NEW YORK: Aerospace giant Boeing on Friday confirmed that China had committed to purchasing 200 aircraft, as previously announced by US President Donald Trump during his visit to Beijing.&nbsp;&quot;We had a very successful trip to China and accomplished our major goal of reopening the China market to orders for Boeing aircraft,&quot; the company, whose CEO Kelly Ortberg was part of the US delegation to China, said in a statement.&nbsp;&quot;This included an initial commitment for 200 aircraft and we expect further commitments will follow after this initial tranche,&quot; Boeing said, thanking the Trump administration &quot;for making this milestone happen.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;We now look forward to continually addressing China&#39;s aircraft demand,&quot; it said.&nbsp;China&#39;s last order from Boeing dates back to 2017, when Trump went to Beijing at the start of his first White House term. At that time, it ordered 300 single-aisle and wide-body planes -- a mega-deal valued at $37 billion.&nbsp;On Thursday, Trump had referred to the new Boeing commitment, telling Fox News host Sean Hannity in an interview: &quot;I think it was a commitment.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;That&#39;s a lot of jobs,&quot; the president added.&nbsp;Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew home from China, Trump said the deal included &quot;a promise of 750 planes, which will be by far the largest order ever, if they do a good job with the 200.&quot;&nbsp;US media have reported for several months that Beijing was poised to make a major order from Boeing that would include 500 single-aisle 737 MAXs and about 100 larger 787 Dreamliners and 777s.

Asia

Boeing confirmed China committed to purchasing 200 aircraft during US President Donald Trump’s Beijing visit, reopening Boeing’s China market after years without orders, with prospects for additional commitments and a possible larger future deal.

Boeing confirms China commitment to buy 200 aircraft

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday said Pakistan-US relations strengthened during the tenure of President Donald Trump. According to a statement from Pakistan&#39;s Interior Ministry on social media platform X, the remarks were made during a meeting between Mohsin Naqvi and US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Paul Kapur in Islamabad. US Charg&eacute; d&rsquo;Affaires Natalie Baker, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry, and senior officials also attended the meeting. The Interior Ministry said discussions focused on Pakistan-US bilateral relations and the latest situation in the Middle East.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 624px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2055159850523324894&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=4925f88f0d01108cb10407a3f776750d4b118061&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Both sides also exchanged views on enhancing cooperation in security, counter-terrorism, and anti-narcotics efforts. &ldquo;Pakistan-US relations are based on mutual trust and bilateral cooperation,&rdquo; Naqvi said during the meeting. The minister added that foolproof security arrangements have been ensured for American companies working on the Reko Diq project. According to the ministry, Naqvi also expressed Pakistan&rsquo;s desire to see direct flights between Pakistan and the United States resumed soon. &ldquo;We are hopeful for a lasting and peaceful resolution of the Middle East conflict,&rdquo; he added.

Foreign Affairs

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said Pakistan-US relations strengthened during Donald Trump’s tenure, as officials discussed security cooperation, counter-terrorism and regional developments during a meeting in Islamabad.

Interior minister says Pakistan-US relations strengthened under Trump administration 

