White House Cites Third Assassination Attempt on President Trump, Calls for DHS Funding

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on April 25 marked the third such incident targeting him in the past two years, while underscoring the need for increased funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Speaking at the press briefing on April 27, Leavitt stated, “This is the third major assassination attempt against President Trump in two years. No other president in history has faced such repeated serious attempts on his life.”

She described the incident as a stark “reminder” of the importance of adequately funding DHS, calling it “shameful” that the agency has remained unfunded for 73 days, which she said is the longest shutdown of a federal agency in U.S. history. According to Leavitt, the United States Secret Service, a “vital component” of DHS, has been directly affected by what she termed “reckless political gamesmanship.”

Reflecting on the shooting, Leavitt said the evening was intended to be a “joyful” celebration of “free speech” and the First Amendment with members of the press, but was instead “hijacked” by a “crazed anti Trump” individual who allegedly traveled across the country with the intent to assassinate the President and senior administration officials.

Leavitt, who had been expected to begin maternity leave, explained her decision to return to the briefing room. “As I told many of you on Friday afternoon, I thought that would be my last time taking your questions until after my maternity leave,” she said, adding, “But given the attempted assassination of the President and top Trump administration officials, I felt it was prudent to be here today to answer your questions and inform the American people about how the administration is responding to yet another attempt on President Trump’s life.”

She noted that the President, the First Lady, and others at the White House are “extraordinarily grateful” to law enforcement personnel who responded swiftly to the incident. Leavitt added that the President specifically expressed “gratitude” to members of the United States Secret Service for their “professionalism, courage, and sense of duty,” including an agent who was injured in the line of duty.

**King Charles and Queen Camilla are being welcomed by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on April 27, 2026, at the White House, in Washington DC. PHOTO: White House**

“As you know, I was seated next to President Trump and the First Lady when the shots were fired before Secret Service swiftly moved us to safety backstage,” she said. “The President’s calm in the face of chaos while yet another individual was trying to take his life was really remarkable to witness, and it’s something I will never forget.”

Leavitt described President Trump as “fearless,” stating that he remains committed to fulfilling his promises to the American public. She also emphasized broader concerns about political violence. “And while we are blessed to have a fearless President, we should not live in a country where such constant fear of political violence permeates our society every single day,” she said. “We can and we should have fierce disagreement in this country… but those disagreements must remain peaceful.”

She further argued that recent violence reflects a broader pattern, stating that no recent political figure has faced “more bullets” or “more violence” than President Trump. According to Leavitt, such incidents stem from what she described as the “systemic demonization” of the President and his supporters by political opponents and sections of the media.

“This hateful and constant and violent rhetoric directed at President Trump, day after day for 11 years, has helped legitimize this violence and bring us to this dark moment,” she said. “Those who constantly falsely label and slander the President as a fascist, as a threat to democracy and compare him to Hitler to score political points, are fueling this kind of violence.”

Leavitt also referenced remarks by public figures like Jimmy Kimmel, citing comments she described as inflammatory, and questioned the tone of political discourse in the country.

Referring to a statement by President Trump following the incident, she said, “We as Americans must recommit ourselves to resolving our differences peacefully and uniting around the shared values that make our country great.”

Separately, Leavitt noted that President Trump and the First Lady are hosting King Charles and Queen Camilla at the White House on April 27 for a state visit. She added that First Lady Melania Trump led preparations for the visit, which she said celebrates the “long standing and special relationship” between the United States and the United Kingdom.