President Donald Trump lashed out at ABC News chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl on Monday, denying that he called the reporter the day after an attempted assassination at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Trump posted on Truth Social around 1:37 p.m. ET: "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. No, this was a hit on ME, not HIM, and I didn’t make such a call, why would I do that? He called me, but I didn’t take his call. He just confirmed that to me when he called again. 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 dispute stems from the chaotic events of Saturday, April 25, 2026, at the Washington Hilton during the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, the first Trump attended as president. A 31-year-old California man, Cole Tomas Allen, allegedly rushed a security checkpoint armed with a shotgun, handgun, and knives in a bid to assassinate Trump and Cabinet members. He exchanged gunfire with Secret Service agents, wounding one officer whose bulletproof vest saved him. Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and others were safely evacuated from the ballroom before Allen reached it. Allen was apprehended, and federal charges followed.

The next morning, Sunday, April 26, Karl shared a video on social media and recounted on ABC's "This Week" that his landline rang around 7 a.m. "Not many people call me on that number these days, but it was the president," Karl said. "President Trump calling to see if I was OK with what happened last night." He described a brief talk where Trump emphasized the unity felt at the event, praised the Secret Service, and insisted the dinner be rescheduled soon, noting Karl's past role as WHCA president.

Trump rejected this account outright, insisting Karl initiated contact that he ignored, and only spoke to him again on Monday about unrelated matters like Iran's ceasefire compliance and attacks on the UAE and a South Korean ship. Karl posted on X later Monday about that call but did not address Trump's denial.

Neither ABC News nor Karl immediately responded to requests for comment on the accusation. The White House referred inquiries to Trump's post. The incident marks the latest in a series of security threats against Trump, including prior attempts during his 2024 campaign and presidency.