BEIJING: President Donald Trump said he had made &quot;fantastic trade deals&quot; with China&#39;s Xi Jinping, as the pair met on Friday at final talks of a superpower summit that according to the US leader has also reaped a Chinese offer to help open the Strait of Hormuz. Trump had arrived in Beijing seeking to seal deals in sectors including agriculture, aviation and artificial intelligence, as well as to contain differences between the two sides in a number of tense geostrategic areas -- not least the Middle East war. Trump&#39;s overtures to Xi, whom he described as a &quot;great leader&quot; and &quot;friend&quot;, have so far been met with more muted tones by the Chinese leader. But the US leader said &quot;a lot of good&quot; has come out of the visit. &quot;We&#39;ve made some fantastic trade deals, great for both countries,&quot; he said after a walk with Xi among the rosebushes in the gardens of Zhongnanhai, a central leadership compound next to Beijing&#39;s Forbidden City. &quot;We&#39;ve settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn&#39;t have been able to solve,&quot; he added, without providing details. Xi said it was a &quot;milestone visit&quot;, and that the two sides had to date established &quot;a new bilateral relationship, which is a relationship of constructive strategic stability&quot;. He promised to send Trump seeds for the White House Rose Garden. &#39;Help on Hormuz&#39;&nbsp;In an interview with Fox News after the first day of the summit wrapped, Trump said Xi had agreed to several US wish list points. On the topic of the war in Iran, the US president said Xi had effectively assured his counterpart that China was not preparing to militarily aid Tehran, which has essentially closed the Strait of Hormuz. &quot;He said he&#39;s not going to give military equipment... he said that strongly,&quot; Trump told Fox. &quot;He&#39;d like to see the Hormuz Strait open, and said &#39;if I can be of any help whatsoever, I would like to help,&#39;&quot; Trump added. Asked whether the two leaders had discussed Iran, the Chinese foreign ministry on Friday released a statement calling for &quot;a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire&quot;. &quot;Shipping lanes should be reopened as soon as possible in response to the calls of the international community,&quot; it added. Boeing, oil, soybeans&nbsp;Trump did not spell out on Friday the trade agreements that he said had been sealed with China. However, in the Fox interview, Trump said one big business deal struck involved Xi agreeing to purchase &quot;200 big&quot; Boeing jets. Shares of the US aviation giant fell after Trump&#39;s comments, in a sign the market had expected a more robust purchase from China. The US president also said Beijing had also voiced interest in buying US oil and soybeans. And Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that Trump and Xi were talking about setting up &quot;guardrails&quot; for the use of artificial intelligence. Bessent said the world&#39;s &quot;two AI superpowers are going to start talking&quot;, though US export controls on the advanced technology to China remain a sore point in relations.

China

'We've made some fantastic trade deals, great for both countries,' he said after a walk with Xi among the rosebushes in the gardens of Zhongnanhai, a central leadership compound next to Beijing's Forbidden City.

Trump says made 'fantastic trade deals' with Xi

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE: US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he would ask President Xi Jinping to &quot;open up&quot; China to US business when the two meet in Beijing this week for high-stakes talks. &quot;I will be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to &#39;open up&#39; China so that these brilliant people can work their magic, and help bring the People&#39;s Republic to an even higher level!&quot; Trump wrote on social media, referring to US business CEOs accompanying him on the trip. US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet in Beijing on May 14-15, a summit that was delayed in March following the US and Israeli strikes on Iran.&nbsp; It marks the first state visit to China from a US president since 2017, when Trump was first in office. Geopolitical tensions, particularly trade, Taiwan, the Iran war, and artificial intelligence, loom over the upcoming meeting. Meanwhile, the global economy continues to feel the effects of soaring oil and gas prices from the Strait of Hormuz blockade and the fragile trade truce between the United States and China.

Americas

Says that during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 14-15, he would ask his Chinese counterpart to open the country to US business.

Trump says will ask Xi to 'open up' China to US business

WASHINGTON: Top US executives, including Tesla&#39;s Elon Musk and Apple&#39;s Tim Cook, will accompany US President Donald Trump on his visit to China this week, a White House official said Monday. Beijing has said it is ready to work with the United States in pursuit of &quot;more stability&quot; and confirmed that Trump will visit, the first US president to do so since 2017. His trip runs from Wednesday to Friday. Washington and Beijing have been at loggerheads over key issues ranging from trade tariffs to the Iran war to Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory. While in Beijing, Trump will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with the countries&#39; myriad trade and economic issues on the table. Trump and Xi agreed in October to a one-year truce in a blistering trade war that saw tariffs on many goods exceed 100 percent. The US president has been pressuring companies to build manufacturing facilities in the United States, a bid to both reduce imports and increase domestic economic activity. Many top tech companies&#39; supply chains, however, heavily involve China, making them particularly exposed to bilateral trade tensions. The United States has also sought to block China from accessing the highest-end artificial intelligence chips from US companies. According to a list shared by a White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, Musk and Cook will be accompanied by 15 other chief executive officers. They include the chiefs of Boeing, GE Aerospace, Citi, Goldman Sachs, Mastercard and Visa. Among tech companies, top executives from Cisco, Meta, Micron and Qualcomm will be on the trip, the official said. Musk, the richest person in the world, heavily backed Trump on the campaign trail for his second term as US president, contributing more than $280 million. The two had a public falling out in July last year, but appear to have since reconciled, with Musk reappearing in White House circles.

