President Trump on Monday flatly rejected ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl's account of a phone call the morning after the shooting near the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, escalating a public dispute over the incident.
In a video posted to X on April 26, Karl claimed Trump called him just after 7 a.m. EDT to ask if he was "okay." But more than a week later, Trump took to Truth Social to label the story a fabrication.
"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. "No, this was a hit on ME, not HIM, and I didn't make such a call, why would I do that?"
Trump insisted Karl had called him, not the other way around, and that he didn't pick up. "He called me, but I didn't take his call — He just confirmed that to me when he called again," Trump continued. "I would say that's very dishonest reporting. He's trying to make himself look important but, I'm not surprised, because it comes from ABC Fake News!"
The president and Karl have a history of regular phone conversations, including one on Monday, during which Trump discussed Iranian drones and missiles fired at the United Arab Emirates, claiming they "were shot down for the most part," and urged South Korea to "take some action" after Iranian forces struck a cargo ship from the Asian country in the Strait of Hormuz. That call underscores how Trump is pressuring Seoul to join the Iranian conflict amid rising tensions.
According to Karl's account, Trump emphasized the need for "unity" after the shooting and suggested the WHCA dinner should be rescheduled. Several White House correspondents told CNN they support rescheduling, and WHCA President Weijia Jiang of CBS News informed members Friday that the board is "working through options for a rescheduled event."
The suspect, 31-year-old Cole Allen, was charged last Monday with attempting to assassinate Trump and other federal firearms violations. He appeared in court Monday for a detention hearing after being removed from suicide watch at the D.C. Jail. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said Sunday that investigators "definitively" determined the bullet that struck a Secret Service agent during the shootout came from Allen's weapon.
"It is definitively his bullet, he hit at that Secret Service agent, he had every intention to kill him and anyone who got in his way on his way to killing the president of the United States," Pirro told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union."
The Hill has reached out to ABC News for comment on Trump's denial. The clash between Trump and Karl is the latest in a series of contentious interactions with the media, as Trump's sinking approval ratings threaten GOP midterm prospects and his grip on the party faces renewed scrutiny.
