Prepared for the Office of Public Affairs (OPA)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Editorial Note: The DHS Daily Briefing is a collection of news articles related to Department’s mission. The inclusion of particular stories is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse the political viewpoints or affiliations included in news coverage.

The Washington Times [4/26/2026 12:37 PM, Seth McLaughlin, 1323K] reports the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers seized on the chaos at Saturday night’s White House correspondents’ dinner shooting to ramp up pressure on Democrats in the standoff over Homeland Security funding. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Congress needs to stop “playing games” with the department’s budget. “I hope this is a wake-up call to Congress,” Mr. Blanche said on “Fox News Sunday.” “I hope this is a wake-up call that the games that they’ve been playing, really with the lives of the men and women protecting them, should end.” He said lawmakers who were in the ballroom — and watched the Secret Service response unfold in real time — should walk away with a clearer appreciation for the agents they have been using “as pawns in their political game.” “I do hope that they get to work now and get a deal done, which is what President Trump has been asking for months now,” he said. DHS, which houses the Secret Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs and the Border Patrol, has been at the center of a bitter Capitol Hill fight. Democrats have blocked funding while demanding changes to ICE after federal agents fatally shot two immigration enforcement protesters in Minnesota. Mr. Trump moved to plug the gap with an executive order to ensure DHS employees were paid. But Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has warned that those emergency funds will run out in early May, raising the prospect that agents and other personnel could soon miss paydays. The Senate advanced a reconciliation bill last week to reopen the department over Democratic objections, sending the measure to the House. Saturday night’s shooting added new urgency. A gunman charged a security checkpoint outside the Washington Hilton ballroom before Secret Service agents took him down. One agent was shot but survived thanks to a bulletproof vest. President Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and Vice President J.D. Vance were evacuated. Washington Republicans echoed Mr. Blanche’s warnings. The National Republican Congressional Committee, the campaign arm for House Republicans, accused Democrats of repeatedly voting against DHS funding and endangering both elected officials and law enforcement. “Democrats can’t inflame tensions, undermine law enforcement, and then pretend to stand for security. Their words are empty, and their record is indefensible,” NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella said. Democrats pushed back. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, also appearing on “Fox News Sunday,” condemned the attack unequivocally but rejected Republican attempts to pin blame on his party. He noted that the Senate has already passed a bipartisan DHS funding bill and urged the House to act. “We have to make sure that every single Secret Service agent continues to get paid, every single TSA agent, the Coast Guard and FEMA, as well as the hardworking men and women of the Department of Homeland Security,” Mr. Jeffries said. FOX News [4/26/2026 6:00 PM, Max Bacall, 37576K] reports House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., said Sunday that the shooting at the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner underscored the need to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), arguing that law enforcement officers performed "flawlessly" despite uncertainty surrounding their paychecks. The congressman cast blame on Democrats for "refusing to fund some of the most important law enforcement officers in our country," like the Secret Service, TSA and Coast Guard, on "The Sunday Briefing.". "This is a big, big deal that these Democrats are literally playing with the safety of Americans — by the way, Republican, Democrat and other, it doesn’t matter what your political perspective is. It’s about Americans’ safety," he said. "The fact that [Secret Service] performed so flawlessly last night while under the stress of wondering whether they’re going to continue to get paid and all the rest of it is even more impressive," he added. The shooting comes amid a more than two-month DHS funding stalemate in Congress. Democrats are seeking changes to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operations and won’t vote for a budget without guarantees thereof, while Republicans are turning to alternative funding methods to continue enforcement as is. Emmer blamed Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for putting a stop to the most recent funding bill that he said was supported by Republicans and Democrats in both chambers of Congress by "[pulling] out two pieces of the bill and [making] that a political issue.". He added that it was the "wrong time to be playing with American safety from the minority.". Emmer himself was seen leaving the ballroom with assistance amid the chaos that followed the gunfire. To put to rest rumors that he may have been injured in the incident, he clarified that, because his leg is in a cast, he had been using a mobility scooter at the event. "But you couldn’t keep it on the floor because there were 3,000 people there and it was so tight. So they had to take the scooter elsewhere. And obviously, when this thing broke, they told us we had to get out. So I had a couple human crutches that were helping me escape out the side door to get to the scooter, which ultimately I rode out.". The suspect in the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting told law enforcement after his arrest Saturday night that he intended to target Trump administration officials, senior federal law enforcement sources confirmed to Fox News. Authorities identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Allen, of Torrance, Calif., adding that he prepared a manifesto outlining his intent and shared anti-Trump and anti-Christian rhetoric on social media. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Reported similarly:
HS Today [4/26/2026 10:25 PM, Megan Norris, 38K]

NewsMax [4/26/2026 12:39 PM, Charlie McCarthy, 3760K] reports the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner should be enough to persuade moderate Democrats to join all Senate Republicans in voting to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said Sunday. During a televised interview, Johnson argued that the violent Saturday night incident reinforces the urgent need to strengthen national security funding, particularly for the Secret Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Protection. Johnson pointed to the chaos at the Washington Hilton, where a gunman opened fire outside the ballroom, forcing the evacuation of President Donald Trump and other top officials. The senator said the attack highlights a broader failure to prioritize security at a time of growing threats. "We need to hold a vote right away," Johnson said on Fox News, calling on at least seven Senate Democrats to join Republicans in passing a House-backed bill that would fully fund DHS. "Let’s find areas of agreement and make this country safer," he added, emphasizing that national security should transcend partisan divides. Johnson suggested the shooting could serve as a turning point, potentially prompting moderate Democrats to reconsider their stance.

NewsMax [4/26/2026 11:01 AM, Staff, 3760K] reports Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., told Newsmax on Sunday that the security scare at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner underscores the urgent need for Congress to restore funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which has been partially shut down for weeks amid a standoff with Democrats. Speaking on "Wake Up America Weekend," Steil praised law enforcement for stopping a suspected gunman before he reached the ballroom at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night. "It’s a real reflection on how good the security team is in preventing this threat from going further," Steil said, adding that "we hold a special place in our heart for all law enforcement officers … who reacted to the scene last night." At the same time, he said the incident highlights the dangers posed by lone actors and the broader political climate. "We live in a dangerous period of time as we have radicals that are acting … what appears to be in this case is a lone wolf," Steil said. He also criticized rhetoric he said has escalated tensions, pointing to reports of protesters outside the event. "It’s rhetoric like this on the left that has no place in our political discourse and needs to end," he said. Steil argued that the episode should serve as a wake-up call for lawmakers returning to Washington. "At a bare minimum, Congress should pass funding for the Department of Homeland Security when we all return to Washington, D.C., on Monday," he said.

Washington Examiner [4/26/2026 7:24 PM, Adisa Hargett-Robinson, 1147K] reports House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) blamed House Republicans for stalling a bipartisan Department of Homeland Security funding bill, arguing the impasse centers on GOP demands over Immigration and Customs Enforcement funding in the wake of the White House correspondents’ dinner shooting. Jeffries stressed that DHS funding for the Secret Service, TSA, FEMA, and other agencies should be approved immediately. "There’s been a bipartisan bill sent over by the Senate, not once, but twice, that has been pending before the House of Representatives now for weeks," Jeffries said on Fox News’s Fox News Sunday. "Every single Senate Republican, every single Senate Democrat, the president himself, as well as House Democrats, have all expressed support for that bipartisan bill.". Jeffries said the legislation should be brought to the House floor immediately, but argued Republicans are holding it up over provisions related to ICE funding and immigration enforcement. The funding standoff marks the longest partial government shutdown, fueling concerns over national security and agency pay. "The exception is ICE and the mass deportation machine because that issue needs to be worked out separately," he said. "I’m not sure why that bill hasn’t been brought to the floor of the House of Representatives. … It will pass on a strongly bipartisan basis so we can make sure that the Secret Service gets paid.". His comments come as lawmakers face renewed scrutiny over federal security funding after the Saturday shooting that injured a Secret Service agent outside the White House correspondents’ dinner. Jeffries praised law enforcement’s response and called for national unity in condemning political violence.

NPR [4/27/2026 5:00 AM, Joe Hernandez, 34837K] reports the alleged gunman at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, where President Trump and other top administration officials were gathered, is set to make his first appearance in court today. Cole Allen, 31, is slated to be arraigned in federal court. Police have not formally identified Allen as the suspect, but NPR confirmed his identity with two people familiar with the investigation who aren’t authorized to speak publicly. Allen faces charges including using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon, according to U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro. Authorities said Allen charged through a security perimeter at the Washington Hilton where the annual event was taking place before being stopped and arrested by law enforcement. One Secret Service agent was shot in his protective vest and not seriously injured.

New York Times [4/26/2026 6:07 PM, Luke Broadwater, et al., 148038K] reports a man armed with knives, a shotgun and a handgun was barreling through security at a full sprint, heading toward the ballroom at the Washington Hilton. At that moment on Saturday night, President Trump and many of America’s top government officials and journalists were one floor down, crammed into the ballroom for a black-tie dinner. The mentalist Oz Pearlman, the night’s entertainer, was leaning over Mr. Trump and the first lady, demonstrating one of his mind-reading tricks by trying to guess the name that the White House press secretary had picked out for her baby, due to be born any day. Suddenly, the look on Mr. Pearlman’s face changed to one of alarm. Several loud but strangely muffled bangs were going off somewhere in the distance. The first lady ducked under the table. The president stayed seated as Secret Service agents, dressed in tuxedos, surrounded him and began to draw their weapons. Guests dived to the floor and hid behind chairs. Secret Service agents climbed over tables to protect cabinet members and some of the country’s most high-ranking officials, smashing plates of spring peas and burrata that had been served only minutes earlier. As agents hustled the president out of the room, Mr. Trump appeared to trip or get pushed down. Vice President JD Vance was pulled from his seat by his shoulders. When agents grabbed Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, they briefly got stuck between two tight tables and had to redirect toward a different exit. The suspect, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, Calif., was taken into custody quickly. And while the investigation is in its early stages, Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, said Mr. Trump was “likely” a target, along with others in the administration. It was a shocking night. And in that way, it was in keeping with the nonstop, previously unimaginable events of Washington in the Trump era, in which no week seems to pass by without some extraordinary turn of events. By the end of the evening, the president would show graciousness to the journalists he had planned to skewer and, after 15 months of attacking Democrats and reporters as enemies, he would take the occasion to call for unity. Mr. Trump rushed back to the White House to speak to the nation about what he had just been through, suggesting that only the most consequential leaders become targets of assassins and using the moment to sell the need for his beloved White House ballroom. Reporters, editors and influencers on the scene scrambled for cover, but not without holding their phones aloft for livestreams, Instagram posts and documentation of a crime in progress. Some of them made it out to after-parties scattered all over town, but the gatherings were scaled back or half empty, since many reporters ended up working late into the evening. Most of Mr. Trump’s cabinet and top officials were in attendance. Kash Patel, the F.B.I. director, was seated toward the back of the room with The Daily Mail. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Lee Zeldin, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, were closer to the front.

Reported similarly:
CBS News [4/26/2026 8:26 AM, Staff, 51110K] Video: HERE
Daily Wire [4/26/2026 12:34 PM, Virginia Kruta, 2314K]

New York Times [4/26/2026 6:00 PM, Devlin Barrett, et al., 148038K] reports the gunman who sprinted through a security checkpoint on Saturday night at the Washington Hilton believed that the Secret Service was poorly prepared to guard top administration officials against him, according to writing he left behind. Agents, in turn, stopped him in a matter of seconds. The episode raised fresh questions about whether the Secret Service was sufficiently prepared to protect the president in an age of rising threats and spasms of political violence. But officials insisted that the security measures had worked as intended, pointing to the fact that the suspect never made it into the hotel ballroom where President Trump and hundreds of journalists were gathered for the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. “The system worked,” Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, said in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, recounting how the suspect made it only feet past the security perimeter. The suspect’s writing was shared with The New York Times by two law enforcement officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose the information. “From experience, this could have been a massacre,” said Paul Eckloff, who served on President Trump’s security detail during his first term. “It wasn’t, because armed, trained professionals stood between the attacker and a ballroom full of people. The question is not, how did he get close? The question people should be asking is, why is everyone alive? It’s because the security plan worked.” In his writing, the suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, expressed surprise that he was able to check into the hotel a day before the event with a shotgun, a handgun and a knife, presumably in his luggage. Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the Secret Service, said that the agency designs a specific security plan for each event. “These measures are rigorously tested during the advance process and were critical in mitigating the threat and preventing significant harm,” he said. The president has vowed to hold the event again in the next month, and already some have questioned whether the security perimeter for that gathering should be pushed farther out. In practice, that would mean that if someone again tried to rush past agents, that confrontation would happen outside the building, not inside it. Mr. Eckloff said that making the perimeter too large could have the unintended effect of diluting security presence where it is most needed.

New York Times [4/26/2026 3:36 PM, Tim Balk, 148038K] reports the Washington Hilton Hotel, where gunfire broke out Saturday night during a White House correspondents’ dinner attended by President Trump, was also the site of an attempted assassination that left President Ronald Reagan seriously wounded in 1981. Mr. Trump had been on the dais in the ballroom where the dinner was being held when a commotion broke out, and he was quickly escorted from the room unharmed. Forty-five years ago, Mr. Reagan was shot on the sidewalk outside the hotel as he walked toward his limousine after a labor meeting inside. The six-decade-old, M-shaped hotel has long hosted the White House correspondents’ dinner and other high-profile annual gatherings, including the First Lady’s Luncheon and the National Prayer Breakfast. It is in the Dupont Circle neighborhood, little more than a mile from the White House. In 1981, Mr. Reagan was shot in the rib while leaving the hotel. The .22-caliber bullet pierced his lung, and he was rushed to George Washington University Hospital, where he underwent two hours of surgery. On Saturday night, the F.B.I. said a suspect was in custody after what the Secret Service called “a shooting incident” near a security screening area. The White House correspondents’ dinner service continued. But by 9:45 p.m., Mr. Trump was on his way back to the White House in the presidential limousine. By 10:34 p.m., he was briefing reporters in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room. “It’s a dangerous profession,” Mr. Trump said.

Washington Post [4/26/2026 9:11 PM, Joyce Sohyun Lee, et al., 24826K] reports the suspect at the White House correspondents’ dinner sprinted past a U.S. Secret Service security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton on Saturday evening, racing through a magnetometer and reaching the top of a staircase that led to the ballroom where President Donald Trump was gathered with Cabinet officials and members of the press, according to a Washington Post analysis of visuals, hotel schematics and eyewitness testimony. The alleged gunman, whom officials familiar with the matter identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, of Torrance, California, was apprehended around 8:35 p.m., having sprinted at least 60 feet, according to security camera footage and measurements taken using a virtual tour available through the hotel’s website. The suspect was photographed on the ground, his hands behind his back, at the top of the stairs. At the bottom of the staircase is a set of doors that open on to the ballroom, opposite the stage where Trump was seated. Air Force veteran and dinner guest Erin Thielman told The Post she was standing near the stairs making a phone call when she saw a man with a gun run through the security checkpoint toward the stairs. There were no checkpoints beyond the magnetometers, multiple attendees said. Thielman said the man did not speak as he ran. “His face was determined. Eyes wide open, mouth in line with determination,” Thielman said. “He was zeroed in and focused. I can’t get his face out of my mind.” Officers fired on him from behind, at which point he fell face-first about a foot from her, Thielman said. Thielman said she assumed he had been shot because he wasn’t moving and the long gun he had been carrying had fallen by his side. He didn’t get up, she said, as she retreated down the stairs. “I ran back down to the ballroom, passing by Secret Service with their pistols drawn in a defensive position. I yelled ‘Gun’ and ‘Shooter’ as I went into the ballroom,” Thielman said. Interim D.C. police chief Jeffery Carroll said Allen was carrying a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives. Carroll said Allen was not shot. A Secret Service officer whose name has not been released was shot and wounded during the incident.