Top US executives, including Elon Musk and Tim Cook, will accompany President Donald Trump on his China visit this week, where talks with Xi Jinping are expected to focus on trade, technology and regional tensions.

Musk, Apple's Cook to head to China with Trump: White House

ROME: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday, the second day spent calming tensions in Rome following criticism by President Donald Trump. The day after a &quot;friendly and constructive&quot; audience with Pope Leo XIV, whom Trump lambasted for his anti-war rhetoric, Rubio will meet with far-right Meloni at her office in Rome. Meloni is one of the US president&#39;s closest European allies, but he has sharply criticized her for failing to help with the war with Iran. In an interview with an Italian newspaper last month, Trump said he was &quot;shocked&quot;, saying: &quot;I thought she had courage, but I was wrong.&quot; His comments came a day after Meloni said Trump&#39;s criticism of Leo, the first ever US pontiff, was unacceptable. More recently, Trump threatened to pull US troops from Italy, saying Rome &quot;has not been of any help to us&quot; in the Iran war. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who also met Rubio on Friday, stressed the importance of the transatlantic alliance. &quot;We are absolutely convinced that Europe needs the United States, and that the United States also needs Europe,&quot; he said on Thursday. &quot;If there are things we disagree with, we say so, we have said so, and we will say so, because this is what being allies is all about: always with our heads held high, convinced of our position, and we intend to play a role.&quot; In a meeting at the Italian foreign ministry on Friday morning, Tajani and other officials presented Rubio with documents tracing the US diplomat&#39;s Italian origins. &quot;It&#39;s a true honor and a very special moment to receive all of this information,&quot; Rubio said, adding that he was going to learn Italian. The Cuban-American, who speaks fluent Spanish, said: &quot;The next time I&#39;m back... I&#39;ll give a speech &#39;in Italiano&#39;.&quot; NATO commitments&nbsp;Tajani said he intended to discuss with Rubio the issue of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which is effectively blocked by Iran, as well as the conflict in Lebanon. They would also discuss Venezuela and Cuba and the war in Ukraine, in which Rome has supported Kyiv against Russia, Italian officials said. Earlier this week, Meloni said the idea of pulling US troops out of Italy was &quot;a decision that does not depend on me, and one that I personally do not agree with&quot;. But she added: &quot;Italy has always honored all its commitments, particularly within NATO, even when our direct interests weren&#39;t at stake, in Afghanistan and Iraq.&quot; Trump has also threatened to pull US troops out of Spain, while the Pentagon has announced it will withdraw 5,000 US troops from Germany. As of Dec. 31, 2025, there were 12,662 active-duty US troops in Italy and 3,814 in Spain. In Germany, there were 36,436.

Italy's Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni welcomes U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during their meeting at Palazzo Chigi in Rome on May 8, 2026. (Photo by Stefano RELLANDINI / AFP)

Europe

Top US diplomat met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome to ease tensions sparked by President Donald Trump over the Iran war, NATO commitments, and criticism of Pope Leo XIV.

