President Donald Trump is unlikely to stop attending high-profile public events despite experiencing what officials are calling a third assassination attempt in less than two years, the White House and the president himself have indicated.
After a lone suspected shooter was taken down while trying to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner Saturday, in an alleged attempt to attack senior members of the administration, the president insisted the event continue. When it was officially postponed, he held a press conference anyway.
“We’re not going to let anybody take over our society. We’re not going to cancel things out because we can’t do that,” Trump told reporters from the White House briefing room.
Trump remained firm that he planned to attend the make-up dinner. The White House did not appear to make adjustments to his public schedule – even as King Charles III and Queen Camilla were preparing for an overseas trip.
The recent shooting mimics how the president has acted in the aftermath of two previous attempted assassinations, where, if anything, Trump has used them to boast about his strength and power.
“President Trump remains completely undeterred, despite the multiple attempts on his life by cowardly individuals,” White House Spokesperson Allison Schuster said in a statement to The Independent.
“The President will not allow deranged lunatics to change the fabric of this Country and dictate the American way of life. President Trump and the entire Administration will continue to stand strong and fight for the American people,” Schuster added.
Famously, in July 2024, after a bullet from an attempted assassination grazed his ear at an outdoor rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the president dropped to the ground before raising his fist above his bloodied face to display an unwillingness to be taken down.
The image is now an indelible part of modern American history. The president has often used the photo to rally his supporters or display defiance against his opponents.
After a second assassination attempt in September 2024, the Trump campaign made no changes to the president’s schedule and sent out a campaign fundraising email using the thwarted act of violence to boost Trump.
Now, after a third attempted attack, the president has insisted that the consistent violence is a sign that he is impactful.
“I’ve studied assassinations, and I must tell you, the most impactful people, the people that do the most ... they’re the ones that they go after,” Trump told reporters Saturday evening.
“I hate to say I’m honored by that, but I’ve done a lot,” he added, calling the presidency a “dangerous profession.”
While the incident may not deter the president from attending events such as the United States’ 250th anniversary, the World Cup, the president’s 80th birthday, the midterm elections and more, the White House has said it would review security protocol.
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