Reuters [4/26/2026 7:09 PM, Jana Winter, Gram Slattery and Humeyra Pamuk, 38315K] reports U.S. law enforcement officials are reassessing security arrangements after a gunman opened fire near the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, raising questions about how he was able to get so close to an event attended by President ​Donald Trump, cabinet members and lawmakers. Two former Secret Service agents and three senior U.S. officials told Reuters on Sunday that federal agents appeared to carry out their plan ‌to protect the president effectively on Saturday night, stopping the alleged gunman before he reached the basement level of the Washington Hilton, where Trump was set to speak. But the fact that some attendees could hear the shots fired at a Secret Service agent underscored vulnerabilities, the officials said, even after a pair of assassination attempts against Trump during the 2024 campaign had already prompted stronger measures around the president’s security. The ​most obvious lesson from the incident, the former law enforcement officials said, is that security personnel may need to expand the protective perimeter around the president at large public venues, ​even if that leads to public inconvenience. Some of the U.S. officials noted the security perimeter at Trump’s rallies is often much more expansive than the one ⁠that was established on Saturday night. At Saturday’s dinner, guests were required to pass through magnetometers, or metal detectors, to enter the ballroom but needed only a ticket to access the hotel itself. Several people ​tried to enter using last year’s ticket, according to a person with direct knowledge of the event’s planning. Officials said the California man who allegedly sprinted past security, armed with multiple weapons, appeared to circumvent even ​that basic step by checking in to the hotel in the days before the event. Bill Gage, who served on the Secret Service’s Counter Assault Team for six years and is now executive protection director for the SafeHaven Security Group, said post-incident reviews will likely focus at least in part on pushing the magnetometers farther out to expand the outer perimeter. The Secret Service, Gage said, "is going to have to find a way to better secure large hotels that ​may inconvenience the hotel goers and the hotel." He also said the Secret Service would need to do a better job coordinating the evacuation of other administration officials.

Reported similarly:
Los Angeles Times [4/26/2026 6:31 PM, Justine McDaniel, 12718K]

Wall Street Journal [4/26/2026 8:00 PM, Sadie Gurman, C. Ryan Barber, and Isabella Simonetti, 646K] reports at the same hotel where then-President Ronald Reagan was shot 45 years ago, it was remarkably easy for a shooter to charge toward a ballroom where President Trump—along with his cabinet members and the reporters who cover his administration—were dining Saturday night. The sprawling Washington Hilton, located about 1½ miles north of the White House, for decades has been home to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner because of its capacity to host a large crowd and the Secret Service’s familiarity with securing it. More than 2,500 people attended the event, including five of the top six officials in the presidential line of succession. Hundreds more gathered for parties that media outlets hosted on site before the main festivities began. Despite a visible security perimeter and warnings of tight security, guests said they could enter the hotel through checkpoints on the surrounding streets by simply showing a dinner ticket or a copy of an invite to one of several predinner receptions. The tickets were reviewed by staff but weren’t scanned and there were no identification checks, attendees said. “Upon entering nobody asked to visibly INSPECT my ticket nor asked for my photo identification. All one had to do was flash what appeared to be a ticket and they were fine with that,” said Kari Lake, a former Republican gubernatorial and Senate nominee in Arizona now serving as senior adviser for the U.S. Agency for Global Media, in a social-media post. Guests were able to access the Hilton’s lobby and lower levels without going through security scans, and only passed through magnetometers before they entered the ballroom where the dinner was held. It was easier to get into the dinner than many big sports events and concert venues. With 1,107 guest rooms and suites, 47 meeting rooms and four on-site dining venues, the facility in the heart of the nation’s capital can’t be fully sealed off for a high-security event. One of those rooms was booked by the 31-year-old gunman, who checked in the day before the shooting, law-enforcement officials said, giving him an even deeper awareness of the Hilton’s contours. “He didn’t beat the security plan the night of the dinner. He beat it the day he made the reservation,” said Jason Pack, a former FBI official. “They built that perimeter to stop an army. Turns out all he needed was a room key.”

Washington Post [4/26/2026 8:19 PM, Emily Davies, et al., 24826K] reports the Trump administration provided a lower level of security for the White House correspondents’ dinner than it has for other gatherings of high-ranking officials, even though the president and many Cabinet members were in attendance, according to officials familiar with the plan. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance were quickly evacuated to safety Saturday when a gunman charged the security perimeter and attempted to storm the ballroom at the Washington Hilton Hotel. Others in attendance included Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The concentration of high-ranking leaders in one ballroom left the nation unusually vulnerable as the would-be assassin raced past Secret Service before he was apprehended. A worst-case scenario might have resulted in passing the power of the presidency to the senior-most senator of the majority party, Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who was not at the event and is third in line to the presidency behind Vance and Johnson. When so many officials gather in one place for official functions such as an inauguration or State of the Union address, the secretary of homeland security typically puts the Secret Service in charge of coordinating all security through a formal designation known as a “National Special Security Event.” There was no such designation on Saturday night at an event also attended by thousands of journalists and other government officials, according to local and federal officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss security details. The suspected gunman, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, wrote a statement saying he wanted to target members of the Trump administration and ridiculed what he called lax security at the hotel, according to two law enforcement officials familiar with the writings. He said Iranian agents could easily have brought more dangerous weapons to the venue, according to the text. The White House referred questions to the Department of Homeland Security, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for the Washington Hilton said in an email that the Secret Service “led security for the event.” One D.C. government official said they were not aware of an instance when the annual dinner had been designated as a National Special Security Event. It typically hosts high-ranking officials, but the lineup of those who attend varies from year to year. The Secret Service considered the site it was charged with protecting to be the ballroom and the immediate perimeter around it, according to two law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because there is a pending prosecution. The agency did not take responsibility for the entire Hilton hotel.

CBS News [4/26/2026 4:38 PM, Staff, 51110K] Video: HERE reports President Trump said he "wasn’t making it that easy" for the Secret Service as it responded when shots rang at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, because he wanted to see what was going on. Hear more from the President, tonight on 60 Minutes.

Daily Caller [4/26/2026 12:51 PM, Harold Hutchison, 803K] reports President Donald Trump explained to "The Sunday Briefing" co-host Jacqui Heinrich why the Secret Service insisted he return to the White House after a gunman allegedly targeting his administration was thwarted Saturday night. Trump initially declared in a Truth Social post that he intended to return to the stage and that the White House Correspondents’ Dinner would continue despite the shooting, before making a second post 19 minutes later announcing that he was returning to the White House after law enforcement agencies asked him to leave "consistent with protocol." Trump explained the rationale behind the decision to Fox News’ Heinrich, who is on the board of the White House Correspondents’ Association, the group that hosted the event where the incident took place. "I was taken by your response immediately after it happened. You said we’re going to continue the night, we’re not going to let this person derail our plans for the evening," Heinrich, who appeared on stage with Trump during the dinner, told Trump over the phone. "Had you been told very quickly that there was no additional threat in the room? Is that why you felt comfortable proceeding if Secret Service allowed that to happen?". "Well, I hated a guy like this, sick, bad person. I hated somebody like that changing the course of our country … where you’d have all of these people, important people, not important people, all of these people gathered, record crowd … but that all of these people would have to leave. It’s just for what? For one nut? For one guy?" Trump responded. "That is really, I mean, look … he’s a very disturbed person, so I really wanted to go and I really wanted to, but the protocol was no.". Trump, who survived two assassination attempts during the 2024 presidential campaign, went into further detail about why the Secret Service invoked protocol after he and other top administration officials were hustled from the ballroom at the Washington Hilton. Trump’s right ear was grazed by a bullet when a gunman fired shots during a rally at Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13 of that year, while a Secret Service agent stopped Ryan Welsey Routh, who was waiting while Trump was playing a round of golf in Florida just two months later. "You know, once those doors were open, that room was sealed, and once the doors were open because people were pouring in and there were police and they were Secret Service and they poured in a lot of them, but once those doors are open, it breaks the seal," the president said. "And when they explained it, you know, maybe it’s possible somebody, if it were more than one person, somebody could have come in.". "I really wanted to do it that night, even if we stayed late into the night. But we did the right thing and we came back to the White House, we did a news conference and explained what happened and now we’re doing it a little bit more by talking to you, but we did the right thing," Trump added.

Daily Wire [4/26/2026 9:30 PM, Drew Berkemeyer, 2314K] reports President Donald Trump wasted no time in getting back to business as usual after the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting, offering new details about the suspect as he recounted the attempted attack and took swipes at left-wing media. The “60 Minutes” interview came less than 24 hours after a gunman, identified by authorities as Cole Tomas Allen, stormed a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton, opening fire outside the ballroom where the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner was underway. The incident forced Secret Service agents to evacuate Trump, the First Lady, and hundreds of high-profile attendees. Trump, reflecting on the suspect during the interview, described a man he believes had undergone a dramatic ideological shift. “I read a manifesto. He’s radicalized,” Trump said, adding that Allen had moved from being “a Christian believer” to embracing “anti-Christian” views. He also pointed to warning signs from the suspect’s family, claiming both Allen’s brother and sister had raised concerns about his behavior prior to the attack. Law enforcement reporting aligns with parts of that account. Authorities say Allen sent a note to family members shortly before the shooting apologizing for what he was about to do, while expressing rage at the administration and outlining a plan to target government officials inside the event. Investigators believe he acted alone and had traveled cross-country by train before checking into the hotel. Trump, however, struck a measured tone when asked about his own reaction in the moment. “I wasn’t worried. I understand life. We live in a crazy world,” he said, while acknowledging that the situation was inherently dangerous. He described initially resisting Secret Service efforts to move him, saying he wanted to understand what was happening before ultimately complying with agents’ commands to get low and evacuate. “I said, ‘Wait a minute. Let me see what’s going on,’” Trump recounted. “Then they said, ‘Please go down,’ and I dropped to the floor.” He praised First Lady Melania Trump’s composure under pressure, noting that while she had not previously experienced an incident of that magnitude, “she handled it great” and quickly understood the seriousness of the situation. The president also offered a vivid description of the Secret Service response, emphasizing the speed with which agents neutralized the threat. “They were so professional,” he said. “They saw him, they drew their guns, and they took him down immediately.” At least one agent was struck during the exchange but was protected by a ballistic vest and is expected to recover. Trump used the moment to defend the broader security apparatus, calling the response effective even as questions mount about how the suspect was able to breach an outer checkpoint while armed with a shotgun, handgun, and knives. “You can always find fault,” he said, “but those guys did a good job last night.” The interview turned sharply confrontational when O’Donnell referenced inflammatory claims from the suspect’s writings. Trump immediately pushed back, interrupting and accusing the network of amplifying false allegations. “I’m not a rapist. I didn’t rape anybody … I’m not a pedophile,” Trump said. “You’re a disgrace,” he added, directly addressing O’Donnell. “You shouldn’t be reading that in 60 Minutes.”

FOX News [4/26/2026 12:35 PM, ax Bacall, 37576K] reports former deputy press secretary Harrison Fields praised President Donald Trump’s strength and reassurance following the chaos at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, where panic ensued after shots were fired. "We thank the president for his strength during a time when our nation and everyone in that immediate moment needed it," Fields said Sunday on "Fox & Friends Weekend." Chaos broke out at the event Saturday night when suspected gunman Cole Allen reportedly stormed a security checkpoint and opened fire. Fields described "pandemonium" in the ballroom after shots were fired and said it took more than a minute before attendees on stage, including Trump and first lady Melania Trump, were aware of the possible danger. Despite the confusion, Fields said the president wanted to return to the stage when the threat was no longer present. "When we heard he wanted to come back out, we all kind of chuckled and said, ‘Of course he does, because that’s exactly who he is.’" "In a moment of chaos and uncertainty, he gave us transparency. He gave us clarity. And he gave his reassurance that we were not going to be cowards in this moment," Fields said.

CNN [4/26/2026 5:25 PM, Evan Perez and Kristen Holmes, 612K] reports the suspected gunman who charged past a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday has renewed questions about Secret Service protocols and whether there should be changes to the already tight cordon at the annual star-studded event. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, appearing on CNN’s "State of the Union" on Sunday, hailed the response as "a massive security success story.". He said investigators believe the California man who was arrested, Cole Tomas Allen, intended to attack administration officials at the event, based on his writings that investigators are reviewing. Blanche later posted on social media a letter the Justice Department filed in a lawsuit that called the Saturday incident an "assassination attempt on President Trump.". White House officials told CNN that Allen’s family members alerted law enforcement about his possible plans to carry out an attack, but it remains unclear whether the notification happened before or after the incident. His writings, obtained by CNN, included anti-Trump rhetoric. President Donald Trump’s security detail appears to have responded as trained, immediately covering him, with additional armed agents taking positions overlooking the room to prevent any threats from coming close to the president, according to current and former law enforcement officials experienced in such events. The incident Saturday follows two previous assassination attempts against Trump — one in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024 and then another two months later at a golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. While some critics have raised questions about Vice President JD Vance being removed from the dais before the president, the sequence appears to follow the Secret Service procedures, which includes measures that may not be visible. "I don’t think it was a security failure," Jonathan Wackrow, a former Secret Service agent and CNN analyst who has helped preparations for the annual dinner. "There are things you can always learn. We’re not going to get a zero-risk environment.". The Secret Service routinely conducts a review after incidents like this, Wackrow said, and additional surveillance footage will show a more complete picture that could lead to changes.Notably, some Secret Service officials have been reluctant to have both the vice president and the president attend events together off the White House grounds. It was not immediately clear what conversations were had ahead of both Trump and Vance attending Saturday’s dinner.

NewsMax [4/26/2026 8:58 PM, Staff, 3760K] reports the suspect in Saturday night’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner used a calculated route through the Washington Hilton to avoid heavily secured public areas, according to a report from CBS News. Cole Tomas Allen was seen leaving his 10th-floor hotel room dressed in black and carrying multiple weapons — including a shotgun, a handgun, and several knives stored in a black bag, the report said. Rather than move through the hotel’s main corridors, Allen allegedly used an interior stairwell to descend about 10 floors, allowing him to bypass areas where security and guests were concentrated. Law enforcement sources told CBS News that this route enabled Allen to avoid detection as he made his way toward the event, where President Donald Trump and other top officials were gathered. Allen ultimately emerged onto the hotel’s terrace level — the same level as the foyer leading to the red carpet entrance for the dinner — placing him just yards from a primary access point to the ballroom. At that point, Allen reportedly broke into a sprint toward the area, closing the distance quickly before being confronted. Security personnel reacted within moments. Secret Service Uniformed Division officers moved in immediately, tackling Allen shortly after he appeared in the area. Authorities said officers followed standard protocol, removing Allen’s outer clothing and searching his bag to ensure he was not carrying additional weapons or explosive devices. The incident unfolded at about 8:36 p.m. as the event was already underway and attended by thousands, including the president, first lady Melania Trump, Cabinet officials, and members of the media. According to officials, security screening operations were beginning to wind down at the time. Magnetometers used to screen guests had already started to be dismantled, and no additional attendees were being allowed into the ballroom.

Reported similarly:
Breitbart [4/26/2026 9:22 PM, Elizabeth Weibel, 2238K]

CNN [4/26/2026 12:38 PM, Dana Bash, 19874K] Video: HERE Republican Congressman Michael McCaul tells Dana Bash the shooting outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner raises new questions about protecting the presidential line of succession, "The takeaway I got was that the line of succession... had an explosive device gone off, you would have knocked out the President, Vice President, Speaker — the three in line of succession." The Hill [4/26/2026 2:33 PM, Max Rego, 18170K] reports Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said Sunday that the Secret Service should “reconsider” whether President Trump and Vice President Vance attend the same events in the wake of Saturday’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner. “The takeaway I got was that the line of succession,” McCaul, who attended the Washington event, told host Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “You had the president and the vice president at the head table, both of them together, and [House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La)]. Had an explosive device gone off, you would have knocked out the president, vice president, Speaker. The three in line of succession,” the Texas Republican noted. When Bash asked McCaul whether he was saying that those three should not be in public together, he replied, “I think the Secret Service needs to reconsider having both the president and vice president together.” If the president cannot carry out his duties, the vice president and House Speaker are next in the line of succession. Next would be the president pro tempore of the Senate, who McCaul noted is 92-year-old Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). The investigation into Saturday’s shooting is underway, and multiple outlets have identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Allen, from Torrance, Calif. The Hill has not independently verified the identity of the suspected gunman. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro told reporters Saturday that the suspect will be arraigned in federal court Monday on two charges — using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche also told Bash earlier Sunday that the man “absolutely” could be charged with attempting to assassinate Trump depending on his “motive, his premeditation [and] what he wanted to do.” CBS News reported Sunday, citing law enforcement and White House officials, that the suspect wrote a manifesto in which he said he wanted to target Trump administration officials “prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest.” A White House official confirmed to The Hill that the suspect wrote such a manifesto. Blanche also said he is “very comfortable” that Trump, Vance and Johnson were at the event and noted that the shooting “is not the kind of thing that will deter” the administration.

