House

Johnson: Trump is ‘strongest in times of crisis’

Comments:

by Tara Suter - 04/26/26 3:32 PM ET

Comments:

Link copied

by Tara Suter - 04/26/26 3:32 PM ET

Comments:

Link copied

NOW PLAYING

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Sunday that President Trump is “strongest in times of crisis” after a gunman interrupted the yearly White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner on Saturday.

“Many in the media are discussing how President Trump was ‘so remarkably calm’ and ‘in control’ through the events last night. That is the mark [of] a great leader, and it defines who Donald Trump is. … I’ve spent a lot of time with him over the past several years, and he is at his strongest in times of crisis and turmoil,” Johnson wrote in a post on the social platform X on Sunday afternoon.

“It is a primary reason why his time in office is so historic. Adding to that history, he has now survived a third assassination attempt,” the Speaker added.

On Saturday evening, a man exchanged gunfire with law enforcement at the annual WHCA dinner hosted at the Washington Hilton. The president and first lady were evacuated, with journalists and government officials left shaken.

The gunman shot one Secret Service agent and was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives, per police. The law enforcement official was struck in his bulletproof vest and is expected to recover, according to administration officials.

The suspect, according to multiple media reports, has been identified as Cole Allen.

Allen, 31, is from Torrance, Calif., according to The Associated Press, and is a professional game designer.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the suspect traveled from the Los Angeles area to Washington, D.C., and had plans to interrupt the dinner.

“We believe that he traveled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago, and then Chicago to Washington, D.C.,” Blanche said during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week.”

Johnson said in his Sunday post that Trump “has endured the most unbelievable trials, accepted every risk, and works tirelessly every day to ensure that America is great once again.”

“May God continue to protect and sustain him,” Johnson added in his post.

Add as preferred source on Google