President Trump makes first public appearance in Florida after alleged assassination attempt
SEVEN DAY FORECAST. WE’LL SEE YOU WITH EVERYTHING COMING UP. ALL RIGHT CHRIS, THANK YOU. BACK NOW TO PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S VISIT TO WEST PALM BEACH. JUST HOURS AGO, HE SPOKE AT THE KRAVIS CENTER, WHERE HE ATTENDED A DINNER CELEBRATING THE FORUM CLUB’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY. MY CO-ANCHOR TODD MCDERMOTT JOINING US LIVE FROM OUTSIDE THE KRAVIS CENTER WITH THE LATEST REMARKS FROM THE PRESIDENT TONIGHT, TODD. WELL, FELICIA, HE SPOKE ABOUT 750 TONIGHT, TAKING THE STAGE AFTER VISITING THE VILLAGES IN ORLANDO EARLIER IN THE AFTERNOON, MAKING AN APPEARANCE THERE. MAYBE ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THAT PARTICULAR VISIT WAS QUESTIONING THE HOW VERIFIED IT CAN BE THAT AFFORDABILITY IS A PROBLEM IN THIS COUNTRY. AGAIN, HE LANDED AT THE AIRPORT THAT WILL SOON BEAR HIS NAME AND CAME OVER HERE TO SPEAK FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. THE PRESIDENT WARMLY WELCOMED TO THE FIRST EVER DINNER HELD BY THAT FORUM CLUB, WHICH WAS FORMED 50 YEARS AGO CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY. IT’S A NONPARTISAN ORGANIZATION THAT PROMOTES CIVIL POLITICAL DISCOURSE. THEY INVITED THE PRESIDENT, WHO WAS WARMLY RECEIVED AND GAVE SHOUT OUTS TO ALL KINDS OF FRIENDS, ALLIES, OTHER POLITICIANS. ET CETERA. BOTH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS, I MIGHT ADD. HE OPENED WITH A SERIES OF JOKES ABOUT THE WAR IN IRAN, TOUTING THE EASE OF THE U.S. MILITARY OPERATION THERE AND THE LACK OF CLEAR LEADERSHIP IN TEHRAN’S GOVERNMENT SINCE THE U.S. AND ISRAEL BOMBING CAMPAIGNS. HE JOKED THAT NO ONE WANTS TO BE IRAN’S PRESIDENT NOW. THE PRESIDENT ALSO SLAMMED THE WAR POWERS ACT THAT REQUIRES CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL. ON THE 60TH DAY OF THE WAR, WHICH IS TODAY. YOU KNOW, THEY DON’T LIKE THE WORD WAR, AND THEY CALL IT A MILITARY OPERATION, BECAUSE THAT WAY YOU DON’T HAVE A WAR. YOU DON’T HAVE LEGAL PROBLEMS. BUT YOU EVER HEAR A SITUATION WHERE WE’RE KNOCKING THE HELL OUT OF SOMEBODY AND WE HAVE A CONGRESS? PLEASE, YOU’VE ONLY GOT THREE DAYS LEFT. WE SPENT 19 YEARS IN VIETNAM. WE SPENT 12 YEARS IN IRAQ. WE SPENT SEVEN YEARS IN ANOTHER PLACE, TWO YEARS IN ANOTHER ONE, SEVEN YEARS IN ANOTHER ONE. WE HAD ANOTHER ONE FOR 14 YEARS. AND WE’RE IN THERE FOR SIX WEEKS. WHAT’S TAKING SO LONG NOW? WE COULD LEAVE RIGHT NOW. RIGHT NOW. WE LEFT RIGHT NOW. IT WOULD TAKE THEM 20 YEARS, 25 YEARS TO REBUILD THE PLACE. THE AIR FORCE WANTS THE AIR FORCE. THEY’RE NOT GOING TO GIVE IN. SPACE IS SO IMPORTANT NOW FOR THE WAR AS A, QUOTE, EXCURSION AND JOKED ABOUT RENAMING THE PERSIAN GULF, THE GULF OF TRUMP CHUCKLED. HE WILL NOT BE DOING THAT BECAUSE SOME OF HIS ADVISORS TOLD HIM IT’S A BAD IDEA. HE ALSO MADE A JOKE ABOUT THE U.S. TAKING OVER CUBA NEXT, OR SOON ADDED, THEY HAVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS. PRESIDENT CONTINUE TO REFER TO THE U.S. ECONOMY AS HOT AND POINTED TO THE SURGING STOCK MARKET. THIS ALL COMES WITH THE BACKDROP OF TODAY’S WASHINGTON POST ABC IPSOS POLL, WHICH SHOWS THAT 61% OF AMERICANS CONSIDER THE WAR IN IRAN A MISTAKE AS FAR AS SKYROCKETING GASOLINE PRICES AND THE PRICE OF OIL. HE CALLED THIS ALL A DETOUR AND GUARANTEED THE PRICES WILL SNAP BACK. WHICH. WHICH WHEN THE WAR IS TAKEN CARE OF. ONE NOTABLE SURPRISE