Daily Caller [4/26/2026 3:46 PM, Anthony Iafrate, 803K] reports would-be Trump assassin Cole Allen’s claim that there was extremely lax security at the event he targeted was seemingly substantiated by multiple attendees’ posts to social media. The security presence at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner which featured President Trump showed an "insane" level of "incompetence," Allen wrote in a manifesto he sent to family members shortly before he opened fire, The New York Post first reported. Firsthand accounts of media figures and others who attended the annual glitzy event at the Washington Hilton hotel also pointed to seemingly lenient security measures and minimal vetting of guests. "Security at the event is all outside, focused on protestors and current arrivals, because apparently no one thought about what happens if someone checks in the day before," Allen, a 31-year-old teacher from California who faces two preliminary federal charges, wrote in his manifesto, according to an excerpt posted by Reuters’s chief national security reporter Phil Stewart. "Like, if I was an Iranian agent, instead of an American citizen, I could have brought a damn Ma Deuce in here and no one would have noticed shit," continued the alleged shooter’s screed, in which he had dubbed himself the "Friendly Federal Assassin.". In the manifesto reported by @stevennelson10, Cole Allen allegedly remarks that an Iranian agent could have come in with a heavy machine gun: "There was no security screening prior to entering the lobby," attendee Misha Komadovsky, the U.S. correspondent for German outlet Deutsche Welle News wrote Saturday night on X, shortly after the shooting. He posted a picture of his ticket to the event, which included his table number but did not appear to have his name on it, writing, "This was the only thing required for entry into the Washington Hilton ballroom.". Fox News congressional correspondent Bill Melugin, who also attended the dinner, remarked on X that "Hypothetically, If I had hidden an explosive in my shoe or my jacket, I would have had no problem getting into" multiple of Melugin clarified, however, that entering the main ballroom where the dinner itself took place did require him to "pass through magnetometers, empty our pockets, and get a pat down.". "And even that checkpoint was just outside of the dinner room," Melugin noted. "Secret Service reacted quickly to an active armed threat and prevented that threat from getting into the ballroom. But the security leading up to that point, in my opinion, appeared to be lacking severely," he concluded. CNN host Dana Bash asked Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday morning if the event had been a "massive security failure.". Blanche replied by arguing the contrary, dubbing the Secret Service’s response a "massive security success story.". In his statement following the shooting, United States Secret Service director Sean Curran said in a statement that the fact that the alleged shooter was apprehended "shows that our multi-layered protection works.".

Federalist [4/26/2026 10:24 AM, Brianna Lyman, 540K] reports forty-five years ago President Ronald Reagan was shot and nearly killed by a would-be assassin outside the Washington Hilton Hotel. Forty-five years later President Donald Trump’s life was in danger from another would-be assassin at the same hotel. Why? Because the Secret Service failed Trump — again. Authorities identified 31-year-old California resident Cole Allen as the man surveillance video shows rushing past a Secret Service checkpoint while reportedly armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives and heading toward the ballroom where the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was taking place on Saturday evening. Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and several cabinet members were present. Allen was reportedly subdued by law enforcement after several shots rang out. Reports indicate the suspect was not struck by gunfire. Two sources told CBS News that the suspect admitted he was targeting members of the Trump administration. The question everyone should be asking is: How did an armed suspect get that far in the first place? It’s a question that should sound familiar. Less than two years ago, Americans watched in horror as a would-be assassin climbed onto an open rooftop overlooking Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The assailant managed to shoot Trump in the ear, while also murdering Corey Comperatore. Nearly two years later there are no satisfying answers about the security failures at that event, though Susan Crabtree of RealClearPolitics has relentlessly pursued them. It’s the same question Americans were asking when just weeks ago a man armed with a shotgun and a fuel can trespassed onto Mar-a-Lago grounds and then refused to comply with law enforcement when ordered to drop his weapon. He was shot and killed. And here we are at the Washington Hilton Hotel left asking the same question: How did another armed man get this close to the president at what should be a secure location?

Bloomberg [4/26/2026 9:41 AM, Staff, 18082K] Video: HERE reports due to the involvement of presidential protection, the Secret Service, with the support of the FBI, is expected to lead the investigation into the suspected shooter. Former Federal, Local and State Police Office Roy Taylor and CNN Legal Analyst Elliot Williams discuss with David Gura and Christina Ruffini on Bloomberg This Weekend possible next steps.

ABC News [4/26/2026 11:24 AM, Staff, 34146K] Video: HERE reports former Secret Service agent Donald Mihalek discusses the quick response of secret service and law enforcement after the suspect attempted to enter the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

Breitbart [4/26/2026 12:50 PM, Lowell Cauffiel, 2238K] reports the Secret Service officer who took a round to his bulletproof vest as a gunman rushed the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Saturday night is “in great shape,” President Donald Trump said. However, taking a bullet in body armor is not without consequences. People who have experienced it say it can be like being hit by a heavyweight prize fighter. “One officer was shot but saved by the fact that he was wearing obviously a very good bulletproof vest,” Trump said in a press conference on Saturday night, noting the officer was being treated at a local hospital. “He was shot from very close distance with a very powerful gun, and the vest did the job. I just spoke to the officer, and he’s doing great. He’s in great shape. He is in very high spirits.” The officer has since been released from the hospital, according to NBC. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Daily Signal [4/26/2026 3:53 PM, Harold Hutchison, 474K] reports President Donald Trump explained to "The Sunday Briefing" co-host Jacqui Heinrich why the Secret Service insisted he return to the White House after a gunman allegedly targeting his administration was thwarted Saturday night. Trump initially declared in a Truth Social postopens in a new tab that he intended to return to the stage and that the White House Correspondents’ Dinner would continue despite the shooting, before making a second postopens in a new tab 19 minutes later announcing that he was returning to the White House after law enforcement agencies asked him to leave "consistent with protocol." Trump explained the rationale behind the decision to Fox News’ Heinrich, who is on the board of the White House Correspondents’ Association, the group that hosted the event where the incident took place. "I was taken by your response immediately after it happened. You said we’re going to continue the night, we’re not going to let this person derail our plans for the evening," Heinrich, who appeared on stage with Trump during the dinner, told Trump over the phone. "Had you been told very quickly that there was no additional threat in the room? Is that why you felt comfortable proceeding if Secret Service allowed that to happen?". "Well, I hated a guy like this, sick, bad person. I hated somebody like that changing the course of our country … where you’d have all of these people, important people, not important people, all of these people gathered, record crowd … but that all of these people would have to leave. It’s just for what? For one nut? For one guy?" Trump responded. "That is really, I mean, look … he’s a very disturbed person, so I really wanted to go and I really wanted to, but the protocol was no.".

New York Post [4/26/2026 5:02 PM, Chris Nesi, 40934K] reports the White House is reportedly weighing new security measures for President Trump after three attempts on his life in the past two years — including a bulletproof vest. Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy said Sunday that there are "discussions underway" at the highest levels about whether "President Trump is going to have to start wearing a bullet-proof vest for future events in public.". The president has now faced three legitimate threats on his life from three armed madmen, one of whom came within centimeters of fatally striking his head. On Saturday night in Washington, DC, during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Trump-hating maniac Cole Allen stormed a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton where the gala was being held and engaged Secret Service agents in a firefight, striking one in their body armor. According to a rambling manifesto he sent to his family 10 minutes before the attack, which his brother handed over to Connecticut police and The Post obtained, Allen was targeting Trump and any other administration officials he could aim his gun at.

NPR [4/26/2026 12:54 PM, Danielle Kurtzleben and Ryan Lucas, 28764K] reports hours after a gunman attempted to breach the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, details are slowly emerging about who he is. The alleged gunman has been identified as Cole Allen, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. He is believed to have been targeting administration officials, as acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday morning. The incident brought America’s commonplace gun violence just feet away from a room full of lawmakers, top officials, and journalists. It also may add to a string of troubling political violence in the U.S. that includes two assassination attempts on President Trump. It also injects more chaos into what was already a turbulent time for the Trump administration, which is attempting to negotiate an end to the war in Iran that the U.S. started at the end of February. Allen had written what a White House source characterized Sunday morning as a "manifesto," and Allen’s brother notified the New London, Conn., police of that writing just minutes before the incident at the dinner. Allen’s sister spoke to Secret Service and Montgomery County, Md., police, saying her brother "had a tendency to make radical statements and his rhetoric constantly referenced a plan to do ‘something’ to fix the issues with today’s world," according to the White House source, who was not authorized to speak publicly. She also confirmed that Allen had purchased two handguns and a shotgun, storing them in their parents’ home without their parents’ knowledge. Speaking to Fox News on Sunday morning, Trump said the quick response from the Secret Service and law enforcement is evidence that Democrats should vote to fund the Department of Homeland Security. A partisan stalemate on Capitol Hill means the DHS has been shut down for nearly two months.

New York Times [4/26/2026 6:29 PM, Amy Qin and Chelsia Rose Marcius, 148038K] reports federal authorities are investigating a note they said was written by the man being held in connection with the attack at the White House correspondents’ dinner that suggests he was angered by the actions of the Trump administration. The writing was shared with New York Times by two law enforcement officials who asked not to be named because they had not been authorized to disclose the information. The suspect, identified by the officials as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, Calif., is in custody and expected to be charged with multiple crimes in a court appearance on Monday. It was uncertain on Sunday whether Mr. Allen had obtained legal counsel and close relatives could not be reached. “I am a citizen of the United States of America,” the writing says. “What my representatives do reflects on me.” In the next sentence, the writer alludes to allegations of sexual misconduct, saying that he is “no longer willing” to allow a “traitor to coat my hands with his crimes,” an apparent reference to President Trump though the writings do not mention him by name. The writing does suggest that administration officials were the top targets. “Administration officials (not including Mr. Patel): they are targets, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest,” the writings read, apparently referring to Kash Patel, the F.B.I. director. It was not clear from the writing why Mr. Patel was singled out. Secret Service are “targets only if necessary,” the writing says. Hotel security, Capitol Police and National Guard are “not targets if at all possible.” And hotel employees and guests are “not targets at all.” Contained among the 1,000 or so words is an extensive list of apologies to his friends, students, family and others for his actions, as well as thanking them for their support throughout his life. It was not immediately clear where the authorities obtained the writing. Anticipating the criticism that the attack might not be in line with Christian teachings, the writing appears to refer to reports of abuse in immigrant detention camps, the recent lethal attacks on boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean and the bombing of an elementary school in Iran, among other things. “Turning the other cheek when *someone else* is oppressed is not Christian behavior,” the writing reads. “It is complicity in the oppressor’s crimes.” Mr. Trump appeared to refer to the writing in an interview on Fox News on Sunday morning when he noted that the suspect had “a manifesto” and that he “hates Christians.” “He was a very troubled guy,” Mr. Trump said.

FOX News.com [4/26/2026 12:19 PM, Amanda Macias, 37576K] reports the suspect in the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting told law enforcement after his arrest Saturday night that he intended to target Trump administration officials, senior federal law enforcement sources confirmed to Fox News. Authorities identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Allen, of Torrance, Calif., adding that he prepared a manifesto outlining his intent and shared anti-Trump and anti-Christian rhetoric on social media. As the dinner was underway, Allen allegedly rushed a Secret Service checkpoint at the Washington Hilton while armed with multiple weapons and opened fire, striking a Secret Service officer in his ballistic vest. Agents returned fire and tackled Allen to the ground. The suspect and the injured officer were transported to a hospital. The Secret Service agent is expected to recover. The incident adds to a growing list of threats against President Donald Trump, including two confirmed assassination attempts and a recent incident involving an armed intruder at Mar-a-Lago. Overnight, the FBI and local law enforcement secured Allen’s home in Torrance, California. A federal judge in the Central District of California is expected to approve a search warrant, which would allow investigators to search the residence. The White House said Sunday that Allen’s brother contacted the New London Police Department in Connecticut prior to the shooting, reporting that Allen had sent family members an alleged manifesto outlining his intent to target administration officials. Officials also said Allen’s social media included anti-Trump and anti-Christian rhetoric. President Trump speaking on Fox News’ "The Sunday Briefing," described Allen as "a very troubled guy," citing the manifesto.

New York Times [4/26/2026 10:47 AM, Devlin Barrett, 148038K] reports the gunman at the White House correspondents’ dinner “set out to target folks that work in the administration, likely including the president,” the acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, said on Sunday. Appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Mr. Blanche said investigators had gathered some information from the suspect’s electronic devices, and had interviewed people who know him, giving them an early sense of his apparent motive. “We know there were some writings,” Mr. Blanche said, adding that the evidence, combined with witness interviews conducted so far, had led investigators to believe the man intended to target administration officials. That view is still “quite preliminary,” Mr. Blanche cautioned, noting that their understanding of the man’s motives could change as they learn more. Shortly before the attack, the suspect sent messages to his relatives denouncing Trump administration policies and suggesting he intended to take violent action, according to a person familiar with the investigation. Other written material found in his hotel room contained similar statements, the person said. Mr. Blanche, in his interview, added that the gunman was taken to a hospital for evaluation, though officials said he had not been shot in the episode on Saturday night. “I don’t think he’s cooperating with investigators,” he said. The suspect, who is from California, took a train from Los Angeles to Chicago, and then from Chicago to Washington, where he checked into the Washington Hilton a day or two before the hotel hosted the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. The president, the vice president, and a host of senior administration officials, including Mr. Blanche, were in attendance at the dinner. The gunman was carrying at least two weapons, described by law enforcement officials as a shotgun and a handgun, that he had bought in recent years, Mr. Blanche said. The gunman sprinted past the first line of defense at a security checkpoint but was quickly tackled and handcuffed by Secret Service agents before he could enter the ballroom, where Mr. Trump, top officials and hundreds of journalists had gathered. One officer was shot, but his protective vest stopped the round, officials said. The authorities were still studying shell casings and other ballistic evidence to determine exactly what unfolded. But Mr. Blanche suggested that the authorities had more reasons to believe the bullets that hit the officer came from the suspect, even as he shied away from making a definitive statement, citing a continuing investigation. “I believe it’s from the gunman,” Mr. Blanche said on ABC’s “This Week.” “From what we know right now, that was a discharge from the suspect.”

Daily Wire [4/26/2026 9:30 AM, Brecca Stoll, 2314K] reports the would-be shooter who attacked at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner revealed that he was willing to kill everyone in the room. "I really hope it doesn’t come to that," Cole Tomas Allen wrote in the 1,000-word document, arguing that the potential mass casualty event was justifiable "on the basis that most people *chose* to attend a speech by a pedophile, rapist, and traitor" — a reference to President Donald Trump — and "are thus complicit.". Around 2,500 people were in attendance at the event, including the president, Vice President JD Vance, several Cabinet secretaries, and members of congressional leadership, as well as journalists, media personalities, and guests. In his manifesto, Allen wrote that he only considered members of the Trump administration — with the exception of FBI Director Kash Patel, for reasons unknown — fair targets. Allen wrote that he would only shoot Secret Service, Capitol Police, and hotel security if they shot him first, and pledged not to engage with other workers or guests. However, Allen said he "would still go through most everyone here to get to the targets" because he was "no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.". Allen explained that he chose "buckshot rather than slugs" in an effort to reduce collateral damage by mitigating "penetration through walls.". In the manifesto, Allen describes himself as a Christian and notes that a possible objection to his actions is that "As a Christian, you should turn the other cheek." He then offers a rebuttal, noting, "Turning the other cheek is for when you yourself are oppressed. Turning the other cheek when someone else is oppressed is not Christian behavior; it is complicity in the oppressor’s crimes.". Another possible objection he lists is "yield unto Caesar what is Caesar’s," a reference to Jesus’s dictum that Christians must obey worldly authorities — and another seeming implication that Allen conceived of his attack in religious terms. Allen appeared to be a member of Christian groups and clubs during his time at Caltech. His father is an elder at the Grace United Reformed Church in California, The Daily Wire reported. Acknowledging that his manifesto might be his last words to family and friends, he writes, "I would also like to extend my appreciation to a great many people since I will not be likely to be able to talk with them again unless the Secret Service is *astoundingly* incompetent," he says, before going on to criticize security.

