President Donald Trump on Monday tore into ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl, accusing him of pushing a false narrative about a phone call after the latest attempt on the president's life.
"Jonathan Karl, of ABC Fake News, made a statement that I called him early in the morning, the day after the assassination attempt, to ask whether or not HE was OK," Trump wrote Monday afternoon on Truth Social.
"No, this was a hit on ME, not HIM, and I didn't make such a call, why would I do that?" Trump added, rejecting Karl's claim.
Trump said it was Karl who reached out unsuccessfully.
"He called me, but I didn't take his call — He just confirmed that to me when he called again," the president said.
"I would say that's very dishonest reporting," Trump continued. "He's trying to make himself look important but, I'm not surprised, because it comes from ABC Fake News!"
The clash comes in the wake of the most recent assassination attempt targeting Trump at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, an annual gathering of journalists and political figures in Washington.
Authorities identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, who allegedly opened fire near a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton during the April 25 event.
The gunfire sparked panic as Secret Service agents moved to swiftly secure Trump and evacuate attendees, preventing what officials said could have been a far more deadly attack.
Investigators say the suspect was heavily armed and appeared intent on targeting Trump and possibly other Cabinet officials before he was arrested.
The attack marks the latest in a disturbing pattern of threats against Trump as he continues his second White House term.
In July 2024, Trump survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a gunman fired from a nearby rooftop, grazing Trump's right ear and killing a supporter before being killed by law enforcement.
Another plot was later foiled at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where authorities intercepted a man waiting with a rifle concealed in the shrubs as Trump played the course.
In February, Ryan Wesley Routh, 59, was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of attempting to assassinate then-candidate Trump in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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