Donald Trump Jokes He Can’t Handle Looking 20 Pounds Heavier in Bulletproof Vest

President Donald Trump joked in the Oval Office on Thursday about whether he could “handle looking 20 pounds heavier” in a bulletproof vest after being shot at, while discussing a recent security incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, D.C.

“New footage shows how Trump dinner gunman charged through security in four seconds A gunman burst out of a hotel doorway and charged through a security checkpoint in just four seconds as President Donald Trump was attending a press gala, according to new footage released by prosecutors”

BBC

Trump said, “Frankly, the vest did an amazing job because it took a bullet close up,” after a Secret Service agent was shot Saturday and survived, and he added that “The vest totally protected him.”

BBC

The shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner marked the third time officials said a suspected gunman tried to kill Trump, according to The Hill, and the suspect was identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31.

The BBC reported that new footage shows the gunman “charged through a security checkpoint in just four seconds,” and prosecutors said the CCTV clip shows the suspect “casing the area” at the hotel on the day before the dinner.

The BBC also reported that Trump, Vice-President JD Vance, cabinet members and other White House officials were rushed from the venue after gunfire rang out.

In court-related reporting, the BBC said Allen has not yet entered a plea and that the US justice department says the video also shows Allen checking in as a guest.

Multiple outlets tied Trump’s comments to the same incident, with USA Today saying the discussion resurfaced after “a shooting inside the Hilton hotel during the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on April 25.”

Prosecutors’ account of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner attack, as described by the BBC, centers on how quickly Cole Tomas Allen moved through security and what investigators say he carried.

The BBC said the CCTV video appears to show “a security agent opening fire in the direction of the sprinting gunman,” who was “carrying a long-barrelled weapon,” while also noting that the clip “does not show the bit where investigators say the alleged attacker fell over and was arrested.”

CNBC

The BBC reported that Allen is accused of carrying “a semi-automatic handgun, a pump-action shotgun and three knives” as he ran through a terrace level, “one floor above the basement ballroom” where the press gala was unfolding.

The BBC also stated that prosecutors said the suspect was seen “walking down a Washington Hilton corridor on the eve of the gala and popping into the hotel's gym.”

In the same reporting, the BBC quoted a Secret Service spokesman saying, “The officer was struck in the ballistic vest, but was not seriously injured.”

The BBC further reported that prosecutors said a Secret Service officer “observed the defendant fire the shotgun in the direction of the stairs leading down to the ballroom,” and it described defense lawyers questioning prosecutors’ claims that Allen opened fire.

The BBC added that a memo filed by prosecutors asking a judge to hold Allen in custody “makes no mention of any officer being shot,” while earlier charging documents alleged an officer was hit in the ballistic vest by a single shot fired by the suspect.

Separately, People reported that the US Department of Justice identified Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, Calif., and said Allen was charged with one count of attempt to assassinate the President of the United States, transportation of a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.

Trump’s comments on Thursday tied his reluctance to wear a bulletproof vest to how it would look, even as he praised the vest that protected a Secret Service agent during the Saturday incident.

In Fox News’ account of Trump speaking with reporters inside the Oval Office, Trump joked, “I don't know if I can handle looking 20 pounds heavier,” and he added, “Some of these guys are physical specimens.”

Trump said, “No, well, if you want to gain 20 to 25 pounds,” and he described the vest’s performance by saying, “He didn't even want to go to the hospital.”

In The Hill’s reporting, Trump’s remarks elicited laughter in the Oval Office, and it quoted him saying, “These guys, they look so good,” and “Some of these guys are physical specimens.”

The Hill also reported that Trump responded to a question from Libbey Dean, a White House correspondent for NewsNation, and it repeated Trump’s line, “Frankly, the vest did an amazing job because it took a bullet close-up.”

The Hill further said Trump told reporters he has been asked about wearing protective gear before and that “I guess it's something you consider,” while he said, “In one way you don’t like to do it because you’re giving in to a bad element.”

People described Trump’s comparison of the experience to violence in sports, quoting him as saying getting shot while wearing a bulletproof vest was like “getting hit by Mike Tyson.”

In the BBC’s account, Secret Service Director Sean Curran told Fox News that the suspect shot at an agent “at ‘point-blank range’,” and Curran said, “All the evidence that I've seen, the suspect shot our officer point-blank range with a shotgun.”

Curran added that the officer “heroically returned fire while being shot point-blank range in the chest with a shotgun,” and he said the suspect’s knee appeared to have been hit on “one of our magnetometer boxes.”

Beyond Trump’s remarks, the sources describe ongoing security discussions and the legal posture of the suspect Cole Tomas Allen.

The Hill reported that a White House official said earlier this week that chief of staff Susie Wiles is convening a meeting including Secret Service and Homeland Security officials about Trump’s security going forward.

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USA Today said that on Sunday, April 26, Fox News senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy said the vest was among several “major security improvements” considered after the latest incident involving Trump’s safety.