Daily Caller [4/26/2026 9:04 PM, Harold Hutchison, 803K] reports President Donald Trump clashed with "60 Minutes" contributing correspondent Norah O’Donnell during a Sunday interview after she read portions of the alleged would-be assassin’s manifesto. Cole Allen, a 31-year-old teacher from Torrance, Calif., faces charges of using a firearm in a violent crime and assaulting a federal officer after he allegedly tried to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Saturday night. Trump took umbrage at Allen’s supposed characterization of him in the document, which the suspect reportedly sent to his family minutes before he exchanged gunfire with U.S. Secret Service agents. "I am a citizen of the United States of America. What my representatives do reflects on me," Allen wrote. "And I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.". "Well, I was waiting for you to read that, because I knew you would, because you’re horrible people. Horrible people," Trump said after O’Donnell asked for his reaction to the manifesto. "Yeah, he did write that. I’m not a rapist. I didn’t rape anybody.". "Do you think he was referring to you?" O’Donnell asked, with an agitated Trump responding, "I’m not a pedophile. You read that crap from some sick person? I got associated with all— stuff that has nothing to do with me. I was totally exonerated. Your friends on the other side of the plate are the ones that were involved with, let’s say [disgraced financier and child sex offender Jeffrey] Epstein or other things. But I said to myself, ‘You know, I’ll do this interview.’". "I read the manifesto. You know, he’s a sick person. But you should be ashamed of yourself reading that because I’m not any of those things," Trump said. "You shouldn’t be reading that on ‘60 Minutes.’ You’re a disgrace. But go ahead, let’s finish the interview.". Epstein had extensive ties to celebrities, politicians, and executives, even after his conviction as a sex offender. Among those who were known to have been close with him were L Brands founder Lex Wexner, director Woody Allen, and Prince Andrew. Victims of Epstein told NBC News reporter Hallie Jackson during a Sept. 3, 2025, panel they had no knowledge of any wrongdoing by Trump, while the attorney who represented some of Epstein’s victims, Bradley Edwards, described Trump as someone who aided his efforts. "The only thing that I can say about President Trump is that he is the only person who in 2009, when I served a lot of subpoenas against a lot of people … he is the only person that picked up the phone and said, ‘Let’s just talk, I’ll give ya as much time as you want, I’ll tell ya what you need to know,’" Edwards said in a 2018 video. "And [Trump] was very helpful in the information that he gave and gave no indication whatsoever that he was involved in anything untoward whatsoever.".

NewsMax [4/26/2026 11:33 AM, Charlie McCarthy, 3760K] reports the alleged White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner shooter reportedly had posted on social media that President Donald Trump should be "immediately removed from office and tried for high crimes.". The posts, uncovered after Saturday night’s attack, are raising new concerns about politically charged rhetoric and its potential consequences. Suspect Cole Tomas Allen, 31, had been active on the left-leaning platform Bluesky, where he shared and amplified messages highly critical of Trump and his administration, The Washington Free Beacon reported. In one post circulated shortly before the event, Allen echoed claims that Trump should face removal from office, while in others he mocked journalists’ symbolic displays at the dinner, suggesting they were not forceful enough in opposing the president. Investigators say the posts are part of a broader pattern of online activity that included far-left political messaging and attacks on prominent Trump allies. Authorities allege Allen, a California teacher and video game developer, stormed a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton armed with a shotgun, handgun, and knives before being stopped by Secret Service agents. Law enforcement officials said shots were fired during the confrontation, and one agent was struck but survived due to a bullet-resistant vest. Trump and other top officials were quickly evacuated from the event, which was attended by more than 2,000 guests. Trump later praised the swift response of law enforcement, calling the suspect a "lone wolf" and crediting agents with preventing further harm. Federal investigators now believe Allen may have been targeting members of the Trump administration. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said early findings indicate the suspect’s intent was to attack administration officials, though it remains unclear whether Trump himself was the specific target, CNN reported.

AP [4/26/2026 9:00 PM, Eric Tucker, Alanna Durkin Richer and Michael Balsamo, 35287K] reports the man accused of opening fire at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner railed against Trump administration policies and referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” in writings sent to family members minutes before an attack that authorities increasingly believe was politically motivated, according to a message reviewed by The Associated Press. The writings, sent shortly before shots were fired Saturday night at the Washington Hilton, made repeated references to President Donald Trump without naming him directly and alluded to grievances over a range of administration actions, including U.S. strikes on boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Investigators are treating the writings, along with a trail of social media posts and interviews with family members, as some of the clearest evidence yet of the suspect’s mindset and possible motives. Authorities uncovered what one law enforcement official described as numerous anti-Trump social media posts linked to the suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old California man accused of trying to breach a security checkpoint at the dinner while armed with multiple guns and knives.

NewsMax [4/26/2026 12:29 PM, Eric Tucker, Alanna Durkin Richer, 3760K] reports The man accused of trying to storm the ballroom at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner with guns and knives had written about targeting Trump administration officials, and his family raised concerns with law enforcement before the event, President Donald Trump said Sunday in an interview. The accused gunman’s family had alerted police in Connecticut, Trump said, revealing new details about a chaotic encounter that disrupted one of Washington’s glitziest annual events the night before. The suspect, identified by law enforcement officials as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, was expected to face criminal charges on Monday from the Justice Department, whose acting leader, Todd Blanche, said the suspect traveled by train from California and checked in as a guest days earlier at the Washington hotel where the Saturday night gala dinner was held with its typically tight security. Law enforcement officials who have interviewed Allen’s relatives, examined the gunman’s electronic devices, and his writings preliminarily believe he intended to target administration members in attendance at the dinner. He attempted to charge into the cavernous ballroom at the Washington Hilton but was tackled to the ground in a violent scene that resulted in shots being fired, Trump being hurried off the stage, and guests ducking for cover beneath their tables. "It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president," Blanche told NBC’s "Meet the Press.". The suspect is believed to have purchased the two firearms he carried within the last couple of years, Blanche said. He is not being cooperative and is expected to face multiple charges on Monday. Video posted by Trump showed the suspect running past security barricades as Secret Service agents ran toward him. One officer was shot in a bullet-resistant vest but was recovering, officials said. The gunman was taken into custody and was not injured but was being evaluated at a hospital, police said. "He failed," Blanche said on CBS’s "Face the Nation." "Law enforcement did their jobs.".

Reported similarly:
Bloomberg [4/26/2026 10:52 AM, Shiyin Chen and Sam Ki, 18082K] r

CBS News [4/26/2026 8:40 PM, Jennifer Jacobs, Anna Schecter and Nicole Sganga, 51110K] Video: HERE reports the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting suspect wrote a "manifesto" that stated he planned to target Trump administration officials, "prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest," according to a copy obtained by CBS News. Cole Allen, 31, wrote that law enforcement, hotel employees and guests weren’t his intended targets but that he would still attack them to get to the administration, adding: "I really hope it doesn’t come to that." Allen charged a security checkpoint outside the dinner, armed with a shotgun, a handgun and knives, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said. Mr. Trump and other administration officials were quickly escorted out of the event, which was canceled shortly thereafter. Law enforcement sources told CBS News that Allen’s brother, alarmed by the email he and other family members received, called police in Connecticut to alert them Saturday night. Authorities said they found other writings at his home in Torrance, California, and in his 10th-floor hotel room at the Washington Hilton Hotel, where the dinner was being held. Throughout the email, his tone was matter-of-fact, and at times ironic. "Hello everybody!" Allen wrote. "So I may have given a lot of people a surprise today." "I apologize to my parents for saying I had an interview without specifying it was for ‘Most Wanted,’" he wrote. He also apologized to colleagues and his students for telling them he had a personal emergency, and said he expected that by the time anyone read the email, he probably would need emergency care, referring to any potential injuries as "self-inflicted status." Allen said he planned to carry out the attack because he didn’t want the "crimes" of the administration to "coat [his] hands." He didn’t refer to Mr. Trump or the event by name, but said he intended to target administration officials "prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest." He said that he wouldn’t target Secret Service, Capitol Police or National Guard troops unless necessary. "I hope they are wearing body armor," he wrote. A Secret Service officer who was shot was wearing a bulletproof vest and was released from the hospital Sunday. Allen wrote: "In order to minimize casualties, I will also be using buckshot rather than slugs (less penetration through walls)."

ABC News [4/26/2026 12:22 PM, David Brennan, 34146K] reports the suspect in the shooting incident just outside the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner Saturday night is a trained mechanical engineer working as a tutor who traveled across the country to perpetrate "as much damage as he could," sources and officials said. The shooting, near the main magnetometer area for the event, sparked chaos inside the Hilton hotel ballroom, which was packed with thousands of journalists as well as President Donald Trump and members of his Cabinet. Law enforcement sources identified the suspect as Cole Allen, 31, of Torrance, California. Trump, in a news conference after the incident, said the gunman was captured on surveillance video sprinting towards a Secret Service security checkpoint. Local authorities said the suspect was tackled by law enforcement after an exchange of gunfire. Interim D.C. Metropolitan Police Department Chief Jeffrey Carroll told reporters that the suspect was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives. Carroll said the preliminary information is that he was a "lone actor.". Law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation said that Allen was declining to answer questions but allegedly made some non-specific reference to targeting administration officials. Authorities have not yet specified a motive in the shooting. But U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro told reporters at a press briefing Saturday night, "It is clear, based upon what we know so far, that this individual was intent on doing as much harm and as much damage as he could.". A Secret Service member was shot during the incident but the bullet hit the agent’s protective vest, Trump said after the incident. The president said he spoke with the agent and he was in good spirits. Shortly before the White House press briefing, Trump posted a video showing agents subduing the suspect, who he said "charged a security checkpoint armed with many weapons.".

Washington Examiner [4/26/2026 1:49 PM, Emily Hallas, 1147K] reports the suspected gunman in the attack on the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday suggested President Donald Trump was one of his top targets, according to his alleged manifesto. "I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes," Cole Thomas Allen, 31, wrote, according to the document published by the New York Post. The Associated Press has detailed a similar account of alleged writings sent by the suspect. The sentence could be a reference to accusations that Trump bore sinister connections to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, sexual assault accusations against the president, and the events of Jan. 6, 2021. "Administration officials (not including Mr. Patel): they are targets, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest," the document read. It was signed "Cole ‘coldForce’ ‘Friendly Federal Assassin’ Allen.’". Allen appeared to be motivated to carry out the shooting in part by religious reasons, according to the document. Allen accused Trump of failing to act in accordance with "Christian behavior" in the alleged manifesto. The suspect is expected to be charged in court on Monday after allegedly charging through security, shooting a Secret Service officer, and beginning to run toward the main room where Trump and other attendees were gathered at the Washington Hilton’s dinner. "If anyone is curious is how doing something like feels: it’s awful. I want to throw up; I want to cry for all the things I wanted to do and never will, for all the people whose trust this betrays; I experience rage thinking about everything this administration has done," Allen allegedly wrote. Trump said Sunday that the suspect appeared to be religiously motivated, referencing his manifesto. "The guy is a sick guy when you read his manifesto. He hates Christians. That’s one thing for sure. He hates Christians, a hatred," the president said during an interview on Fox News’s The Sunday Briefing. "He had a lot of hatred in his heart. … It was a religious thing.". Allen was a member of Caltech’s Christian fellowship during his time at the prestigious school, according to his LinkedIn profile. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Allen appeared to have been targeting Trump and other administration officials during an NBC News interview on Sunday. He said investigators are still probing the situation. "It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president," Blanche said. The writer in the alleged manifesto outlined a number of "objections" to what he planned to carry out and rebuttals in response to those objections. "Objection 1: As a Christian, you should turn the other cheek. Rebuttal: Turning the other cheek is for when you yourself are oppressed. I’m not the person raped in a detention camp. I’m not the fisherman executed without trial. I’m not a schoolkid blown up or a child starved or a teenage girl abused by the many criminals in this administration," the document read. "Turning the other cheek when *someone else* is oppressed is not Christian behavior; it is complicity in the oppressor’s crimes.". "Thank you to my family, both personal and church, for your love over these 31 years," the writer added.

Daily Wire [4/26/2026 9:28 AM, Megan Brock, 2314K] reports suspected White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooter, Cole Tomas Allen, urged his Bluesky followers to purchase guns over fears the Trump administration might ban so-called transgender individuals from owning firearms. A Bluesky account suspected to be Allen’s posted a CNN article, "Trump DOJ is looking at ways to ban transgender Americans from owning guns, sources say," with the caption "Best time to buy a gun was days ago Second best time is today.". The September 2025 CNN article discussed a mass shooting that took place at a Minneapolis Catholic church, carried out by a "23-year-old transgender woman." The article says the Department of Justice was "weighing proposals to limit transgender people’s right to possess firearms" and framed this potential move as "a dramatic escalation of the Trump administration’s fight against the rights of transgender Americans.". There have been several recent high-profile shootings in the past several years with ties to transgenderism, leading the Trump administration to examine the relationship between transgenderism and violence. Allen obtained a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the prestigious California Institute of Technology in 2017, where he participated in the school’s Christian Fellowship Program, according to his LinkedIn profile and social media posts. December 2016 Facebook posts from Caltech Christian Fellowship show Allen smiling and attending an event held by the school’s Christian club. Evangelical Christians believe there are only two sexes and openly oppose transgenderism. Allen wrote an anti-Trump manifesto that mocked Christianity and was sent to a family member minutes before the shooting, according to reporting from the New York Post. Allen mocked the Christian idea of "turning the other cheek" in the manifesto writing, "Turning the other cheek is for when you yourself are oppressed. I’m not the person raped in a detention camp. I’m not the fisherman executed without trial," according to reporting from The New York Post. "Turning the other cheek when *someone else* is oppressed is not Christian behavior; it is complicity in the oppressor’s crimes," Allen wrote in a manifesto provided to U.S. officials, according to reporting from The New York Post.

Washington Examiner [4/26/2026 12:05 PM, Emily Hallas, 1147K] reports President Donald Trump on Sunday said he believed the gunman who attacked the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner hated Christians, suggesting the violence could have been religiously motivated. "The guy is a sick guy when you read his manifesto. He hates Christians. That’s one thing for sure. He hates Christians, a hatred," Trump said during an interview on Fox News’s The Sunday Briefing. "He had a lot of hatred in his heart. … It was a religious thing.". The suspect, widely identified as 31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen, was a member of a Christian fellowship at the California Institute of Technology, according to his LinkedIn profile, and was arrested after allegedly charging the Washington Hilton’s security checkpoint, shooting a Secret Service officer, and beginning to run toward the main room where Trump and other attendees were gathered. Trump weighed in on reports that the suspect’s brother notified the New London Police Department in Connecticut regarding Allen’s plan before the incident. He said he wished he had been warned about that report, but praised law enforcement for their real-time response on Saturday. "I think his sister, or his brother, actually was complaining about it. You know, they were even complaining to law enforcement. So he was, he was a very troubled guy," the president said. "I heard about the New London situation, and I wish they would have told us about it a little bit, but it is what it is. We had a great group of people there last night. They were strong, and the Secret Service, I thought they were outstanding. They stopped him cold.". "I thought great, great talent was displayed last night, bravery, but talent, he came in running like he was an NFL running back. Frankly, it was very fast, and they just stopped him cold. And there was no question. He never even came close to getting by the doors or getting through the doors," Trump said of the shooter. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Allen appeared to have been targeting Trump and other administration officials during an NBC News interview on Sunday. But he cautioned that investigators are still probing the situation. "It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president," Blanche said. Trump on Sunday again sought to use the incident as justification for building his new ballroom in the White House, saying the venue would be far more secure for such high-profile events than places such as the Hilton. The ballroom includes a military bunker as part of its national security enhancements, and has been under construction for months, but faces legal hurdles. "It’s really what you need. I mean, you can’t have a thousand rooms. It is a very big hotel on top of the ballroom. And people come down in the elevator and they’re right next to the ballroom," Trump said. "Military and Secret Service have wanted [the ballroom] for many years, and I’m getting it built. And, the one good thing is that now everybody knows how badly needed it is.".

FOX News [4/26/2026 6:45 PM, Julia Bonavita, 37576K] reports the White House Correspondents’ Dinner quickly devolved into chaos Saturday as shots rang out inside the Washington, D.C., hotel hosting the annual gala while President Donald Trump was in attendance. The suspect has been identified as Cole Allen, 31, of Torrance, Calif., with law enforcement adding that he prepared a manifesto and shared posts to social media outlining his intent to target Trump and other administration officials, according to authorities. Allen’s sister, Avriana Allen, told Secret Service and Montgomery County Police that her brother had a history of making radical statements and previously mentioned a plan to do "something" to fix what he believed to be issues with today’s society, authorities said. Allen allegedly stormed the Washington Hilton’s lobby while armed with weapons within minutes of the event kicking off, and was quickly apprehended by members of the Secret Service. He is currently in custody and authorities are expected to file federal charges against him Monday.

