The world is in shock as another attempt to assassinate President Donald Trump took place this weekend. However, on social media, people are now claiming the horrifying event could’ve been ‘staged.’
The suspected gunman, Cole Tomas Allen, charged past the security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday. He was armed with a shotgun, handgun, and knives, exchanging gunfire with law enforcement before he was taken down and arrested.
Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union this weekend, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said investigators believed the suspect intended to attack administration officials at the event, including President Donald Trump, based on a manifesto he left behind. Moreover, he praised law enforcement’s response as “a massive security success story.”
Cole Tomas Allen, who lives in the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance, California, was taken to a local hospital afterward. He is expected to be charged in federal court on Monday.
In a press briefing shortly after the attack, Trump called the suspected shooter a “whack job” and a “lone wolf.”
“My impression is he was a lone wolf whack job. These are crazy people,” Trump said.
Suspect in attempted Donald Trump assassination named Cole Tomas Allen
He continued, “I saw a room that was just totally unified. It was, in one way, very beautiful, a very beautiful thing. To see a man charge a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, and he was taken down by some very brave members of the Secret Service, and they acted very quickly. It is always shocking when something like this happens.”
Cole Tomas Allen was reportedly staying as a guest at the Washington Hilton, where the White House Correspondents’ Dinner took place.
According to Todd Blanche, the suspect is believed to have “traveled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago, and then Chicago to Washington, D.C., where he checked into the hotel where the correspondents’ dinner was at in the last day or two.”
While horrifying videos and pictures from the shocking incident have painted somewhat of a clear picture, there are those who believe it was all staged. And there is one person who has become the talk of the town as social media users say her words are ‘proof’ that it wasn’t real.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt sparked online speculation after she made a joke before the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. One thing she said took on a chilling new meaning following the shooting.
As Leavitt spoke with Fox News ahead of the dinner, the press secretary teased what people could expect from Donald Trump’s appearance. Leavitt said he was “ready to rumble,” promising “classic Donald J. Trump” in his address, and that it will be “entertaining.”