THE PRESIDENT. SHOUT OUT TO SHERIFF RIC BRADSHAW. NOT A SURPRISE. THE SURPRISING PART. HE SAID HE VOTED FOR HIM AND POINTED OUT THAT THE SHERIFF IS A DEMOCRAT. HIS ONE MENTION OF LAST WEEK’S DANGEROUS INCIDENT AT THE WASHINGTON HILTON IN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENTS DINNER WAS ONLY THAT. NOW EVERYBODY LOVES MY BALLROOM. THE BALLROOM IDEA ARI HAIT WAS HERE OUTSIDE THE KRAVIS CENTER WHILE WE WERE INSIDE. HE HAS A LOOK AT HOW PEOPLE REACTED OUTSIDE THE KRAVIS. SECURITY IS VERY TIGHT HERE ALONG SOUTHERN BOULEVARD HEADING TOWARD MAR-A-LAGO. THEY’VE BEEN OCCASIONALLY STOPPING VEHICLES AS THEY CROSSED THE BRIDGE ONTO PALM BEACH. THIS IS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING OUTSIDE THE EVENT. LONG BEFORE PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP ARRIVED AT THE KRAVIS CENTER IN DOWNTOWN WEST PALM BEACH, THE PROTESTERS WERE ALREADY THERE. WE HAVE A POLICE WHO IS ENRICHING HIMSELF USING OUR TAX DOLLARS. ABOUT 50 PEOPLE GATHERED, HOLDING SIGNS CALLING TO IMPEACH THE PRESIDENT AND DEMANDING NO KINGS IN AMERICA. WE ARE NOT IN FAVOR OF FASCISM. WE ARE OUT HERE FIGHTING TO TO SAVE AND CLAIM OUR DEMOCRACY BACK. ALSO IN THE CROWD, A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT HERE FOR A CONVERSATION ABOUT HIS POLICIES, HAVING MORE DIALOG LIKE THIS IS IMPORTANT TO REALLY MAINTAIN OUR INTEGRITY AS A COUNTRY, ALONG WITH THE CROWDS DOWNTOWN, THERE WAS ALSO SECURITY. A LOT OF IT. AFTER THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT IN WASHINGTON, D.C. LAST WEEKEND, LAW ENFORCEMENT IN PALM BEACH COUNTY WAS NOT TAKING ANY CHANCES. RIGHT AT THE ENTRY TO THE KRAVIS ARMED SHERIFF, SWAT MEMBERS, ALONG WITH WEST PALM BEACH POLICE AND METAL DETECTORS. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE TELLS US THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF DEPUTIES ALL AROUND THE AREA, ALONG WITH SECRET SERVICE SNIPERS ON THE ROOFS OF NEARBY BUILDINGS. THE PRESIDENT’S WEEKEND IN FLORIDA IS ALSO EXPECTED TO INCLUDE A TRIP TO MIAMI. THE PGA HAS A TOURNAMENT AT ONE OF HIS GOLF COURSES THERE, AND THE PRESIDENT IS EXPECTED TO ATTEND IN WEST PALM BEACH, ARI HAIT WPBF 25 NEWS. THANK YOU TO ARI FOR THAT. AGAIN, THAT CONCLUDES OUR TEAM COVERAGE OF THE PRESIDENT’S VISIT AND SPEECH HERE AT KRAVIS CENTER. OF COURSE, HE WAS HOME AT MAR A LAGO WITHIN FIVE MINUTES OF LEAVING HERE. ONE OTHER NOTE, BY THE WAY, THE FORUM CLUB HAS BEEN AROUND FOR 50 YEARS. THEY’VE INVITED DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS, OTHER LEADERS TO COME AND SPEAK. JIMMY CARTER ALSO SPOKE THE FIRST YEAR OF THE ORGANIZATION. BUT THERE IS ONE NOTE HERE. PRESIDENT TRUMP IS THE FIRST SITTING U.S. PRESIDENT TO SPEAK BEFORE THE FORUM CLUB. FOR NOW
President Trump makes first public appearance in Florida after alleged assassination attempt
Updated: 11:17 PM EDT May 1, 2026
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President Donald Trump made his first public appearance at The Villages in Central Florida following an alleged third assassination attempt against him. On Saturday, Cole Allen of California was accused of storming a security checkpoint at the White House correspondents’ dinner. Prosecutors said Allen was attempting to kill Trump and members of his administration. Allen is facing several charges, including attempted assassination of the president. In September 2024, Ryan Routh was accused of