Washington Post [4/26/2026 7:45 AM, Jeremy Roebuck, Perry Stein, N. Kirkpatrick and Emily Davies, 24826K] reports he identified himself in a missive sent to family members moments before the attack as a “friendly federal assassin” and railed against Trump administration policies. He booked a hotel room at the Washington Hilton weeks in advance, then traveled by train from his home outside Los Angeles to Chicago and then to D.C. And as he stormed the security perimeter at the White House correspondents’ dinner Saturday, exchanging gunfire with Secret Service agents, the 31-year-old suspected shooter aimed to target top officials, including possibly the president himself, law enforcement officials said. Those details about the man involved in the shooting that forced the evacuation of President Donald Trump and several members of his cabinet from the ritzy annual event emerged Sunday as investigators on two coasts worked to gather information on the suspected gunman and what motivated his attack. Though officials have not publicly named the man they took into custody Saturday, five people familiar with the investigation have identified him as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California. They, like others who shared details of the ongoing investigation, spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly disclose details of the probe. Social media accounts that appear to be linked to Allen describe him as a self-employed video game designer and a part-time teacher, whose employer named him in 2024 as “Teacher of the Month.” He earned an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 2017, where he was part of an award-winning robotics team, and a master’s degree in computer science from California State University last year, according to those profiles and two law enforcement officials who said the details they contained matched those of the suspect. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday the preliminary investigation indicated that the gunman acted alone and set out from his home in California last week before arriving in D.C. and checking into the Hilton on Friday with two firearms and a knife he had purchased years before. So far, the suspect had refused to cooperate with investigators, Blanche said. But interviews with family members as well as writings recovered from Allen’s home outside Los Angeles and the hotel room he booked at the Washington Hilton contributed to a growing confidence among authorities that his attack was politically motivated. “It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks in the administration, likely including the president,” Blanche said during an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

New York Times [4/26/2026 1:03 PM, Johnny Diaz, 148038K] reports the aftermath of the shooting that sent Secret Service agents rushing President Trump from the dais at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday night played out on social media as videos were widely shared of the chaotic and surreal scenes. An investigation was continuing about the motive of the gunman, identified by two law enforcement officials as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, Calif. He was taken into custody after running through a security checkpoint and exchanging gunfire with the authorities. In a ballroom packed with hundreds of journalists who cover the White House, many of them sprang into action with their cellphones and television news cameras to capture what had happened. In a clip that was widely shared, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, happily told a reporter from Fox News before the dinner that the president’s speech “will be classic Donald J. Trump.” “It’ll be funny,” she said. “It’ll be entertaining.” And, she added: “There will be some shots fired tonight in the room. So everyone should tune in. It’s going to be really great.” The clip fueled questions about the authenticity of the shooting and whether her comment was some kind of eerie foreshadowing. One social media user said of the clip, “Well this aged poorly.” On his Instagram stories, Matt Gutman, a CBS News correspondent, shared a video of himself that was taken by the CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins in which he stood up from his table and recorded the fallout as he tried to make sense of what was going on. He also captured the chaotic moment outside the Washington Hilton as law enforcement officers rushed the perimeter. “Secret Service, men with long guns, subautomatic,” he said as the glare of police lights flashed on his face. “We did not hear the shots very close to the stage, but we saw what happened, everybody ducked for cover. Um, a hush in the crowd. Security forces pouring in. It was the most surreal thing.”

NewsMax [4/26/2026 1:06 PM, Staff, 3760K] reports Fred Fleitz told Newsmax on Sunday that the security breach surrounding the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner raises serious concerns about the safety of President Donald Trump and other top officials. Speaking on "Sunday Report," Fleitz reacted to reports that a suspected gunman, who was detained before reaching the ballroom at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night, had a manifesto listing Trump, members of his Cabinet, and anti-Christian rhetoric. "I have so many questions," said Fleitz, former National Security Council chief of staff in Trump’s first term. "This shooter got far too close to the president. He brought a bag full of guns and knives … into a hotel room in the hotel." Fleitz warned that the situation could have been far worse, noting the suspect’s ability to get weapons onto the premises. "He could have brought a bomb into the hotel, a large bomb, and no one would have known. This is unacceptable," he said. The annual dinner, which draws journalists, political leaders, and high-profile guests, was abruptly disrupted by the incident, though authorities said the suspect was stopped before entering the main event space. Fleitz, who has attended the dinner in the past, said the size and layout of the gathering pose inherent risks.

CBS News [4/26/2026 7:00 PM, Norah O’Donnell, Maria Gavrilovic and Keith Sharman, 51110K] Video: HERE reports last night in the nation’s capitol a gunman stormed the security perimeter at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The president, the first lady, the vice president, cabinet members, and more than 2,500 guests were gathered to celebrate the First Amendment and freedom of the press. But after shots were fired, the president was evacuated. It was at the same hotel where President Ronald Reagan was nearly assassinated by John Hinckley, 45 years ago. Tonight, federal investigators are looking into the motive of the alleged gunman -- a 31-year old teacher from Torrance, California. He emailed what a senior official called a "manifesto" to his family, minutes before the attack. He wrote he was targeting members of the Trump administration. We spoke with President Trump this afternoon at the White House about what happened.

New York Post [4/26/2026 5:46 PM, Ryan King, 40934K] reports Erin Thielman had just stepped out of the Washington Hilton’s ballroom to make a call to her son when she heard gunshots and witnessed the Secret Service’s dramatic takedown of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooter. Thielman, an Air Force veteran who had been one of the Wall Street Journal’s guests alongside her husband, Jason, was standing just on the other side of the security perimeter when alleged suspect Cole Allen attempted to charge through. "As soon as my son answered the phone, I said, ‘Hey, bud,’ and I heard three loud bangs," she recalled to The Post. "It was gunshots. I looked to my left. I saw Secret Service with their pistols drawn, probably just had shot.". "Like right in front of me, he was a foot away," she said of the suspect, Cole Allen, 31, after Secret Service took him down. "The would-be assassin fell face-first, and his hands were out in front of him. The Post contacted the Secret Service for clarity on whether agents opened fire. Thielman is a disabled veteran who suffers from knee and shoulder issues, especially on stairs. The security perimeter to get into the ballroom was up a level from the chamber itself. She had gone up to that floor to get a better reception. "I saw him running right before," she said of the suspect before the Secret Service took him down. "He wore magazines similar to how a woman will wear a cross-body bag with bullets in it. And he looked of the determination and ‘oh, sh—’ all at the same time. And then he fell right in front of me.". After witnessing the terrifying security scare, she scrambled back to meet her husband, reflecting, "It’s a miracle I could run down the stairs.". "I’m a veteran. I’ve seen war, and it was reminiscent," she noted. Thielman is grateful that no one was killed. Only one Secret Service officer suffered a minor injury from taking a shot to their bulletproof vest.

NewsMax [4/26/2026 4:50 PM, Brian Freeman, 3760K] reports the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner should prompt the Secret Service to reconsider whether it is wise for President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance to attend the same events, Rep. Michael McCaul told CNN’s "State of the Union" on Sunday. The Texas Republican said that "the takeaway I got was the line of succession. You had the president and the vice president at the head table, both of them together, and the speaker of the House [Rep. Mike Johnson]. Had an explosive device gone off, you would have knocked out the president, vice president, speaker. The three in line of succession.". McCaul noted that 92-year-old Sen. Chuck Grassley, as the president pro tempore of the Senate, "would be the president had they all been taken out.". He emphasized: "I think the Secret Service needs to reconsider having both the president and vice president together.". McCaul, who attended the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, said "the Secret Service did an extraordinary job as did the Capitol police.". However, the congressman, a former federal counterterrorism prosecutor and chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said "the only thing I would critique would be the outer perimeter.".

CBS News [4/26/2026 12:54 PM, Staff, 51110K] Video: HERE reports the night was going exactly as planned. For eight months, as president of the White House Correspondents Association, I’d been working on this dinner party. Above all, I had hoped it would restore some normalcy between the Trump administration and the press. Maybe I was naïve, but I wanted it to be a room we don’t see enough of in Washington: a bipartisan one. And it was. There were more than 2,500 journalists and guests dressed to the nines. CEOs, celebrities, ambassadors and members of the cabinet including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Todd Blanche, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin — many just feet from the president in the ballroom. Most important was Donald Trump himself: after 15 years of boycotting the dinner, he finally decided to come. It was the first time he had attended as president. Trump was in a great mood. The Marine Corps Band had just played The Star-Spangled Banner, and the president was on the dais. We were chatting about the last time he attended, when Barack Obama was president. Oz revealed a name to the first lady and Leavitt, and I watched her reaction. The look on her face—shock and delight—is an image now frozen in my mind, because it’s the last thing I saw before chaos unfolded. At that very moment, we heard commotion. I looked out in the audience and thought there might have been a heckler. But I didn’t see one. Before I could make sense of what was unfolding, armed agents rushed toward the dais. They multiplied quickly, sprinting from the other side of the stage to surround us. I heard shouts of "down, down, down, get down.". I got out of my chair and was following Trump when he hit the ground. I got on my hands and knees too. Only later did I see a big bruise on my left knee. I was crawling, and we were ushered behind the stage. Inside weren’t just my fellow journalists but also the most important people in my life.

NPR [4/26/2026 3:52 PM, Rachel Treisman, 28764K] reports the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, an annual event that brings together top government officials and the journalists who cover them, descended into chaos on Saturday after shots rang out at the Washington Hilton. Just minutes into the dinner, guests heard muffled popping sounds as a gunman attempted to charge past a security checkpoint. President Trump — who was attending the event for the first time since taking office — was rushed out of the building by Secret Service agents, as were First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and a slew of cabinet officials. The night ended with a suspect apprehended, a law enforcement officer injured and a press conference at the White House, where Trump promised the dinner would be rescheduled. Hundreds of attendees, many of them reporters and lawmakers, took shelter beneath their tables amidst the chaos, before evacuating the hotel and — in many cases — shifting back into work more. Several NPR journalists were among them, and quickly jumped on the air to share their experiences and observations. Videos from the scene show Secret Service rushing to the stage, where Trump was sitting with the first lady and vice president, mentalist Oz Pearlman — the night’s headliner — as well as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and White House Correspondents’ Association President Weijia Jiang of CBS News. All of them were hustled out of sight. At that point "dozens and dozens" of security agents rushed into the ballroom, Ordoñez says, headed straight for the Cabinet members. "You had Secret Service, you had officers in FBI jackets and DEA jackets," he said. "I’m talking full tactical gear, literally jumping over people, jumping over tables, jumping over chairs.". Within minutes they escorted out high-ranking officials, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, FBI Director Kash Patel, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. From the hallway, Shivaram saw armed Secret Service agents rushing those same Cabinet members into two small office rooms, "basically just trying to keep as many people safe as they could.". "And then about four minutes after those shots rang out, I saw a Secret Service agent walk by and [they] said that the shooter was in custody," she added.

FOX News [4/26/2026 11:11 PM, Staff, 37576K] reports an attendee who reportedly had the hotel room next to Cole Allen recalled what he described as alarming security lapses in the hours before Allen allegedly opened fire outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner attended by President Donald Trump on Saturday. Daily Beast editor Hugh Dougherty said the apparent breaches explain how the suspect may have been able to slip a disassembled long gun past authorities. “How on earth could someone with a disassembled long gun check into a room at a hotel where the president was going to speak? I can answer that: Nobody even looked at my luggage on Friday afternoon,” he said, adding that his colleague’s belongings also went unchecked as late as 5 p.m. Saturday. “No magnometers, no hand checks, no I.D. checks. Nothing.” Dougherty added that he was able to move freely between the ground floor and his room on the 10th floor of the Washington Hilton without anyone stopping him, screening him, or verifying his credentials — a significant lapse that may have allowed the suspect to move through the building before allegedly assembling the gun outside the press dinner.

New York Times [4/26/2026 3:14 PM, Callie Holtermann and Andrew Trunsky, 148038K] reports the music stopped around 8:45 p.m. Saturday as the news spread through the party at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington. Hosted by the newsletter platform Substack, the party was attended mostly by journalists. When they checked their phones, they saw that there had been gunfire at the Washington Hilton, where President Trump was attending the White House correspondents’ dinner. Chris Best, the chief executive of Substack, took the stage and tried to reassure the guests. “We believe that we are safe here,” he said. Olivia Troye, a former adviser to Vice President Mike Pence who is now running for Congress as a Democrat in Virginia, said she had gotten “chills” when she heard the news. “My phone blew up from friends: ‘Are you there? Are you safe?’” she said. For the next hour, no one was permitted to leave the Substack party. Many guests lined up at the bar. Keith Edwards, a news analyst and YouTuber, said he felt “numb.” Aaron Parnas, a political commentator on TikTok, began filming a video for his followers. By the time the music resumed, most guests were scrolling through their social media feeds. “I think people are not quite sure how to process it,” said the writer Steven Beschloss.

New York Post [4/26/2026 6:04 PM, Chris Nesi, 40934K] reports Democratic politicians are being singled out for clutching their pearls over Saturday night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting — while eagerly contributing to the rhetoric critics say leads to acts of political violence. The lefty lawmakers practically tripped over each other to be first in line to condemn the attempted mass shooting, in which crazed accused gunman Cole Allen, 31, barged into the Washington Hilton intending to kill President Trump and other administration officials. But dozens of pols’ past comments highlighted by RNC Research after the attack show that Former President Joe Biden’s limp 2024 call to "lower the temperature’ of American politics after the first assassination attempt against President Trump has gone unheeded by the political left. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) wrote on social media that she is "grateful the President and all the guests from last night’s event are safe, and no one was seriously injured," adding that "political violence has no place in America.". RNC Research shared her X post, pointing out that she’s called the president an "existential threat to democracy," and blasting her for her choice of language that is "inciting violence" against President Trump and Republicans. Failed 2024 vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, also the embattled outgoing governor of Minnesota, put out a cookie-cutter statement that "political violence has become all too prevalent in America.". Few Democrats can claim to have attempted to sow more fear in Americans about President Trump than Walz, who has routinely compared him and his administration to fascists and Nazis. "No one has ever been more dangerous to this country than Donald Trump, and he is a fascist to his core," he said during a campaign rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 2024. In response to the attack, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), issued a statement saying only that he was "monitoring the unfolding situation" at the gala and that he was "grateful" for the work of law enforcement. RNC Research points out that Schumer has yet to condemn the "radical leftist" who tried to assassinate the president. Brooklyn Democratic Congressman Hakeem Jeffries thanked law enforcement and proclaimed "the violence and chaos in America must end" on X. Just three days earlier, Jeffries called for "maximum warfare" against President Trump and the administration.

NBC News [4/26/2026 5:52 PM, Marlene Lenthang, 42967K] reports former President Barack Obama denounced violence in light of yesterday’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ dinner. "Although we don’t yet have the details about the motives behind last night’s shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner, it’s incumbent upon all us to reject the idea that violence has any place in our democracy," he wrote on X. "It’s also a sobering reminder of the courage and sacrifice that U.S. Secret Service Agents show every day. I’m grateful to them — and thankful that the agent who was shot is going to be okay," he added.

Reuters [4/26/2026 7:09 PM, Staff, 38315K] reports Donald Trump’s tuxedo still looked freshly pressed when he stepped to the White House podium Saturday night, barely an hour after the latest apparent attempt on his life. "When you’re impactful, ​they go after you," the U.S. president told some of the highest-powered journalists in Washington. Many of them were still dressed in their own formal wear from a celebrated annual event, the White ‌House Correspondents’ Association dinner, which ended abruptly after a man sprinted past security outside the ballroom, armed with multiple weapons. "When you’re not impactful," Trump added, "they leave you alone." Trump’s remarks in the aftermath of an incident that caused many of the 2,600 people in attendance to dive to the floor as the Secret Service hustled away the president and other dignitaries underscored his instinct to spin narratives with himself as the undaunted hero -- a juggernaut, a survivor -- while rarely missing a chance to plug his priorities. On this occasion, that included a controversial new ​White House ballroom that, he insisted, would be safer than the Washington Hilton, where then-President Ronald Reagan was shot during an assassination attempt in 1981. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche posted on social media Sunday ​that the Justice Department would ask a judge to dismiss a pending case that has stalled the ballroom’s construction. Tim Sheehy, a Republican senator from Montana, and Randy Fine, a Republican ⁠U.S. Representative from Florida, both wrote that they planned to introduce legislation in the coming days to grant Trump permission to build the facility -- echoing Trump’s own political messaging. "We need the ballroom. That’s why Secret Service, that’s why ​the military are demanding it," Trump said Saturday night, without offering evidence that presidential security officials have issued such demands. Trump, who is mired in the lowest approval ratings of his term after the start of the U.S.-Israeli war ​against Iran that is broadly unpopular with Americans, has experience at the opportunities presented by such moments. "No one can turn danger into a political asset better than this president,” a White House official, speaking on ​the condition of anonymity to discuss Trump’s state of mind, told Reuters.

