Correction: This article was updated to accurately reflect Jeanine Pirro’s comment. Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, affirmed Sunday that the bullet that hit a Secret Service agent at last weekend’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was fired by the alleged gunman. Pirro told host Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of… Source link
President Trump joked Thursday about the possibility of him wearing a bulletproof vest in the future in the aftermath of a third assassination attempt, joking that he does not know if he “can handle looking 20 pounds heavier.” The comment elicited laughs in the Oval Office where Trump was fielding questions from the press. “These… Source link
The upheaval of the annual White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner by a would-be assassin has committed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to two goals: Build a ballroom at the White House, and keep the suspect detained. Cole Tomas Allen, the alleged gunman, already faces three criminal charges that include attempting to assassinate President Trump.… Source link
The Department of Justice (DOJ) asked a federal judge to dissolve his block on the White House ballroom following the weekend shooting at the Washington Hilton in a blistering motion filed late Monday. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon has rejected the administration’s claims that the entire project must proceed for security reasons, limiting it to “below-ground construction” as a lawsuit proceeds. Just before midnight, DOJ… Source link
Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-Ariz.) said Sunday that Congress should take “better steps” to address lawmaker security in the wake of the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner. “I do,” Hamadeh told host Chris Stirewalt on NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday,” when the latter asked whether the legislative branch “should be doing something different”… Source link
New details are emerging about the man accused of opening fire near the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, as investigators work to determine a motive and whether the attack specifically targeted members of the Trump administration. Authorities have identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California. Officials say Allen was armed with multiple weapons, including a shotgun, a handgun and knives, when he charged a security checkpoint near the event at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night. A Secret Service agent was struck by gunfire during the incident but was protected by a ballistic vest and is expected to recover. No other injuries were reported. Law enforcement officials say Allen appears to have acted alone, though the investigation remains ongoing. Authorities are also reviewing writings and communications attributed to the suspect that police say were sent to his family just prior to the shooting. They have been described in reporting — and by President Trump — as a manifesto or “grievance collection,” which may outline his reasoning and reference government officials as potential …
Mentalist Oz Pearlman on Sunday recounted when a gunman exchanged fire with law enforcement outside the ballroom where Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was taking place. Pearlman told host Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union” that he was performing a trick for President Trump, first lady Melania Trump and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt when they heard “commotion” at the Washington Hilton. “It wasn’t gunshots. I wasn’t sure if it was a tray,” he recalled. “We’re also higher than everyone [on stage]. So, we have a very good vantage point versus the thousands of people in the room. And I see everyone swarming one table.” Pearlman noted that he at first thought a “bomb” was about to go off and realized he had to “get down” on the ground. “It was incredibly surreal,” he added. “I get down. I kind of get down on all fours facing left, stage left, and then I watch. It feels like slow motion because of the way the adrenaline is.” A man, who multiple outlets …
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) on Sunday expressed hope that a transparent investigation into the shooting at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner will be conducted. “I hope that this investigation is done with complete openness and transparency and integrity,” Raskin, who was attending the event, told host Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the… Source link
President Donald Trump was rushed from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night after reports of gunfire triggered a rapid Secret Service response, sending hundreds of attendees scrambling for cover inside one of Washington’s highest-profile political events. The incident unfolded roughly 30 minutes into the dinner, just as guests were being served their opening course. Attendees reported hearing a series of loud bangs — some describing them as gunshots, others as crashing plates — before security moved in. [NOTE: The incident begins at 8:34 PM ET.] Within seconds, Secret Service agents evacuated the president and vice president, while armed personnel flooded the room. Guests, including journalists, administration officials, and cabinet members, were instructed to take cover, with many ducking under tables as exits were secured. Most senior officials were evacuated by protective details shortly after Trump and Vance and were placed in secure locations. Reports from inside the room described shattered glass and at least one blocked exit as security teams worked to lock down the space. High-ranking officials, including cabinet members and senior …
