Karoline Leavitt Praises 'Fearless' Trump After 'Crazy' Gunman Tried to Assassinate Prez and Kill Top Administration Officials During WHCD
Karoline Leavitt called Trump 'fearless' after the shocking WHCD shooting.
April 27 2026, Published 2:32 p.m. ET
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt spoke out after a terrifying shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, praising Donald Trump as "fearless" while condemning the alleged gunman's motives, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The suspected shooter, Cole Tomas Allen, reportedly attempted to target the president and top administration officials during the chaos.
Leavitt's Full Statement
Leavitt slammed the suspect as a 'depraved anti-Trump lunatic.'
Leavitt said what "was supposed to be a fun night with President Trump delivering jokes and celebrating free speech" was instead "hijacked by a depraved anti-Trump lunatic who sought to assassinate the President and kill as many top Trump administration officials as possible."
She added that she "was with President Trump and the First Lady backstage" when they were "quickly ushered to safety by Secret Service."
According to Leavitt, "President Trump was truly fearless," but she stressed that "this political violence needs to end."
She went on to thank law enforcement for "keeping all of us safe," including "the brave agent who took a bullet to the chest and immediately moved to neutralize the shooter."
Trump and Melania were rushed to safety as chaos unfolded inside the venue.
Eerie 'Shots Fired' Comment
The press secretary's 'shots fired' comment resurfaced after gunfire erupted.
Hours before the shooting, Leavitt raised eyebrows with a comment that has since gone viral.
During a red carpet interview, she said, "He is ready to rumble. This speech tonight will be classic Donald. J. Trump. It will be funny, it will be entertaining. There will be some shots fired tonight in the room."
'Unfortunate Choice of Words'
Trump later called the alleged gunman 'a very sick person' after the attack.
After gunfire erupted, critics quickly resurfaced the clip, with one writing, "There were 'shots fired' indeed. How odd," while another added, "Yikes, this did not age well."
Others pushed back on conspiracy theories, with one user arguing it was "just an unfortunate choice of words" and claimed "the conspiracy theorists are nuts."
Another speculated: "This video was posted an hour before shots were fired at the dining table in the building. I knew that event was staged."
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Trump Speaks Out After Shooting
Trump later called the alleged gunman 'a very sick person' after the attack.
Trump addressed the violence shortly after the incident, condemning the suspected gunman and confirming he had been taken into custody by the Secret Service.
Speaking during a press briefing, Trump said: "He's a sick person, a very sick person, and we don't want things like this to happen."
In the immediate aftermath, the president and members of his Cabinet were instructed to evacuate the Washington Hilton, where the annual dinner was underway.
Trump acknowledged he was reluctant to leave, admitting: "I fought like hell to stay," before ultimately following security directives.
He also provided an update on the injured officer, noting the outcome could have been far worse.
"He was wearing a very good bulletproof vest that saved him," Trump said, adding the agent remained in "great shape" and "very high spirits."
