Donald Trump on Monday fired off an angry, self-focused rant targeting a journalist, while referencing the aftermath of an assassination attempt against him.
Trump’s combative message appeared less focused on the seriousness of the incident and more on making sure no one else shared in the spotlight.
In a Truth Social post, Trump lashed out at Jonathan Karl of ABC News, denying a report about a phone call the day after the incident and repeatedly emphasizing that he—not the journalist—was the one targeted.
Karl had reportedly suggested Trump reached out to check on him. Trump flatly denied that, insisting the opposite happened.
“No, this was a hit on ME, not HIM, and I didn’t make such a call—why would I do that?” Trump wrote, adding that Karl had tried to contact him but that he ignored the call.
Trump went on to accuse the reporter of fabricating the story to “make himself look important,” calling it “very dishonest reporting” and once again attacking the network as “ABC Fake News.”
The tone of the post raised eyebrows among critics, who said Trump appeared more focused on claiming the incident as his own—treating it less as a moment of national concern and more as a personal trophy—while dismissing others and turning a serious event into yet another personal grievance.
