself are oppressed. I’m not the person raped in a detention camp. I’m not the fisherman executed without trial.”
He continued: “I’m not a schoolkid blown up or a child starved or a teenage girl abused by the many criminals in this administration. Turning the other cheek when someone else is oppressed is not Christian behavior; it is complicity in the oppressor’s crimes.”
Allen also referenced his choice of weaponry, writing: “In order to minimize casualties, I will also be using buckshot rather than slugs (less penetration through walls).” He added that he “would still go through most everyone here to get to the targets if it were absolutely necessary… but I really hope it doesn’t come to that.”
The manifesto allegedly listed “administration officials (not including [FBI Director Kash] Patel)” as targets, ranking them by seniority.
In another passage, Allen wrote: “I am no longer willing to permit a p-d-ph-le, r-p-st, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes,” in what investigators believe was a reference to the president.
Trump has previously survived other attempts on his life. 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire in Pennsylvania before being shot and killed by police. Meanwhile in Florida, 59-year-old Ryan Routh was sentenced to life in prison for his planned attack.
Surveillance footage from Saturday shows Allen, dressed in black, running through the Washington Hilton with a firearm. Footage released later showed him bolting toward the hotel lobby as security staffers drew their own weapons.
Authorities say Allen was carrying a shotgun, handgun and several knives. A photo released later showed him shirtless and face-down on the floor after being tackled.
Police said he wasn’t struck by gunfire, but was taken to a hospital to be assessed. Law enforcement officials also say Allen had checked into the hotel, and seemed motivated to make it to the ballroom where Trump, top aides and reporters had assembled.
Materials recovered from his phone and notes indicate he wanted to attack administration officials at the hotel. Family members told authorities they had received troubling messages from Allen prior to the attack, prompting one relative to alert police. While the writings did not specifically mention the dinner, another relative said Allen had a history of making extreme statements and often spoke about doing “something” to address what he saw as problems in the world.
They also noted he regularly practiced at a shooting range. A senior U.S. official told CBS News that Allen was linked to a group called The Wide Awakes and had attended a “No Kings” protest in California.