US Secretary of State Rubio meets Italian PM after Trump criticism

YEREVAN: Europeans have &quot;heard&quot; US President Donald Trump&#39;s message of frustration over the Iran war and are &quot;stepping up&quot;, NATO chief Mark Rutte said on Monday after Washington announced it would withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany. &quot;European leaders have gotten the message. They heard the message loud and clear,&quot; Rutte said before talks with European leaders in Armenia, acknowledging &quot;disappointment on the US side&quot; faced with European allies&#39; resistance to joining the war. &quot;Europeans are stepping up, a bigger role for Europe and a stronger NATO,&quot; Rutte insisted ahead of a European Political Community meeting dominated by the twin security threats posed by the Ukraine and Middle East wars. &quot;We have seen all these countries now participating with their bilateral agreements making sure that when it comes to basing requests and all the logistical support,&quot; Rutte said. The Pentagon troop move comes with transatlantic ties badly strained over the Middle East war although German Chancellor Friedrich Merz insisted Sunday there was &quot;no connection&quot; with his recent spat with Trump over the conflict. EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas called the announcement&#39;s &quot;timing&quot; a &quot;surprise&quot;. &quot;There has been a talk about withdrawal US troops for a long time from Europe,&quot; she told reporters in Yerevan. &quot;But of course, the timing of this announcement comes as a surprise.&quot; &quot;I think it shows that we have to really strengthen the European pillar in NATO, and we have to really do more,&quot; Kallas said, while stressing that &quot;American troops are not in Europe only for protecting European interests, but also American interests.&quot; Europe has been ramping up its defense spending in the face of fears over Trump&#39;s commitment to NATO and Russia&#39;s assault on Ukraine a push underscored by several leaders in the Armenian capital. &quot;Europeans are taking their destiny into their own hands, increasing their defense and security spending, and building their own common solutions,&quot; French President Emmanuel Macron said. &quot;We have to step up our military capabilities to be able to defend and protect ourselves,&quot; EU chief Ursula von der Leyen told reporters.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte arrives to attend the 8th European Political Community (EPC) summit in Yerevan on May 4, 2026. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

European and NATO leaders said they are “stepping up” defence efforts and strengthening NATO’s European pillar after the US announced troop withdrawals from Germany amid tensions over the Iran conflict.

NATO chief says Europeans have 'gotten message' from Trump on defense

WASHINGTON: The battle for control of the US Congress entered its final six months on Sunday, as midterm elections in November could reshape President Donald Trump&#39;s second term and redefine the balance of power in Washington. As ever, the midterms will be a referendum on the president, with Democrats hoping to capitalize on economic discontent and Trump&#39;s sliding approval ratings to retake the House of Representatives and Senate -- while Republicans fight to defy political headwinds. At stake is not just legislative control but the trajectory of Trump&#39;s agenda, with a Democratic-run&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/congress-to-vote-on-trumps-war-powers-as-usisrael-strikes-on-iran-enter-fifth-day" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Congress</a>&nbsp;able to launch investigations, block nominees and generally complicate the remainder of his presidency. Early indicators point to a challenging environment for Republicans, with Trump&#39;s approval rating around 40% and economic dissatisfaction -- particularly inflation and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-lawmakers-say-no-evidence-iran-had-planned-first-strike-on-us" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Iran&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-lawmakers-say-no-evidence-iran-had-planned-first-strike-on-us" target="_blank">war-related&nbsp;</a>costs&nbsp;-- eroding confidence.&nbsp;&lsquo;Structural headwinds&rsquo;Polling shows Democrats with a narrow edge on the generic ballot, while some surveys suggest voters now trust them more on the economy. A Republican-aligned group, AFP Action, warned the party&#39;s Senate majority was &quot;at risk,&quot; citing &quot;structural headwinds&quot; and disengaged voters. In midterm elections, Americans vote to fill all 435 House seats, about one-third of the 100-member Senate and most governorships. Democrats need to flip three House seats and four Senate seats to take control. &quot;The Senate is on the table here,&quot; Molly Murphy, of pollster Impact Research, told cable network MS NOW, pointing to Trump&#39;s waning popularity and strong Democratic turnout in recent elections. &quot;When the president&#39;s approval rating is at or below 40%, that is when you start to see these deeper pickups in much more Republican-heavy terrain.&quot; Still, the landscape remains fluid, with structural challenges for both parties.<h2 style="line-height: 2;">&nbsp;</h2><h2 style="line-height: 2;">&#39;Always tough&#39;&nbsp;</h2>Republicans benefit from a favorable Senate map, with Democrats needing to win in states Trump carried.&nbsp; And heavily gerrymandered districts -- as well as a shrinking number of competitive seats -- limit how far a national swing can translate into House gains. The campaign has been further complicated by a fierce redistricting battle, with states including Texas, California, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, Missouri, Utah and Virginia pursuing new mid-decade voting maps. The overall impact of the changes -- alongside a Supreme Court ruling limiting race-based redistricting -- remains unclear. Republicans are banking on financial advantages and voter concerns over immigration and national security, while Democrats are focusing on cost-of-living pressures and framing the election as a defense of democratic norms.&nbsp;&lsquo;Effort to rig the system&rsquo;Ahead of the six-month mark, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of undermining voting rights through pushes for overzealous election security and immigration enforcement initiatives. &quot;Let&#39;s call it what it is: an effort to rig the system,&quot; he said. For Republicans, the central challenge remains the president himself.&nbsp;Midterms typically punish the party in power, and Trump&#39;s weak approval ratings have heightened concerns. At the same time, even some of his supporters say his focus on foreign policy, particularly the war with Iran, has drawn attention away from domestic economic concerns that typically dominate midterm campaigns. Even so, Republicans insist the race is far from settled, noting that political conditions can shift rapidly ahead of an election. House Majority Leader&nbsp;Steve Scalise&nbsp;told CNBC that Republican prospects would depend on turnout and voters appreciating his party &quot;delivering what we&#39;ve delivered to finally start turning this mess around that we inherited a year and a half ago.&quot; &quot;Midterms are always tough for the incumbent party, but this is not your father&#39;s Democrat Party,&quot; Scalise said.

