Washington, D.C. – In a heated exchange with a reporter, US President Donald Trump expressed outrage over a report referencing the manifesto of alleged shooter Colleen Thomas Allen, who opened fire at a White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
According to foreign media reports, Trump referred to Allen as a “radicalized, anti-Christian, and severely mentally ill individual.” When the reporter mentioned the alleged shooter’s family had received a final message from Allen, Trump became enraged. US officials claim Allen, the suspect behind the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, had sent a final message to his family about 10 minutes before the shooting.
The message allegedly read, “I will no longer allow a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to soil my hands with their crimes.” Trump responded by saying, “I was waiting for you to read that, because I knew you would, because you are frightening people, really frightening people.”
When the reporter asked if he understood it to be a reference to himself, Trump answered without commenting, “I am not a pedophile.” It appeared that Trump was trying to draw a parallel between himself and the infamous financier Jeffrey Epstein, although Allen’s final message did not mention Epstein.
Helen Mebs, an eyewitness to the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, described the scene by saying, “You’re reading the ravings of a sick person.” She claimed to have no connection to the case, and that she had been completely exonerated. She described Allen as a “severely mentally ill person.”
In response to a question about the shooter, Trump said he had read Allen’s final message, describing him as “radicalized,” “formerly a religious person,” and “possibly a very sick person.” Trump also accused Democratic leaders of using hate speech, which he claimed was a major cause of political violence in the United States.
When asked if he was worried during the shooting, Trump responded, “I understand that life is precious, but it’s not my first attempt on my life, nor is it my third.” When questioned about the decision not to be immediately transferred to a secure location, Trump said, “I wanted to see what was going on, I didn’t make it easy for them, I wanted to know what was happening, I really wanted to go back inside.”
In other news, Sri Lankan authorities have arrested 22 Buddhist monks suspected of being involved in the smuggling of drugs. The United States and Iran appear to be drawing closer, according to CNN, with the US president claiming that Iran has demanded that the Strait of Hormuz be opened immediately.
In a new development, six Pakistani nationals were arrested by the Hajj security forces in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Former US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman claimed that President Trump wants Iran to surrender completely, which she believes will never happen.
The United Arab Emirates has announced its withdrawal from OPEC and OPEC Plus, with the decision to take effect on May 1, 2026. According to a report by the UN agency UNICEF, 1 million girls in Afghanistan have been affected by Taliban-imposed restrictions.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Mnuchin made a major claim about Iranian petroleum. Japan has intensified its policy against illegal immigrants, with a record 318 individuals deported last year, more than three times the number two years prior. Qatar has reiterated its full support for Pakistani mediation in US-Iran talks.