AP [4/26/2026 6:24 PM, Meg Kinnard, 35287K] reports President Donald Trump’s Justice Department is using the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday to try to pressure preservationists to drop their lawsuit over his planned $400 million ballroom on the site of the former East Wing of the White House. “It’s time to build the ballroom,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said plainly Sunday on X, posting a letter in which Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate gave the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which has sued to block construction, until 9 a.m. Monday to dismiss its lawsuit. The White House ballroom, Shumate wrote, “will ensure the safety and security of the President for decades to come and prevent future assassination attempts on the President at the Washington Hilton.” Asked about the letter, Elliot Carter, spokesperson for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said Sunday the group would review it with legal counsel. The preservation group sued in December, a week after the White House finished demolishing the East Wing to make way for a ballroom that Trump said would fit 999 people. Trump says the project is funded by private donations, although public money is paying for the bunker construction and security upgrades. A crowd of 2,300 attended Saturday night’s event at the Hilton, home to one of the few rooms in Washington large enough for the event. It packs in attendees at round tables whose chairs are back to back, and room to move around is tight. The dinner is not a White House event — it is run by the White House Correspondents’ Association, a nonprofit organization of journalists from media outlets that cover the president. For months, Trump has mentioned the ballroom project at nearly every chance, often talking about the lawsuit or his desire to construct the space during events on a number of other topics. As he addressed tuxedo- and ball gown-clad reporters who scurried from the Washington Hilton to the White House for a Saturday night news conference, Trump called for tougher security measures and pointed to the incident as a reason his ballroom is needed. In the wake of the shooting, Trump, Blanche and a number of supporters of the administration have taken the opportunity to push for the project across social media platforms and news programs. Republican Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan said he agreed with Trump “100%” on the massive White House construction project, which Jordan said on Fox News Channel “obviously would be much safer location for these type of events.”

Reported similarly:
Breitbart [4/27/2026 2:22 AM, Staff, 2238K]
Washington Examiner [4/26/2026 6:58 PM, Zach LaChance, 1147K]

The New York Times [4/26/2026 4:40 PM, Luke Broadwater, Ali Watkins and Zach Montague, 148038K] reports just hours after an armed man rushed the White House Correspondent’s Dinner, spurring evacuations and scuttling the event, President Trump and allies online had coalesced around a solution for presidential security. The mayhem proved, once and for all, they argued, the need for the new White House ballroom that Mr. Trump has made a top priority since at least October. “This event would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House,” Mr. Trump wrote in a post on social media on Sunday morning. “It cannot be built fast enough!” He raised the issue again in an interview with “The Sunday Briefing” on Fox News late Sunday morning, talking about challenges of securing the Washington Hilton, the mega-hotel where the shooting occurred. The proposed ballroom is subject to litigation that has repeatedly slowed the project’s progress — and frustrated the president. To the president and dozens of his most prominent supporters online, the chaotic disruption of the dinner helped illustrate why the lawsuit seeking to stop construction of the ballroom should be dismissed. Mr. Trump’s lawyers had already argued in court that a judge should allow the project to move ahead because it would improve security and allow for larger events at the White House campus. But the coordinated effort to link security at the dinner to the tug of war over the ballroom project largely ignored the realities of the annual dinner and the circumstances of the breach on Saturday evening. Bloomberg Government [4/26/2026 3:59 PM, Jeff Mason, 111K] reports President Donald Trump jumped on Saturday night’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner to add a security rationale to his case for building a massive White House ballroom that he has wanted for years. “The one good thing is now everybody knows how badly needed it is,” Trump said Sunday on Fox News. Trump, who has been frustrated by the legal challenges to his $400 million construction project, said at a Saturday night news conference and again on Sunday that security concerns are a key reason behind his proposed 90,000-square-foot space. The press dinner is a mainstay of the Washington social calendar and is planned by the White House Correspondents’ Association, a private organization. The ballroom, if it is built, would be used for state dinners and other presidential events planned by the White House, not outside organizations. But Trump did not mention that distinction in his post or comments about the project. “What happened last night is exactly the reason that our great Military, Secret Service, Law Enforcement and, for different reasons, every President for the last 150 years, have been DEMANDING that a large, safe, and secure Ballroom be built ON THE GROUNDS OF THE WHITE HOUSE,” Trump wrote Sunday on his Truth Social platform. There is no evidence that the entities he mentioned have been calling for a ballroom for decades.

New York Post [4/26/2026 6:12 PM, Ryan King, 40934K] reports President Trump and his allies insisted Saturday’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner proves the need for his planned über-secure White House ballroom. Since 1968, the celebrated dinner has been held at the Washington Hilton, a hotel complex about a mile and a half north of the White House. But due to the fact that it’s a hotel, suspect Cole Thomas Allen was allegedly able to book a stay and sneak weapons there. That’s why Trump and his allies believe a secure ballroom facility is needed at the White House. "What happened last night is exactly the reason that our great Military, Secret Service, Law Enforcement and, for different reasons, every President for the last 150 years, have been DEMANDING that a large, safe, and secure Ballroom be built ON THE GROUNDS OF THE WHITE HOUSE," President Trump posted on Truth Social. "This event would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House. It cannot be built fast enough!". Technically, the dinner is hosted by the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), which represents reporters who cover the administration. It’s up to the WHCA to decide where it’s held.

New York Times [4/27/2026 12:41 AM, Jin Yu Young, 148038K] reports the U.S. military said it attacked another boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Sunday, killing three people and raising the death toll to at least 185 in the campaign against people the Trump administration accuses of smuggling drugs at sea. The strike was ordered by Gen. Francis L. Donovan of the Marine Corps, the head of the U.S. Southern Command, which oversees military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, the command said on social media. An accompanying video showed a boat bursting into flames as it moved through open water. The command said that three male “narco-terrorists” were killed and that the vessel had been traveling along “known narco-trafficking routes.” The command did not provide evidence for those claims. Officials said no U.S. forces were harmed. It was the 54th U.S. military strike on a boat in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific since September, when the Trump administration began its campaign against drug smuggling in the region. It was the seventh such strike this month. A broad range of specialists in laws governing the use of lethal force have called the killings illegal, saying the military is not allowed to deliberately target civilians who pose no imminent threat of violence. The White House has said the killings are lawful, arguing that President Trump has “determined” that the United States is in a formal armed conflict with drug cartels and that crews of drug-running boats are “combatants.”

Reported similarly:
FOX News [4/26/2026 11:48 PM, Landon Mion, 37576K]

Washington Post [4/27/2026 5:01 AM, Maria Sacchetti, 24826K] reports a divorce lawyer who has vowed to “fight exclusively for the rights of men.” A Minnesota attorney who championed Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the Trump administration’s raids in Minneapolis. And a judge who was once lambasted by an appeals court for denying humanitarian protection to a Serbian man because he didn’t look “overtly gay.” All three are among the “deportation judges” recently hired as part of President Donald Trump’s quest to clear a massive case backlog and fulfill his goal of deporting 1 million immigrants each year. The hiring spree follows the Justice Department’s firings of more than 100 immigration judges since Trump took office, an unprecedented purge, and a similar number have retired or resigned. More than 140 new judges have been appointed so far to replace them, many of whom have no stated experience practicing immigration law and, according to the National Association of Immigration Judges, are receiving less training than previously offered. Former judges who were fired say they fear Trump is forcing out judges who rule against the government and replacing them with loyalists and others being pressured to help carry out a single goal: Deport immigrants. “They’re trying to create a malleable workforce that will do what they want without question,” said Kerry Doyle, a former ICE official who was hired to serve as an immigration judge in Massachusetts under President Joe Biden and then fired last year before she could begin hearing cases. “That’s what I think the goal is.”

Breitbart [4/26/2026 8:45 PM, Sean Moran, 2238K] reports Rachel Bovard, the vice president for programs at the Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI), said on Breitbart News Saturday that Senate Republicans are waiting to be led into a "broadly politically popular fight" to pass the SAVE America Act. Bovard spoke to Breitbart News Saturday guest host Bradley Jaye as the Senate Republican majority has remained unable to pass the SAVE America Act, a bill that would require proof of citizenship to vote and require voter ID to vote, among other reforms. The bill has passed through the House; however, the Senate’s 60-vote threshold has made it difficult for it to pass through the chamber. This is why Bovard and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), among other conservatives, have advocated for using the talking filibuster to break through the 60-vote filibuster threshold and pass the legislation with only 51 votes through the Senate. President Donald Trump has called for eliminating the 60-vote threshold entirely. Bovard explained that, even if that were the case, it remains unclear if the SAVE America Act has enough votes to pass through the Senate. She said, as the Senate voted on amendments to pass the budget resolution this week, Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) offered an amendment to the budget resolution that would establish many parts of the SAVE America Act. The Senate voted it down 48-50, with four Senate Republicans — Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) — voting against the amendment. Bovard explained that McConnell led Senate Republicans for roughly 17 years, meaning that GOP lawmakers in Congress’s upper chamber have not become accustomed to being led through contentious fights. She added that the Senate "hates working" and that many senators are too used to the Senate’s two-and-a-half-day workweek. Jaye said that being the Senate Majority Leader means being a "thermostat, not a thermometer," and that a Republican leader should apply pressure to enact the president’s agenda. Bovard said that many Senate Republicans are "waiting to be led.". She said, "This bill did receive a majority of the conference cosponsoring it; they are just waiting to be led. This is a conference again, the bulk of which has never seen a leader that’s willing to listen to themand to lead into a broadly politically popular fight. Mitch McConnell didn’t do these things, and so now I think they’re waiting for John Thune to tell us what to do and not take the heckler’s veto.". She said that the "Senate is where you deliberate" and "pass a negotiated product.". Bovard added, "That is all we have been asking for the SAVE America Act, just try.".

New York Post [4/26/2026 10:21 PM, Miranda Devine, 40934K] reports the look on First Lady Melania Trump’s face after a gunman tried to storm the White House Correspondents’ dinner Saturday night said it all. Eyes wide, mouth agape, her features frozen in horror as the room in front of her erupted in chaos, tables flipping, crockery smashing, hundreds of journalists and politicians hitting the deck as Secret Service agents barrelled toward the stage, guns drawn. By contrast, the expression on the president’s face was calm, slightly quizzical, his jaw tight, as he surveyed the ballroom and then glanced toward the agents dashing to block him with their bodies from potential other assailants before bundling him off stage. Perhaps, after surviving his third confirmed assassination attempt in less than two years, Donald Trump is used to people trying to kill him — or perhaps he has just trained himself to have a poker face in any situation. Either way, he was built for such moments of crisis. Two hours later, he was at the podium in the White House press briefing room — named after James Brady, the White House press secretary shot in the head and paralyzed in the 1981 assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan outside the same Washington Hilton hotel. The historical echo was not lost on any of the hastily assembled journalists still dressed in their black-tie finery.

CBS’ Face The Nation [4/26/2026 11:48 AM, Staff, 1292K] reports the FBI has gone to a home in Torrance, California, believed to belong to the alleged shooter, most likely into his DC hotel room as well. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche says that the FBI worked all night with law enforcement and Secret Service. "They’ve executed various search warrants on locations, also on devices that were recovered from the suspect. This investigation is just over 12 hours old, so we still are actively looking at everything that happened, but as of now, we have collected a fair amount of evidence, which we’re now going through." Blanche comments. Blanche is asked if there is any indication that he was part of a group, any foreign nexus to the inspiration for the violence. "We’re still looking into motivation, and that’s something that hopefully we’ll learn over the next couple of days. We do believe, based upon just a very preliminary start to understanding what happened, that he was targeting members of the administration. We don’t- we don’t have specifics beyond that kind of general statement from what we’ve learned so far, but we are- we’re actively talking to witnesses that knew him and talking to other individuals and going through the material that we’ve collected." Blanche states.

CBS’ Face The Nation [4/26/2026 11:48 AM, Staff, 1292K] reports 5 out of the six top leaders attended the correspondence dinner. Those five are the line of succession for the country should something have happened to there President. What was the plan if something were to happen, was there no increased concern about gathering all top leadership at the correspondence dinner. "We will not stop doing things like we did last night in this administration and this man, if his, one of his goals was to get us to be scared, he failed. And let me just, let me make clear that you’re right, all those folks were in the room and more, and yet we were all safe. Law enforcement did their jobs, and so President Trump said last night, and he means it, and I very much agree with him that this type of conduct will not deter him, it will not stop him from living, it will not stop him from doing his job. And that not is only him, but the vice president, the cabinet, the law enforcement, you all, journalists, you’re not going to stop doing your jobs either because of this, of this lone man that did what he did." Blanche states.

NBC’s Meet the Press [4/26/2026 12:38 PM, Staff] reports Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is asked about his experience at the congressional dinner when the attack happened. "I think I reacted like, like a lot of people in that room. There was obviously initial confusion, and — but law enforcement, I think what everybody saw in that room, and I was in the briefing room an hour later and saw a lot of the people that were in that room along with me, was the great work of law enforcement. I mean, everybody virtually immediately felt safe because the law enforcement presence in that hotel and in that conference room was overwhelming. And so while I didn’t know what had happened, nobody did at first, I felt safe, and then obviously the night unfolded as it did." Blanche comments.

NBC’s Meet the Press [4/26/2026 12:38 PM, Staff] reports Blanche is asked if the attack that the dinner was a potential nexus to terrorism, asking if any connection is linked to Iran. "No, and President Trump talked about that last night. We just don’t know yet, and that’s not surprising given, you know, where we are here on Sunday morning after something happens Saturday night. I promise you that we will get to the bottom of that. That’s what the FBI does every day. But as of now we don’t have any connection to any particular policy directive of President Trump, or Iran, or anything else that we’re doing in this country. But we are looking into it, and we’ll know more, and when we know more we’ll share it with the American people." Blanch states.

CNN’s State of the Union With Jake Tapper and Dana Bash [4/26/2026 9:48 AM, Staff, 678K] reports Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was at the dinner last night when a armed man attacked, today he joins the show to give some insight on the situation. “We executed a number of search warrants last night. FBI worked through the night, along with state and local law enforcement at both coasts in Los Angeles and here in D.C. We executed search warrants on devices, electronic devices, that we found that we believe belong to the suspect. And we’re still looking to try to understand a motive. From our preliminary investigation, it does appear the suspect was targeting members of the administration. I don’t want to go beyond that because we don’t have specifics yet about particular members of the administration, except that we do understand that that was his goal and his target.” Blanche stated.

CNN’s State of the Union With Jake Tapper and Dana Bash [4/26/2026 9:48 AM, Staff, 678K] reports the police said that they believe he was staying at the hotel, which is the Hilton in Washington. The Secret Service typically runs through guest names and they run them through databases of known threats prior to a dinner like that, what happened? " I am overly confident that the Secret Service did their job here, not only in the work last night, but in the days coming up to the event last night. As President Trump said last night, and he said it many times, because it’s true, if there’s somebody who wants to do what happened last night, and you want it and you try hard enough, the goal is not expected to stop every single thing. It’s to create a very safe and very secure environment, which is what happened last night." Blanche stated.

CBS’ Face The Nation [4/26/2026 12:23 PM, Staff, 5000K] reports Samantha Vinograd was a top homeland security official in the Biden administration, and is now a national security contributor at CBS and AT Smith is a former deputy director of the secret service and now a CBS law enforcement analyst and joins the show from Greenville, South Carolina. The perimeter of the security went out pretty far. There were protests surrounding the building. There weren’t just protests about Trump. There were protests around Jeffrey Epstein. There were protests about the corporation that owns this news network. There were protests about the Iran war. Vinograd and Smith recount their experience during the attack.

FOX News Sunday [4/26/2026 12:38 PM, Staff] reports Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche discusses the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting, saying it is a ‘wake-up call’ for Congress to fund DHS, while revealing the suspect traveled cross-country by train to target administration officials. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche joined ‘Fox News Sunday’ to discuss the the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting, saying it is a ‘wake-up call’ for Congress to fund DHS, while revealing the suspect traveled cross-country by train to target administration officials.

FOX News Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo [4/26/2026 12:38 PM, Staff] reports Maria Bartiromo speaks with Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., about his call for Judge James Boasberg’s impeachment and congressional Republicans’ strategy for a two-part budget reconciliation. Senator Eric Schmitt, Republican from Missouri, joins Maria Bartiromo to advocate for the impeachment of Judge James Boasberg, labeling him a "rogue judge" due to alleged partisan actions and past rulings. Schmitt also details congressional Republicans’ strategy for a two-part budget reconciliation, initially funding Border Patrol and ICE by June 1, followed by defense spending and the Save America Act later in the year.

Univision [4/26/2026 6:33 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports Andrea Pedro Francisco, a Guatemalan citizen, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents just six days before she was scheduled to undergo urgent surgery. She was slated to go into surgery on February 11 to have an ovarian cyst removed, but was arrested in Minneapolis, Minnesota . The 23-year-old woman arrived in the United States in 2019 and sought asylum due to the violence faced by women and Indigenous communities in her country. She was 16 at the time. Although she has no arrest warrant and no criminal record, she was detained during "Operation Metro Surge ," in which more than 3,000 officers were deployed throughout the city. These raids have been denounced from various quarters for the excessive use of force and the racialization of Black and Hispanic communities, as well as for the killing of Alex Pretti and Renee Good , two U.S. citizens, by officers while they were protesting the White House’s deportation policy, which has expelled nearly half a million people from the country. Despite her fragile health, Andrea was transferred over 1,800 kilometers from her home to the Camp East Montana detention center of the Bureau of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in El Paso, Texas . Since then, her condition has worsened: the cyst has grown to the size of a tennis ball, causing her intense pain that radiates to her back. Andrea herself told immigration attorney Ruby Powers that her menstrual period now lasts up to ten days, whereas before it never exceeded three. She also lives in constant fear that the cyst might bleed. Given the seriousness of the case, international organizations such as Amnesty International have become involved, denouncing the lack of adequate medical care. They have also documented that upon arriving at the detention center in El Paso, Andrea was seriously ill and required hospitalization. The doctor who treated her acknowledged the urgency of the surgery but refused to perform it due to her status as a detainee. Instead, he prescribed medication to alleviate her symptoms, which, according to reports, she never received. Minnesota lawmakers and pastors from Andrea’s church have requested her release on humanitarian grounds. They argue that she faces a real risk of severe medical complications, including loss of fertility and the loss of her ovary. The cyst could rupture and cause internal bleeding, and in the long term, it could lead to serious, entirely preventable illnesses. Andrea’s case is one of many that have been reported regarding the precarious conditions in these centers and the lack of medical care faced by detained migrants. Amnesty International has documented that, precisely in the center where she is being held, there are unsanitary conditions, abuses, and mistreatment. Those detained there are not entitled to bail, so they remain incarcerated while their deportation proceedings continue. The number of people who have died in ICE custody has reached an all-time high. Last year, 33 people died, and since January, at least 17 have died. In many cases, such as that of Mexican national José Guadalupe Ramos , the allegations again point to a lack of timely medical attention. More than 70 days after her detention, Andrea still lacks access to the surgery she urgently needs. Her health is deteriorating in an environment that, according to reports, lacks adequate medical care. As her immigration process moves forward, so does the risk of complications that could have been avoided.

CBS News [4/26/2026 8:08 PM, Zachary Bynum, 51110K] reports a protest outside a grocery store in Marietta on Saturday brought together demonstrators and countering voices as part of a nationwide day of action opposing the expansion of immigration detention facilities. The event, held along Powder Springs Street, was one of more than 160 demonstrations across the country tied to the "Communities Not Cages" campaign — a coordinated effort by advocacy groups to push back against the expansion of detention centers operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Protesters call detention expansion "inhumane". Several demonstrators said they were motivated by concerns over how immigrants are being treated in detention and what they described as a growing reliance on large-scale holding facilities. Ryan McClure, a 78-year-old Marietta resident, said he joined the protest out of concern for human rights. "These people are human beings, and I think we need to treat them a little better than we have so far," McClure said, adding that current detention practices are "not humane.". McClure also raised broader concerns about the direction of U.S. immigration policy, saying the country needs "more peace and love" amid rising tensions. Organizers framed the demonstration as part of a larger national push to stop ICE from using warehouse-style facilities to house detainees. Stacy Parlato, who identified herself as a leader with Indivisible Cobb, said protesters are calling for systemic changes. "We’re absolutely and unequivocally opposed to ICE buying up warehouse space and turning them into human concentration camps," Parlato said. Parlato argued that while immigration enforcement has a role, current policies under the Trump administration are "immoral," "unconstitutional," and disproportionately target immigrants. Other demonstrators echoed concerns about conditions inside detention centers and access to legal protections. Julie Pearson Clark, a Marietta resident, said the idea of converting warehouses into detention facilities raises serious questions. "How you can take a huge warehouse that’s meant for products … and think you can convert that into a safe place? I’m appalled," Clark said. Clark also pointed to what she described as reduced access to immigration courts and due process, calling the situation "completely against the Constitution.". Not everyone at the scene agreed with the protesters. Rosalba Hansen, a Mexican-American Marietta resident who said she stopped after seeing the gathering, expressed support for immigration enforcement efforts. "I support the job that they’re doing," Hansen said. "I don’t want the U.S. to be like Mexico — a lot of drugs, a lot of crime. I want my kids to live in a free country.".

Bloomberg Law [4/27/2026 5:01 AM, Taylor Mills, 49K] reports Florida’s role in building the detention facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz” let the federal government skip environmental review under a recent appeals court opinion, setting a dangerous precedent for other projects moving forward, environmental litigators say. On April 21, the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit ruled the state’s agreement with the US Department of Homeland Security to build, then hand over operations of a makeshift detention center in the Florida Everglades wasn’t enough to trigger National Environmental Policy Act requirements, as the construction wasn’t “federally controlled.” [Editorial note: Consult source link for extended commentary]

The New York Times [4/26/2026 2:20 PM, Pooja Salhotra, 148038K] reports an Egyptian family that was released from an immigration detention center in Texas last week was again taken into custody in Denver on Saturday morning — before being released later that day — in what the family’s lawyer argued was an extraordinary violation of judicial orders. Hayam El Gamal and her five children were detained in June after Ms. El Gamal’s husband was charged in a firebombing attack in Boulder, Colo. The family, who had first come to the United States from Egypt on tourist visas in 2022, fought for their release, arguing that they knew nothing about the husband’s plans and were being held in violation of their constitutional rights. On Thursday, a federal judge ordered that Ms. El Gamal and her five children be released from the Dilley Immigration Processing Center, about 75 miles southwest of San Antonio, as they await a decision on their asylum case. Two days later, when they appeared for a check-in on Saturday morning, Ms. El Gamal and her five children were taken into custody in Denver and flown to Detroit, said Eric Lee, the family’s lawyer. Hours later, the family flew back to Denver, but their fate in the country was uncertain. Lauren Bis, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement that Ms. El Gamal and her children had been issued a final order of removal in December 2025. She said the family appealed the order and the board of immigration appeals upheld the removal order. “Despite receiving full due process, this activist judge appointed by Bill Clinton is releasing this terrorist’s family onto American streets again,” Ms. Bis said, referring to Judge Fred Biery of the Federal District Court in San Antonio, who ordered the family’s release on Thursday. Ms. Bis did not confirm that the family had been detained on Saturday, though she said that the department would “continue to fight for the removal of those who have no right to be in our country.” The Washington Times [4/26/2026 2:07 PM, Valerie Richardson, 1323K] reports "ICE just released the El Gamal family," Mr. Lee posted late Saturday on X. "What took place today can only be described as an extraordinary rendition. 5 kids/mom kidnapped by feds in violation of multiple court orders as punishment for crimes committed by someone else.". U.S. District Judge Nina Wang for the District of Colorado also issued an order Saturday blocking ICE from removing the family from Colorado or the U.S. The children, who range in age from 5 to 18, and their parents are all Egyptian nationals. The Department of Homeland Security attempted to deport the family after Mr. Soliman was accused of throwing flaming Molotov cocktails at a crowd holding a June 1 walk in support of the Hamas-held hostages in Gaza on the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colorado. Since then, the Department of Homeland Security has sought to deport the family members, who arrived in 2022 on six-month tourist visas and applied for asylum. "Mohammed Soliman is a terrorist responsible for an anti-Semitic firebombing in Boulder," Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement. She criticized Judge Biery, a Clinton appointee who sits on the federal bench in the Western District of Texas, as an "activist judge.". "The family received full due process and was issued a final order of removal on December 29, 2025. They appealed the judge’s decision. The board of appeals upheld the final order of removal on April 22, 2026," Ms. Bis said in the statement. "Despite receiving full due process, this activist judge appointed by Bill Clinton is releasing this terrorist’s family onto American streets AGAIN.".

Reported similarly:
NPR [4/26/2026 9:30 PM, Adrian Florido, 28764K]

Univision [4/26/2026 5:10 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have again detained an Egyptian family that had been in custody for almost a year, just two days after a federal judge in Texas ordered their release, and are now in the process of deporting them, their legal representatives reported Saturday. "Detained again at the first ICE checkpoint, deportation is imminent, emergency motions have been filed," said the legal team defending Hayam El-Gamal and his five children, whose ages range from 5 to 18 years old. Later, the lawyers detailed in a statement that the family had returned to their home in Colorado when they were arrested by federal agents , who transported them by plane with a planned stopover at Willow Run Airport in Detroit , before taking them out of the United States to an undisclosed destination. In response, the defense filed emergency appeals in both the Western District of Texas and the Fifth Circuit , in addition to filing a new habeas corpus petition in Colorado. They argued that "the attempt to deport the El Gamal family violates a federal court order and must be stopped immediately." The El Gamals had been arrested in June of last year and sent to the Dilley detention center, the only one in the country designated for migrant families, after accusations against Hayam El-Gamal’s ex-husband as the alleged perpetrator of an attack against a pro-Israel demonstration in Colorado. That same day, President Donald Trump reacted to the case on social media, where he stated that "they could be deported as soon as tonight" and referred to them as "six one-way tickets for Mohamed’s wife and five children." According to data cited by members of Congress, in the last year more than 6,200 minors have been detained in immigration detention centers in the United States.

AP [4/27/2026 12:04 AM, Gisela Salomon, 35287K] reports when the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments on the Trump administration’s plans to stop shielding Haitians and Syrians from deportation, people from more than dozen other countries will pay close attention, perhaps none more than an estimated 200,000 from El Salvador. Many Salvadorans have lived in the United States for 25 years under Temporary Protected Status, which allows those already in the country to stay with work permits in increments of up to 18 months as long as the Homeland Security secretary deems conditions unsafe for return. President Donald Trump’s former secretary, Kristi Noem, ended TPS for all 12 countries that came up for renewal under her watch. Court arguments Wednesday will focus on whether the administration properly weighed conditions in Haiti and Syria when it ended TPS and if it prejudiced non-white immigrants. The decisions affected about 350.000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians. El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, occupies a special place as a U.S. ally among the leaders of the 17 countries that were designated with TPS when Trump took office, covering a universe of 1.3 million people that more than doubled during Joe Biden’s presidency. Extending TPS would secure a pipeline of remittances that people send to family back home, but few are counting on Trump to deliver any favors when it is up for renewal Sept. 9.

Daily Caller [4/26/2026 5:29 PM, Carla Sands and Samantha Flanigan, 803K] reports the Somali fraud is only a drop in the bucket, as it compares to the elaborate Indian fraud and scam networks that are taking American tech jobs and hurting the American economy, through H-1B visas, bought degrees and fake certifications. Since COVID, 90% of the net gain in American jobs have gone to foreign workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Tech companies are passing over American college students for foreign workers, many of whom have scam degrees and certifications. In a study conducted by the Institute for Sound Public Policy, 60% of American citizens and 86% of foreign Computer Science Master’s graduates got jobs six months after graduation from UMass Amherst in 2022. In one instance, the University of Pittsburgh tried to hire for a tech position, yet the position was open only to candidates with an H-1B visa. And another in a taxpayer-funded university in Indiana. Another at Stanford. By allowing the prioritization of H-1B workers in STEM, the market has been flooded with fake foreign degrees while devaluing science and engineering degrees for American college grads, leaving American STEM talent more susceptible to under and unemployment. A South China Morning Post expose revealed an India-based University, Manav Bharti University (MBU), reportedly sold 36,000 fake degrees over 11 years for less than $5,000 each- and U.S. employers accepted them! The bottom line is that people with fake degrees do not compare in quality to American workers with American degrees and certifications, which has had broad effects throughout the American tech industry, including massive bugs, cloud malfunctions and cybersecurity failures. On Cyber Monday in December 2025, Shopify, a user of H1-B labor for tech, had a massive glitch failure that halted their ability to process transactions, causing a 6% drop in Shopify stock, not to mention, the thousands of small businesses that could not process orders on the highest day of online sales. H-1B visas may be great for short-term quarterly gains of the highest performing U.S. technology-sector stocks, "Mag 7," but fraud is terrible for the American economy and national security. In a push against Indian outsourcing, conservatives have generated enthusiasm, saying "Make Call Centers Great Again," citing an overall dissatisfaction with customer support call centers. Democratic Sen. Gallego of Arizona introduced the Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025 in July of last year, aimed at making companies that relocate call centers overseas ineligible for federal grants and loans. In September 2025, the late activist Charlie Kirk took to X saying,. "America does not need more visas for people from India. Perhaps no form of legal immigration has so displaced American workers as those from India. Enough already. We’re full. Let’s finally put our own people first.".

New York Times [4/26/2026 8:31 AM, David Ovalle and Patricia Mazzei, 148038K] reports Nilufa Easmin arrived most days at the D&D Convenience Store by 6 a.m. Wearing a head scarf, she murmured a brief Muslim prayer before her shift selling snacks, cigarettes and gas in a blue-collar neighborhood of Fort Myers, Fla. After 3 p.m. she drove to her second job at a 7-Eleven, hours of more work stretching before her. Ms. Easmin, a 51-year-old from Bangladesh, had held many such jobs since arriving in the United States in the 1990s, blending into South Florida’s vast immigrant work force. What had been a life of determination and perseverance ended in a horrific act of violence on the morning of April 2, when a man beat her to death with a hammer. The suspect, Rolbert Joachin, 40, was himself an immigrant, smuggled by boat from Haiti to the Florida Keys four years ago. The killing was thrust into the national spotlight a week later, when President Trump posted gruesome surveillance footage of it on Truth Social. It was the latest proof, he wrote, that liberal immigration policies had allowed “millions of criminals” into the country to run amok. To advance his anti-immigration agenda, Mr. Trump focused on Mr. Joachin, barely mentioning Ms. Easmin as he blasted the Biden administration for extending a program that shielded Mr. Joachin and other Haitians from deportation. Mr. Trump, who has made disparaging comments about Haitian immigrants for years, wants to end the program, Temporary Protected Status, for some 350,000 Haitians; the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the matter this week. A day after the president’s post, a Homeland Security official offered reporters a single detail about Ms. Easmin’s immigration status: that she had obtained citizenship “the right way.” But Ms. Easmin’s life and death tell a different and more nuanced story than Mr. Trump and his administration portrayed — one that reflects the challenges many immigrants face when they get here, and the lengths they go to try to stay. To forge a life here, Ms. Easmin appears to have resorted to a sham marriage, according to divorce records and interviews, that under other circumstances the White House might condemn. But the nation’s long-broken immigration system makes legal immigration to the United States exceedingly difficult, and immigrant journeys rarely simple. Ms. Easmin arrived from Bangladesh in 1996 to join her older brother, Mohammed Hossain, he said in an interview. He had immigrated five years earlier, after winning a visa lottery that allowed him to live and work in the United States and obtain a green card. He found his sister a job in the same network of South Florida convenience stores and gas stations that employed him. He had not realized that she was pregnant when she arrived. She had married in Bangladesh, where the baby’s father still lived, according to Mr. Hossain. Ms. Easmin gave birth to her first child, a daughter, months after her arrival in South Florida.

San Diego Union Tribune [4/26/2026 3:58 PM, Teri Figueroa and Alex Riggins, 1257K] reports a federal judge said last week that three Border Patrol agents’ use of force was reasonable when a suspected smuggler was shot and killed following a chase in Campo five years ago, rejecting the argument that the agents had used excessive force. U.S. District Judge Anthony Battaglia’s 16-page ruling, issued Thursday following a roughly two-week bench trial in San Diego earlier this month, found the agents’ actions or conclusions were “objectively reasonable” in the totality of the circumstances of the late night May 14, 2021, confrontation. Silvestre Estrada Vargas, a 26-year-old U.S. citizen, was spotted picking up two men — undocumented migrants — in a suspected smuggling operation. He was shot when the chase ended in front of a Circle K on state Route 94. His mother and young son sued in 2022, alleging wrongful death, assault and battery, and negligence. Battaglia said his analysis of the claims distilled down to whether the agents’ use of force was reasonable. He also noted that the case “ultimately comes down to events that occurred within just seven seconds.” Agents had blocked Estrada’s car in the parking lot and moved in. It was stopped for about four seconds when Estrada revved the engine then accelerated at a speed of 4 or 5 mph. Three of the agents opened fire. Among them was Agent Robert Godreau, who was eight to 12 feet in front of the vehicle when it moved forward. Battaglia said Godreau’s use of force was reasonable, and said the plaintiffs “failed to offer credible evidence or analysis” that Godreau could have jumped out of the way. “One cannot expect Agent Godreau to have gambled with his own life by speculating on Estrada’s intent or planned trajectory and hopefully jumping away,” the judge wrote. “Clearly, Estrada gambled with his own life.” The judge also said agents Jason Alba and David Mathews, who fired one shot each, were justified in using deadly force. The three agents fired a total of five shots. Estrada was struck once. Neither of his passengers was struck. Battaglia concluded that the agents had no viable less-than-lethal or de-escalation options. And, he said, the notion they could have de-escalated the matter by letting Estrada drive off then spike-stripping his car farther down the winding rural road at night was “untenable.” “The Court’s ruling confirms that these Border Patrol agents acted lawfully and appropriately under dangerous and rapidly evolving circumstances,” U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said in a statement. “Federal agents are authorized to use reasonable force to protect themselves and others while carrying out their mission to secure our borders.”

San Diego Union Tribune [4/26/2026 9:52 PM, Teri Figueroa, 1257K] reports federal agents found a huge stash of methamphetamine — with an estimated street value of nearly $5 million — hidden inside the cargo trailer of a big rig attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border in Otay Mesa earlier this month. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers made the discovery April 14 at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility, the federal agency said in a news release last week. A 31-year-old Mexican citizen driving a 2017 Freightliner Cascadia tractor with a trailer was attempting to cross. The vehicle’s shipment manifest indicated it was hauling corrugated cardboard boxes, the agency said. Officers directed the big rig to a secondary inspection area. There, a “nonintrusive inspection revealed anomalies within the trailer’s front wall,” Customs and Border Protection officials said. A drug-sniffing dog got a hit on the same area. A closer look revealed 300 packages containing a crystal-like substance wrapped in clear plastic and stacked inside. The agency said the substance tested positive for methamphetamine, and the combined packages weighed more than 3,000 pounds.

FOX Weather [4/26/2026 6:10 PM, Alexandra Myers, 40934K] reports more than 55 million Americans across the Midwest and Mississippi Valley are in the threat zone for a brewing severe weather outbreak expected to develop on Monday, with the potential for large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes. This comes after days of severe weather impacted the South and central U.S., resulting in numerous tornadoes, giant hail and vicious winds. One confirmed, monstrous EF-4 tornado tore through Enid, Oklahoma, on Thursday evening, leaving a trail of destruction in its path. Local officials reported significant damage on the city’s southern side, particularly in the Gray Ridge area. After the tornado passed, officials said some residents were trapped in homes and storm shelters. Enid Mayor David Mason told FOX Weather on Friday that at least 40 homes were damaged in the Gray Ridge area. "I am very grateful to report that while homes have sustained significant damage, there have been no fatalities and only minor injuries," Mason said.

USA Today [4/26/2026 3:15 PM, Drew Pittock, 70643K] reports severe weather is expected to sweep across much of the country through the early part of next week, with the potential for everything from flash floods, tornadoes and hail, to strong winds, wildfires and snow. According to the National Weather Service, a "very active Spring weather pattern" is forecasted for the central U.S. through Sunday, April 26, and into early next week, beginning with strong winds and large hail threatening Kansas and Oklahoma. "A complex weather scenario will unfold today into tonight, with higher confidence in the threat for very large hail and tornadoes tonight across Kansas," the NWS Storm Prediction Center posted to X on Sunday. "A conditional severe threat will extend southward into Oklahoma.". Excessive rainfall could also lead to flash floods. Sunday advisories are in effect for eastern Kansas, western Missouri, southern Iowa and Nebraska. Come Monday, April 27, eastern Iowa and northern Illinois – including urban areas around Chicago – face a "slight risk for excessive rainfall," the NWS reported.

ABC News [4/26/2026 1:55 PM, Kyle Reiman and Bill Hutchinson, 34146K] reports nearly 50 million people across the Plains and Midwest are on alert for severe weather outbreaks, including tornadoes, from Sunday into Monday. The new severe weather alerts follow a weekend of destructive storms that spawned multiple twisters in parts of Mississippi and Texas. One person was killed and several others were injured during severe storms in Runaway Bay, Texas, on Saturday, according to Wise County, Texas, officials. A supercell thunderstorm that tracked through the area produced baseball-sized hail and dangerous wind gusts. The same supercell thunderstorm also churned up at least two suspected tornadoes, one in Runaway Bay, about 82 miles northwest of Dallas, and another in nearby Shannon, Texas. The storm caused significant structural damage across multiple neighborhoods in Runaway Bay, resulting in at least 20 families being displaced, Wise County Judge J.D. Clark said in a statement.

AP [4/26/2026 3:53 PM, Staff, 35287K] reports one of two large wildfires in southeastern Georgia continues to grow and now exceeds 31 square miles (80 square kilometers), officials reported Sunday. The Highway 82 Fire has been burning since April 20 and as of Saturday had destroyed at least 87 homes. On Sunday morning, officials said it was only 7% contained. Highway 82 in Brantley County is about 35 miles (56.3 kilometers) north of the state line with Florida. “The fire basically doubled last night in size,” Brantley County Manager Joey Cason said Sunday in a Facebook post. “It is a dynamic fire event that will be impacted by the wind.” Wind gusts of about 15 mph (24.1 kph) were expected Sunday. Cason also said evacuation notices could be issued Sunday and that residents should heed them. A second fire about 70 miles (110 kilometers) to the southwest in Clinch and Echols counties, near the Florida state line, had burned more than 46 square miles (121 square kilometers), destroyed at least 35 homes and only was about 10% contained as of Saturday. That blaze was started by sparks from a welding operation. The Highway 82 fire was started by a foil balloon hitting live power lines. That created an electrical arc that ignited combustible material on the ground. More crews were expected to arrive Sunday and Monday to help battle it, Cason said.

AP [4/26/2026 4:46 PM, Staff, 35287K] Video: HERE reports a tornado-producing thunderstorm left at least two people dead in northern Texas and displaced at least 20 families, with many homes sustaining major damage, authorities said Sunday. At least one person was killed and numerous homes were damaged Saturday night in the town of Runaway Bay, said Wise County Judge J.D. Clark, who serves as the county’s chief executive. Emergency responders worked to clear debris to reach damaged homes and provide medical care where needed, Clark said. "Access has been difficult due to blocked roadways and downed utilities, but crews have continued pushing forward to reach those in need," Clark said. The storm also hit Springtown, where Parker County Assistant Fire Chief David Pruitt said in an email that a second person died south of the city limits. There was "significant damage" in the area, Pruitt said. "One of the most significant ongoing challenges is the widespread power outage affecting many residents," he wrote. National Weather Service teams confirmed that an EF-2 tornado with peak winds of 135 mph (217 kph) touched down in the Runaway Bay area. An EF-1 tornado with peak winds of 105 mph (169 kph) was confirmed in the Springtown area, the weather service said. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

CBS News [4/26/2026 6:51 PM, Doug Myers, S.E. Jenkins and Damien Lodes, 51110K] Video: HERE reports a clearer picture is emerging after the deadly storms that tore across North Texas on Saturday night, generating more than 100 reports ranging from baseball‑size hail to 80‑plus‑mph wind gusts and multiple high‑water rescues across the Metroplex. Preliminary data from the National Weather Service shows seven tornadoes touched down across North Texas, including an EF‑1 that struck Springtown in Parker County with winds of 105 mph and the night’s strongest tornado – an EF‑2 – that hit Runaway Bay in Wise County with winds estimated at 135 mph. Survey teams say the EF‑2 tornado in Wise County carved a path of significant damage on the southwest side of Runaway Bay and caused one death. A second death in Parker County was not tornado‑related but was instead caused by powerful rear‑flank downdraft winds, which surveyors measured at up to 90 mph.

CBS News [4/26/2026 6:09 PM, Lauren Bostwick, 51110K] reports Saturday night, destructive storms pushed across North Texas producing tornadoes, giant hail, damaging winds, and devastating flooding. Sadly, this storm was deadly. The National Weather Service office in Fort Worth confirmed early Sunday afternoon an EF-2 tornado was confirmed in the Runaway Bay area, with peak winds of 135 mph and an EF-1 tornado in the Springtown area of Parker County, with estimated peak winds of 105 mph. The Parker County Sheriff’s Office said around 10:45 p.m. on Saturday, a woman called 911 to say she found a family member in the debris of a storm-damaged residence in the 6700 block of Hutchenson Hill Road, and that the person appeared to be dead. Emergency services personnel responded and found a deceased 69-year-old white female at the scene of a severely damaged mobile home. According to witnesses at the scene, the home was undamaged before the storm that rolled through the area Saturday night. The victim’s identity has not yet been made public. The supercell originated in Wichita County around 4 p.m., where the storm quickly broke the capping inversion, allowing the updraft to explode. The supercell slowly moved to the southeast throughout the evening into the overnight, lasting nearly 12 hours before dissipating around 3:30 a.m. in Kaufman County. This storm caused mass destruction with several confirmed radar-indicated tornadoes reported on its path. One of the hardest hit locations was Runaway Bay, where the tornado struck the area around 8:30 p.m. Saturday night. Destruction to property was significant and neighborhoods were torn apart, leaving many displaced and without power.

Houston Chronicle [4/26/2026 4:23 PM, Michael Garcia, 2493K] reports officials in North Texas continue to clean up after a tornado Saturday night killed one, injured many others and caused significant damage. In a press conference on Sunday, Wise County Judge J.D. Clark told reporters that a collection of first responders and state officials are continuing to work to clear debris from Runaway Bay in Wise County after an EF-2 tornado touched down Saturday night, with peak winds of 135 mph, according to the National Weather Service. Wise County is northwest of Fort Worth. "Situations last night are challenging," Clark said during a news conference. "They’re tough. It was a tough night. And it is understandable that emotions are running high. From the heart of our county government, all our community partners working together, please know this: Wise County takes care of Wise County. And we are going to stand strong and we’re going to stand together." While storm damage is still being evacuated, Clark encouraged those affected to assist state officials with surveying their damage through an online tool.

FOX Business [4/26/2026 3:03 PM, Eric Mack, 7946K] reports the U.S. Coast Guard has paused its search crew member who went overboard from a Norwegian Cruise Line ship bound for Boston after the person was seen falling from the vessel on security video. "A HC144 took over the aerial search and searched with the Station Provincetown crew," Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England told Fox News, which added that "the search was suspended pending new information at 12:25 [p.m.] local time.". The incident involved the Norwegian Breakaway, which was traveling from Bermuda to Boston when authorities were notified that a crew member had gone overboard about 12 miles east of Wellfleet, Massachusetts. The cruise ship returned to the person’s last known position and deployed a rescue boat and life rings in an attempt to help. "A crew member was observed falling from the ship on a security camera," according to the Coast Guard. "A Coast Guard MH-60 helicopter arrived on scene at approximately 0119 local time to assist the search. A crew from Coast Guard Station Provincetown is assisting the search as well.". Norwegian Cruise Line told Fox News in a statement that "a crew member went overboard east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts," on Saturday night. "Upon confirming the incident, the vessel immediately informed the United States Coast Guard Marine Rescue Coordination Center and a coordinated search and rescue operation was initiated," the statement added. "The United States Coast Guard has taken over the search and rescue operation and released the vessel to continue the voyage.

New York Post [4/26/2026 1:54 PM, Ronny Reyes, 40934K] reports two men are believed to be behind the mass shooting near the Indiana University campus in Bloomington that left nine people injured — including five young women hit by bullets or fragments, police said Sunday. Just before the violence erupted at a celebration over the "Little 500" college cycling race on the city’s popular strip of Kirkwood Avenue, a fight had broken out between two women in front of a Five Guys restaurant, Bloomington Police Chief Mike Diekhoff told reporters. During the confrontation, two male suspects pulled out their handguns and fired in the dense crowd at around 12:25 a.m., with five women injured by the gunfire and bullet fragments, Diekhoff said. The two women involved in the fight were not injured, and the motives of the male shooters remain unclear, authorities said. The other people injured were hurt during the ensuing stampede, officials said. No students were injured, officials said, adding that the victims were all from out of town. The injured were identified as a 17-year-old who was hit by fragments in her foot and ankle, an 18-year-old struck in the ankle and shin, a 21-year-old hit in her shin and thighs and a 22-year-old with embedded fragments in the back of her thigh. A 20-year-old victim suffered a direct gunshot that traveled through her body from her abdomen to her armpit, but it remains unclear which way the bullet entered and exited, Diekhoff noted. One of the victims remained in the hospital under stable condition, with the rest treated and released Sunday, officials said. Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson condemned the shooting as emblematic of the state’s open-carry gun laws. "It has been suggested that we forbid guns from public gatherings in the future in Bloomington," Thomson said. "Unfortunately, Indiana gun laws prohibit such action. "And iif gun laws remain as they are — anyone can open carry … we encourage you to speak up to those who can change our gun laws.".

FOX News [4/26/2026 6:30 PM, Staff, 37576K] Video: HERE reports FOX Business correspondent Ashley Webster reports on President Donald Trump canceling the U.S. delegation’s trip to Pakistan for Iran peace talks and Israel striking Hezbollah targets on ‘Fox Report.’

NewsMax [4/26/2026 9:22 PM, Staff, 3760K] reports Iran, through Pakistani mediators, has presented the United States with a new proposal aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the ongoing conflict while postponing nuclear negotiations until a later stage, Axios reported Sunday night. The plan would prioritize restoring oil flow through the critical waterway and potentially extending a ceasefire or reaching a broader end to hostilities. However, the proposal could complicate U.S. objectives. By addressing the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the U.S. naval blockade first, President Donald Trump could lose key leverage in pressing Iran to curb its nuclear program, including reducing its stockpile of enriched uranium and agreeing to suspend enrichment for years. Those nuclear concerns remain central to U.S. strategy, whether addressed through diplomacy or military pressure. Trump is expected to meet Monday with top national security and foreign policy advisers in the Situation Room to discuss the impasse and possible next steps, according to Axios. One U.S. official said the meeting will focus on both the stalled negotiations and broader options in the conflict. Trump indicated over the weekend that he intends to maintain pressure on Iran through the blockade, suggesting it could force Tehran to make concessions as its oil infrastructure faces increasing strain. "When you have vast amounts of oil pouring through your system ... if for any reason this line is closed because you can’t put it into containers or ships ... what happens is that line explodes from within," Trump said in an interview with Fox News, according to Axios. "And when it explodes, you can never rebuild it the way it was ... it would only be 50% of what it is right now. So I think they are under pressure.". Tensions in the negotiations escalated after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Pakistan late last week, where talks failed to produce a breakthrough. Trump told Axios he canceled a planned trip by his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, citing a lack of progress. "I see no point of sending them on an 18-hour flight in the current situation [of the negotiations]," Trump said. "It’s too long. We can do it just as well by telephone. "The Iranians can call us, if they want. We are not gonna travel just to sit there.". Behind the scenes, Axios reported that Araghchi worked with Pakistani and other regional mediators to craft the new proposal amid internal disagreements within Iran’s leadership over how far to go in making nuclear concessions. According to sources, the plan would delay nuclear talks until after the Strait of Hormuz is reopened and the blockade is lifted, a sequence that may be a sticking point for Washington. The proposal has been delivered to the White House, but it remains unclear whether the Trump administration is willing to consider it. "These are sensitive diplomatic discussions and the U.S. will not negotiate through the press," White House spokesperson Olivia Wales told Axios. "As the president has said, the United States holds the cards and will only make a deal that puts the American people first, never allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon.".

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