Polling shows Democrats with a narrow edge on the generic ballot, while some surveys suggest voters now trust them more on the economy.

US midterm race enters last six months with Congress at stake

ISLAMABAD: United States President Donald Trump will appear on a new limited-edition US passport being issued to mark the country&rsquo;s 250th anniversary next July, the White House said on Wednesday.&nbsp;The commemorative passports are part of wider celebrations planned for the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence, with events scheduled across the country.&nbsp;Images released by the White House and the Department of State show Trump&rsquo;s portrait included in the passport design alongside elements of the Declaration of Independence and the American flag. The design also carries the president&rsquo;s signature in gold. Another page features an illustration of the Founding Fathers signing the Declaration of Independence.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 1167px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2049249271946391799&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=57aa8c83d905caa0ac2d80ff10531f7f3d7fdd25&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2049249271946391799"></iframe></div></div>State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott, as cited by Al-Jazeera, said the special passports would be released in limited numbers and made available to US citizens applying through the Washington Passport Agency. Distribution is expected to begin this summer and continue while supplies last. Current US passports already contain images linked to American history, including the Battle of Fort McHenry, the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, and symbols such as the Statue of Liberty.&nbsp;The passport redesign follows other efforts by Trump and his administration to place his name, image, or signature on national projects and institutions. This year&rsquo;s national park passes, for example, include Trump&rsquo;s image alongside George Washington, departing from the program&rsquo;s traditional focus on natural landscapes.&nbsp;The United States Mint has also released draft designs for a one-dollar coin featuring Trump&rsquo;s profile as part of the anniversary celebrations. Proposed imagery includes his portrait with the words &ldquo;Liberty&rdquo; and &ldquo;In God We Trust,&rdquo; while the reverse side shows him raising a clenched fist before an American flag with the phrase &ldquo;FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT,&rdquo; referencing a slogan he used after a 2024 assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 858px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1974156375891804229&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=57aa8c83d905caa0ac2d80ff10531f7f3d7fdd25&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1974156375891804229"></iframe></div></div>Trump has also sought to rename New York&rsquo;s Penn Station after himself, though the idea has failed to gain support.&nbsp;His name was also added to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington last year after a controversial vote by board members, marking the first time a major national institution was renamed after a sitting US president.

The redesigned US passport now prominently displays an image and signature of President Donald Trump. (Photo: Screengrab from X/The White House)

Trump to feature on limited-edition US passport for America’s 250th anniversary

WASHINGTON: Investigators on Sunday said the gunman who tried to storm a gala dinner attended by Donald Trump planned to assassinate the US president and multiple top officials, as scrutiny grew over the event&#39;s security. Trump, who was rushed out of the hotel ballroom in Washington by Secret Service agents, posted surveillance footage of the gunman attempting to sprint past a checkpoint. After a brief exchange of gunfire with agents, the suspect was detained at the scene on Saturday evening and was being questioned before he is due to appear in court Monday. Trump shared photos of the suspect handcuffed on the carpeted hotel floor. &quot;He&#39;s not actively cooperating. I expect that he will be formally charged tomorrow morning in federal court in Washington,&quot; acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche told CBS&#39;s &quot;Face The Nation.&quot; &quot;We do believe, based upon just a very preliminary start to understanding what happened, that he was targeting members of the administration.&quot; Blanche added that no further motive was known for the attack, and confirmed the suspect &mdash; who officials said was armed with a shotgun, handgun and knives &mdash; was staying at the Washington Hilton hotel where the black-tie dinner was held. &quot;We believe that he traveled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago, and then from Chicago to Washington,&quot; Blanche said. &quot;It appears he purchased these firearms in the past couple years.&quot; Guests hid under tables Trump, without providing details, said the gunman had written an &quot;anti-Christian&quot; manifesto. &quot;The guy is a sick guy,&quot; Trump told Fox News. &quot;His sister or his brother actually was complaining about it. They were even complaining to law enforcement.&quot; The New York Post said the suspect, widely named as Cole Allen, 31, had written in a note shared with his family shortly before the attack that his targets would be &quot;prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest.&quot; In the seconds after the shooting a floor above, Secret Service agents swarmed into the ballroom, prompting chaotic scenes as attendees dove under tables. Crowded into the ballroom were Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, several cabinet members and top lawmakers, and hundreds of guests in black tie. Trump said at a hastily arranged late-night news conference at the White House that he first thought the noise was a tray being dropped, before realizing it was gunfire. He said he hoped the annual gala, hosted by the White House Correspondents Association, would be rescheduled within a month. &quot;They seem to think he was a lone wolf, and I feel that too,&quot; the president said. One officer was shot at close range in his safety vest and appeared to be not seriously harmed. Trump added that the hotel venue was &quot;not a particularly secure&quot; facility, as questions swirled about the president&#39;s safety protocols. Multiple attempts on Trump&#39;s life Trump was the target of an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania in 2024. A gunman fired several shots, killing an audience member and lightly wounding the president in the ear. A few months later, another man was arrested after a Secret Service agent saw the barrel of a rifle poking from the bushes on the perimeter of the West Palm Beach golf course where Trump was playing a round. The Washington Hilton, where Saturday&#39;s gala was taking place, is the site where Republican President Ronald Reagan was shot by a would-be assassin in 1981. &quot;This keeps happening,&quot; Brian Raftery, an attorney, told AFP in Washington on Sunday. &quot;One of these times, unfortunately, something very bad is going to happen if we continue to have these types of attacks on political leaders.&quot; Trump on Sunday said the shooting underlined the security reasons that he has cited for planning a huge new ballroom next to the White House, a project that has faced legal challenges. The White House Correspondents&#39; Association invited Trump to its gala this year despite his repeated attacks on the media. Before this year and unlike all other presidents from the past 100 years, Trump had never attended while in office. The dinner brings together journalists and the who&#39;s who of Washington to raise funds for scholarships and awards. The incident came less than 48 hours before King Charles III and Queen Camilla begin a four-day state visit to Washington.

US Attorney General Blanche says no further motive known for the attack, confirms the suspect was staying at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the black-tie dinner was held; Trump says gunman had written an "anti-Christian" manifesto.

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