During the night of last Saturday, April 25, the annual meeting of White House correspondents took place, the first held by Donald Trump in his two terms in office, after having boycotted the event during his first term. At this event, while a magician was performing one of his tricks on the president, a series of shots began to be heard that some of those present confused with the sound of a tray falling to the ground.
A few moments later, senior members of the Trump Administration began to be evacuated although, surprisingly, the president was not the first. Vice President JD Vance was the first member to be evicted from the room, as can be seen in the images: a security member grabs him by the back and drags him.
The reality was that a 31-year-old “lone wolf” (as he would later be described by Donald Trump himself) had evaded the president’s security by entering the room after avoiding the first security cordon, entering the room with a gun and several knives. In the images released from the moment of the attack, you can see how Colen Allen, responsible for this attempted attack, targets several of the attendees.
Just before being subdued by a dozen security members in a matter of seconds, Allen had time to shoot one of the agents, who managed to save his life thanks to the use of his bulletproof vest.
The rest of the attendees began to scream, run and even hide under the tables. One of the most outstanding images featured Michael Glantz, a well-known artist representative, who remained unchanged in the face of this situation and continued with his dinner as if nothing had happened. Another of the attendees took the opportunity to collect some of the bottles of champagne and wine that dominated the tables.
This ceremony took place at the Hilton hotel in Washington, precisely in the same place where Ronald Regan was attacked in 1981. The former president of the United States was shot in the left lung while greeting those present and heading to the presidential limousine. The bullet stayed just three centimeters from his heart.
Trump’s agenda has not been modified
The attacker who tried to carry out this murder attempt during the day last Saturday was arrested moments later. Donald Trump was responsible for sharing some images of the aforementioned on social networks and, in a subsequent press conference, called him a “lone wolf” and “crazy” with serious mental problems. He also praised the intervention of the secret service.
However, the effectiveness of the president’s security has been questioned by public opinion, since in the images you can see how in a matter of seconds Allen bypasses the first level of security and bursts into the room.
The American president’s agenda has not been modified
The White House has chosen to reinforce security measures, and maintains the state visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the United States. The confirmation of this trip aims to maintain a message of stability at a time marked by high political tension, in addition to commemorating the 250 years of US independence.
Trump’s third attack in two years: an unprecedented number
This assassination attempt is already the third that President Donald Trump has suffered in just two years. The first of them took place in July of last year 2024, during a rally held in the State of Pennsylvania, when a sniper shot the then Republican presidential candidate, hitting his right ear. The second attempt occurred in September of that same year, when a man armed with a rifle was arrested while trying to attack the life of the now president while he was playing golf in Florida.
Up to four US presidents have been assassinated
The political course of the United States has been historically marked by assassination attempts on its presidents. So much so that up to four presidents of the United States have been assassinated in the exercise of their office. The most recent was the case of John F. Kennedy in 1963, well remembered as it occurred in full view of the entire world, when the president was assassinated after being shot three times while driving inside his presidential limousine through Dealey Plaza at an event.
Wave of solidarity responses at the international level
After this attempted attack on President Donald Trump, different reactions followed from the highest institutional authorities from all over the world. In the case of Spain, the President of the Government Pedro Sánchez condemned the attack, stressing that “violence is never the way. Humanity will only advance through democracy, coexistence and peace.”
For his part, the leader of the popular opposition, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has assured that politics consists of “arguing”, but that it is not about giving “a few bullets” to a politician, “whoever that politician is.”