trying to kill the president after pointing a rifle through the fence of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. In July 2024, Trump was shot in the ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Following the most recent incident, the president and his administration expressed confidence in the security protocols in place. “Look, I’m here to do a job. It’s part of the job,” Trump said. “The White House will continue to engage with DHS and with Secret Service to find ways to improve and strengthen security. But as far as Saturday night is concerned, the president was satisfied with the response,” the administration said. Security concerns remain heightened after a separate incident involving a suspicious U-Haul truck in West Palm Beach Thursday, Apr. 30. Police shut down roads for hours around lunchtime after a bomb-detection dog alerted on the truck. The bomb squad was called in, but after a search, nothing dangerous was found. “In today’s environment, you have to be safe. Everything that we put in place, law enforcement worked,” police said. “Our due diligence is always in play, and we’re going to do what we need to do to keep the city safe,” they added. The renter of the U-Haul said the truck had been parked in the area for days as she was moving and had paid for it to be there. She was not charged with anything. Stay up to date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. —
President Donald Trump made his first public appearance at The Villages in Central Florida following an alleged third assassination attempt against him.
On Saturday, Cole Allen of California was accused of storming a security checkpoint at the White House correspondents’ dinner. Prosecutors said Allen was attempting to kill Trump and members of his administration.
Allen is facing several charges, including attempted assassination of the president.
In September 2024, Ryan Routh was accused of trying to kill the president after pointing a rifle through the fence of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.
In July 2024, Trump was shot in the ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Following the most recent incident, the president and his administration expressed confidence in the security protocols in place.
“Look, I’m here to do a job. It’s part of the job,” Trump said.
“The White House will continue to engage with DHS and with Secret Service to find ways to improve and strengthen security. But as far as Saturday night is concerned, the president was satisfied with the response,” the administration said.
Security concerns remain heightened after a separate incident involving a suspicious U-Haul truck in West Palm Beach Thursday, Apr. 30.
Police shut down roads for hours around lunchtime after a bomb-detection dog alerted on the truck.
The bomb squad was called in, but after a search, nothing dangerous was found.
“In today’s environment, you have to be safe. Everything that we put in place, law enforcement worked,” police said.
“Our due diligence is always in play, and we’re going to do what we need to do to keep the city safe,” they added.
The renter of the U-Haul said the truck had been parked in the area for days as she was moving and had paid for it to be there. She was not charged with anything.
Stay up to date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25
Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.