House Speaker Mike Johnson was on KEEL Radio in Shreveport this morning recounting his experience on Saturday night when he was rushed away when an armed man tried to gain access to the ballroom where they were holding the White House Correspondents Association dinner. Johnson is grateful law enforcement and first responders acted quickly.
“There was so much commotion where I was, I didn’t even hear the gunshots. So the next thing I know, half of my security detail grabs me by the shoulders and pushes me out the door and they said, ‘Shots fired,"” Johnson said.
Authorities say 31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen from California exchanged gunfire with law enforcement as he tried to rush past security checkpoint. He was allegedly armed with multiple guns and knives. Inside the ballroom were President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. Along with Johnson, who is next in the presidential succession.
“I think there will be some re-evaluation on whether we can do these things like we have. It’s very sad. It’s a sad commentary on where we are as a culture and a society,” Johnson noted.
NBC News is reporting Cole, who is a teacher in California and an engineer, sent a note to family members that it was his duty to attack Trump Administration officials. While it is not recognized as a mental illness, Johnson said Cole’s actions is another case of “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
“If you can convince people that they’re being oppressed and someone is evil, then they can rationalize in their crazy minds that they should take the person out. And that’s what we have, increasingly, and it’s very dangerous,” Johnson explained.