The BBC reported that Allen has not yet entered a plea and that he faces additional charges including transportation of a firearm between states to commit a felony and discharging a firearm in a crime of violence, “both of which have maximum sentences of 10 years.”

People reported that Allen will remain in jail ahead of a scheduled detention hearing in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, and it said ABC News, Fox News and CNBC reported that.

National News Desk said Allen, 31, was arrested and charged after he fired a gun during the event and that he faces multiple charges, including attempted assassination, and could receive a life sentence if convicted.

National News Desk also said Allen appeared in federal court on Thursday and “did not enter a plea,” and it described that he ran through a magnetometer at the Washington Hilton in D.C. while holding a long gun.

The BBC’s account added that prosecutors said the video shows Allen “casing the area” and checking in as a guest, and it described prosecutors’ claims about the shotgun being fired toward the stairs leading down to the ballroom.

Together, the reporting shows that Trump’s public comments about a vest are unfolding alongside active discussions among senior officials and a case in which prosecutors are seeking to keep Allen in custody pending trial.

The coverage diverges in emphasis even when the underlying incident is the same: Trump’s bulletproof vest remarks, the Saturday shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, and the suspect Cole Tomas Allen.

“✕ Home News Analysis Agro-Forestry Art & Culture Technology Economy & Business Education Energy & Extractives Politics Law & Governance Health Science & Environment Social & Gender Sports Transport Urban Development WASH Research LogIn/SignUp Close the sidebar Security Scare at White House Correspondents’ Dinner An armed suspect attempted to breach the White House Correspondents' Dinner security, aiming to harm President Donald Trump”

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Fox News focuses on Trump’s personal framing of the vest and his insistence that he does not think about future threats, quoting him saying, “I don’t think about it,” and “I really don’t think about it.”

Devdiscourse

The Hill similarly highlights the Oval Office laughter and quotes Trump’s lines about “physical specimens,” but it also foregrounds the question-and-answer context by naming Libbey Dean and describing the security meeting involving Susie Wiles.

BBC coverage centers on the evidentiary record, describing “new footage” and the timeline of the gunman charging through security in “four seconds,” while also quoting the Secret Service spokesman’s assessment that the officer was “struck in the ballistic vest, but was not seriously injured.”

National News Desk presents the incident as a “third assassination attempt” and adds details about Allen’s court appearance and the magnetometer at the Washington Hilton, while also stating that the Secret Service agent was shot but wearing a bullet-resistant vest and survived.

USA Today emphasizes the “aesthetic” rationale, saying Trump resisted the idea “not for safety reasons, but because of how it might make him look,” and it ties the renewed scrutiny to the April 25 shooting inside the Hilton hotel.

The Times of India frames Trump’s remarks as brushing aside “reports suggesting he may have been wearing a bulletproof vest,” and it quotes Trump’s refusal to dwell on another attack with “I don’t think about it.”

People provides a broader historical timeline by describing earlier assassination attempts, including the rally in Butler, Pa., on July 13, 2024, and the Florida golf club in September 2024, while also quoting Trump’s “honored” remark after the Saturday incident.

Across these accounts, the same core facts—Trump’s “20 pounds heavier” joke, the vest’s role in protecting an agent, and the suspect’s identification—are presented through different lenses: personal security posture, evidentiary footage, court process, and the political context of repeated attempts.

The sources describe immediate next steps that follow the Saturday incident, including investigations, security meetings, and the legal process for Cole Tomas Allen.

The Hill reported that a White House official said chief of staff Susie Wiles is convening a meeting including Secret Service and Homeland Security officials about Trump’s security going forward, placing the focus on changes after the third attempt.

USA Today tied the renewed scrutiny to “major security improvements” considered after the latest incident, with Peter Doocy saying the vest was among them on Sunday, April 26.

In the BBC’s account, prosecutors are pursuing detention and trial preparation, and it described that a memo filed by prosecutors asking a judge to hold Allen in custody pending trial “makes no mention of any officer being shot.”

The BBC also reported that Allen faces additional charges with “maximum sentences of 10 years,” and it said defense lawyers have questioned prosecutors’ claims about whether their client opened fire.

People reported that Allen will remain in jail ahead of a scheduled detention hearing in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, and it said ABC News, Fox News and CNBC reported that.

National News Desk said Allen was arrested and charged after he fired a gun during the event and that he faces multiple charges, including attempted assassination, and could receive a life sentence if convicted.

In parallel, Trump’s own posture toward security is framed as ongoing: Fox News reported he said he has been asked about wearing a bulletproof vest and that it is “something to consider,” while he insisted he does not like to consider it because he would be giving in to a “bad element.”

The BBC’s reporting on the Secret Service officer’s ballistic vest also underscores the stakes for physical protection, quoting the spokesman that the officer was struck in the ballistic vest but “was not seriously injured.”