WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the suspect accused of trying to attack administration officials at Saturday night's White House Correspondents' Association dinner was a "pretty sick guy" who had an anti-Christian manifesto.
Trump said in TV interviews that the suspect's family previously expressed concerns about him to law enforcement officials. The suspect, whom an official identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, of Torrance, California, was arrested at the scene of the event in Washington, D.C.
"He was a Christian, believer, and then he became an anti-Christian, and he had a lot of change," Trump told CBS' "60 Minutes" program. "He was probably a pretty sick guy."
The manifesto was sent to members of Allen's family shortly before the attack, a law enforcement official told Reuters. In it, the suspect called himself the "Friendly Federal Assassin," the official said.
"Turning the other cheek when someone else is oppressed is not Christian behavior; it is complicity in the oppressor's crimes," the manifesto read, according to the official.
Targets listed in the manifesto included administration officials -- although not FBI Director Kash Patel -- prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest, the official said.
The manifesto mocked the "insane" lack of security at the Washington Hilton, where the dinner was held, the official added.
"Like, the one thing that I immediately noticed walking into the hotel is the sense of arrogance," the manifesto's author reportedly wrote. "I walk in with multiple weapons and not a single person there considers the possibility that I could be a threat."
The chaotic events raised fresh questions about the security of top U.S. officials, many of whom were gathered in the hotel's expansive ballroom.
The suspect traveled by Amtrak train from Los Angeles to Chicago and then to Washington, checking into the Hilton on Friday, acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said on multiple Sunday talk shows, adding that Trump and top members of his administration were the likely targets. Train passengers in the United States are not required to pass through airport-style metal detectors.
Amtrak said it is cooperating with the investigation.
Officials have said that the suspect fired a shotgun at a Secret Service agent at a security checkpoint in the Washington Hilton hotel before being tackled and arrested.
Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and cabinet officials were rushed out as the incident unfolded. The Secret Service agent who was shot escaped serious injury because the bullet struck his protective vest, Trump said.
Trump, who had boycotted the media gala in the past, has requested that the dinner be rescheduled within 30 days. White House Correspondents' Association President Weijia Jiang of CBS said the group's board would determine their next steps.
The suspect will be charged today in federal court with assault of a federal officer, discharging a firearm and attempting to kill a federal officer, Blanche said, adding he did not know if there was an Iran connection to the attack. Further federal indictments will be coming later, Blanche said.
Around the world, leaders condemned the attack and expressed relief that Trump and all present were safe.
A planned U.S. visit by King Charles of Britain scheduled to start today will proceed, Trump and British officials said.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel walks following a shooting incident during the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 25, 2026 REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstU.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and his wife Jennifer Rauchet returns to the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner after a reported shooting incident in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 25, 2026 REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstU.S. President Donald Trump holds a press briefing at the White House, following a shooting incident during the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 25, 2026 REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst