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.

Politico [4/27/2026 3:50 PM, Myah Ward, 21784K] reports the Trump administration is urging lawmakers to fund the Department of Homeland Security after a gunman breached security at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner over the weekend. President Donald Trump on Monday took to social media to press Republicans to forge ahead with a party-line budget maneuver called reconciliation to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol by June 1 despite Democrats’ objections. “The Senate passed this Blueprint last week on Thursday morning, and now, House Republicans must UNIFY, and pass the same Blueprint to get the Bill done,” the president said in a post on Truth Social. “I’ve asked for the final Bill on my desk by June 1st, and we can make that deadline if we keep to the plan, FAST and FOCUSED. Let’s take care of our Great Agents of Law Enforcement.” Once done, Congress is expected to then enact a bill to fund remaining DHS operations and end the record-breaking shutdown as it drags into its third month. Saturday’s incident has fueled calls from Republicans and Trump administration officials to fund DHS, which houses the Secret Service, one of the law enforcement agencies managing security for the event. Administration officials have pointed to the need to prepare for events that will place additional strain on the agency in the months ahead, including the World Cup, America 250, the 2028 Olympics and the presidential election. Republican leadership is working to persuade hold-outs to support a Senate budget plan to fund immigration enforcement, in part by promising another package filled with Republican priorities later on. Some House Republicans believe the shooting could push hesitant Republican lawmakers to temporarily abandon their frustrations and support the budget plan, especially amid increasing White House warnings about national security risks inherent in leaving the agency in a funding lurch. “They’ve got some issues getting the votes in the Senate resolution … since it’s limited to ICE and CBP,” said a person close to the White House, granted anonymity to discuss the dynamic. “The admin is just trying to wrangle some votes.” The congressional showdown over DHS funding amid resistance from Democrats who want more guardrails placed around immigration enforcement has surpassed 70 days. DHS has been able to paper over some missed paychecks by repurposing some of the massive cash infusion the agency received as part of the GOP megalaw enacted last year, but even that has its limits — DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said this month that his department will run out of money to pay employees’ salaries the first week of May. The administration has repeatedly blamed Democrats in Congress for holding up DHS funding, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt again leveled that charge during Monday’s press briefing, saying “Democrats need to do what President Trump has been calling on them to do for 73 days in a row, and fund the Department of Homeland Security.” She called the matter a “national emergency.” “Every member of Congress needs to put their country over party, and get the Department of Homeland Security funded,” she added.

Reuters [4/27/2026 5:58 PM, David Morgan, 38315K] reports legislation to fund the U.S. Secret Service and other agencies in the Department of Homeland Security will have to be modified before it can pass the House of Representatives, Speaker Mike Johnson said on Monday, raising the possibility of funding delays days after a gunman opened fire at a Washington dinner attended by President Donald Trump. The measure, which the Senate twice passed unanimously, is ​part of a two-pronged Republican effort to end the partial shutdown that has gripped U.S. homeland security operations since ​mid-February. Negotiations to fund the department failed to reach agreement on reforms for Immigration and Customs Enforcement ⁠and Border Patrol, following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens earlier this year. The bill would fund all of DHS, with ​the exception of ICE and Border Patrol. House Republicans had been expected to pick it up this week, after voting on a separate $70 ​billion funding blueprint for the two immigration enforcement agencies that passed the Senate last week. The House is expected to vote on the budget resolution with funding instructions for ICE and Border Patrol on Wednesday. The need to fund the Secret Service has intensified since Saturday’s shooting at the White ​House Correspondents’ Association Dinner by a man prosecutors say tried to assassinate Trump. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has said current ​money for the department, which also includes the Transportation Security Administration, will run out in early May. But Johnson told reporters the Senate legislation to fund all ⁠of DHS except for ICE and Border Patrol would have to change.

Reported similarly:
The Hill [4/27/2026 6:20 PM, Sudiksha Kochi, 18170K]
NewsMax [4/27/2026 10:27 PM, Sam Barron, 3760K]

The Washington Post [4/27/2026 5:32 PM, Riley Beggin, 24826K] reports plans to fund the Department of Homeland Security hit a new snag Monday as House Speaker Mike Johnson said his conference will propose a new version of a bill to sustain most of the agency, likely extending its shutdown. Republicans in Congress had agreed upon a complicated plan to reopen the agency that has gone without new federal funding since Feb. 14. Republicans would use reconciliation to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, both housed within DHS, without Democrats’ help. Then they would finalize a bipartisan bill that’s already passed the Senate to fund the rest of the agency, which includes the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard and the Secret Service, among other entities. But Johnson told reporters Monday that House Republicans no longer plan to support that bill, arguing it has “problematic language” that would “orphan” immigration operations within the department. House Republican leaders have previously raised concerns that the bill would zero out funding for ICE and CPB, but it’s the first time the speaker has made it clear that they won’t be taking up the Senate’s bill since Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) said earlier this month that they would fund the rest of the department through appropriations. That statement did not specify that the House would pass the Senate-approved bill. However, Thune reportedly said last week that it was his and the White House’s understanding that they would. A new version of the legislation would have to be voted on in the Senate again before it could become law. The Washington Examiner [4/27/2026 2:12 PM, Ramsey Touchberry, 1147K] reports Democrats have used the 60-vote threshold since Feb. 14 to block agency funding after policy negotiations broke down on federal immigration enforcement, and the GOP-led House has not approved a Senate-passed measure to fund most of DHS except for U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "The Democrats will do it when they get the majority," Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), referencing Democrats’ support for nixing the filibuster when they were in the majority, said on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures. "At a moment of national danger, if Democrats refuse to fund DHS, I will say this would be the time to nuke the filibuster for good." Other conservatives made similar cases for Republicans to nuke the filibuster, which they could do with a simple majority vote. "No more delays. No more excuses," Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) posted to social media. "If Democrats still insist on filibustering DHS funding, it’s time to nuke the filibuster. No more playing around. Senate GOP colleagues, who else is on board?" Citing the threat to the nation’s most powerful government figures in the room, including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and members of the Cabinet, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) said DHS and Secret Service should be "funded immediately" by way of removing the filibuster.

NewsMax [4/27/2026 6:25 PM, Staff, 3760K] reports House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said the chaos at Saturday night’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner underscores the urgency of fully funding the Department of Homeland Security. Johnson warned Monday on Newsmax that the U.S. faces a "heightened threat environment" as lawmakers race toward a deadline Thursday, when DHS will run out of money. On "The Record With Greta Van Susteren," Johnson described the moment security rushed him out of the ballroom after reports of gunfire. "When the chaos began, I was up on the elevated platform around the perimeter of that giant ballroom," Johnson said, noting the event drew more than 2,500 attendees. "I didn’t even hear the commotion. And the next thing I know, half of my security team grabs me by the shoulders and pushes me out the nearest door ... and everybody [was] screaming, ‘shots fired.’". Johnson said his wife was escorted out separately as security teams moved quickly to evacuate officials and guests. "The other half of my team went to grab my wife," he said. "They took her out another door. We met in our motorcade ... and just waited for further developments.” The incident, which caused panic among attendees, became a focal point in Johnson’s broader argument that Congress must act immediately to fund DHS. DHS has been partially shut down since February because Democrats have objected to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement methods. "Events like Saturday night illustrate once again what a heightened threat environment we live in, and what a dangerous time this is," Johnson said. "This is no time to be playing political games.” Johnson said House Republicans have already passed funding for DHS several times, and accused Democrats of refusing to support key components, particularly agencies tied to immigration enforcement and border security. "Four times now House Republicans have fully funded the Department of Homeland Security," he said. "And shockingly, the Democrats have decided they don’t want to be any part of funding large parts of that department.” With negotiations stalled, Johnson said Republicans plan to move forward using reconciliation to pass funding on their own if necessary. Johnson emphasized the urgency, citing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s warning that emergency funds are nearly exhausted.

CNN [4/27/2026 1:13 PM, Sarah Ferris and Lauren Fox, 19874K] reports that top Republicans on Capitol Hill have spent 10 weeks struggling to end the bitter stalemate over funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Now, as federal workers — including US Secret Service agents who protected the president in this weekend’s shooting in Washington — prepare to miss a paycheck, GOP leaders are under more pressure than ever before to resolve the standoff. Congressional Republicans return to DC Monday evening with a slew of contentious votes ahead that have fiercely divided the party, including the critical DHS funding measure. But there are other must-pass bills that still don’t have the votes to pass in the narrowly divided House, according to GOP leadership aides, including a bill overseeing the government’s spy powers that conservative privacy hawks detest and a massive farm bill that’s angered the MAHA bloc of the GOP. "We’ve got a nightmare week," one GOP leadership aide told CNN. "We have to move DHS funding because it’s urgent. As the secretary of Homeland Security has said. We are out of money. He is out of money at the end of this week. Democrats have been playing games with this. It’s very dangerous as demonstrated Saturday night. We got to get the job done," Johnson said Monday when asked if he would move on that funding this week.

DailySignal [4/27/2026 3:22 PM, George Caldwell, 474K] reports in the latest pressure campaign on Republican leadership, a group of Washington conservatives is asking President Donald Trump to use his constitutional authority to force Congress into session indefinitely until it fully funds the Department of Homeland Security. On Saturday, shortly after an attempt on Trump’s life at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Jeff Clark, vice president of the Oversight Project, called on the president to force the Senate into session "until they fund ALL of DHS — without exception!" Article II of the Constitution grants the president the authority to convene a session of Congress "on extraordinary Occasions." The Senate’s piecemeal approach toward funding the agency has been met with a cold reception among some House conservatives, who have yet to advance the upper chamber’s plan.

NewsMax [4/27/2026 11:15 AM, Theodore Bunker, 3760K] reports Rep. William Timmons, R-S.C., on Monday accused Democrats of obstructing national security funding and a proposed White House ballroom project in the aftermath of a shooting that disrupted the White House Correspondents’ Dinner over the weekend. The Saturday night attack at the Washington Hilton, where President Donald Trump, Cabinet officials and journalists were gathered, sent attendees scrambling as gunfire erupted and Secret Service agents rushed the president to safety. Authorities say a suspect opened fire near the ballroom, injuring a Secret Service agent who was protected by a bulletproof vest, before being taken into custody, as the event was ultimately canceled. The incident has intensified debate in Washington over security, government funding, and Trump’s push to build a more secure event space at the White House. Timmons, in an interview with Newsmax TV’s "Wake Up America" on Monday, pointed to the violence as evidence that Congress must act immediately to fund DHS and improve protections for federal officials. "It’s getting worse and worse," Timmons said. "I think the biggest thing for me is that Department of Homeland Security is not funded. The Democrats refuse to fund the people responsible for protecting us.” He added that the situation could have been far worse given current global tensions and domestic vulnerabilities. "This could have been much, much worse," Timmons said. "We currently have a conflict in Iran. And Biden let 20 million people across the southern border. We need to fund the people that are responsible for protecting us.” The DHS funding lapse, driven by a partisan dispute over immigration enforcement and ICE funding, has left parts of the agency operating without full appropriations, even as lawmakers face heightened security concerns following the shooting.

Breitbart [4/27/2026 10:41 AM, Sean Moran, 2238K] reports the House has to grapple with a number of tasks, including the reauthorization of FISA, funding ICE and Border Patrol, passing a farm bill, and potentially even find a way to fund the White House ballroom renovation. Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) said this week "is going to be hell week," referring to the House’s need to pass a bill reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), the need to pass a "skinny" reconciliation bill that would fund the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency and the Border Patrol, and pass a Farm bill to reauthorize agricultural programs. "Mike Johnson has a very difficult job. He has the second toughest job in the world … The Lord Jesus couldn’t lead this delegation," Nehls said about the challenging role Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has as he leads the tiny majority in the House. House conservatives continue to fight a clean reauthorization of Section 702, a key surveillance authority, believing that the program should be reformed to require a warrant to search Americans’ private communications and a warrant requirement for law enforcement and federal agencies before purchasing Americans’ private data. House GOP leadership believes that they can pass the bill, although it may require Democrat votes to overcome the conservative opposition to clean reauthorization. The House also has to grapple with passing the Senate-passed budget resolution that would seek to fund parts of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), such as ICE and the Border Patrol. Many House Republicans do not believe that there would be a third reconciliation bill that would fund other GOP priorities.

ABC News [4/27/2026 3:11 PM, Allison Pecorin, Lauren Peller, and John Parkinson, 34146K] reports the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner has renewed calls from Republicans to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which has been shut down for 73 days over intense political gridlock. Lawmakers are returning to Washington on Monday for what is expected to be a whirlwind week on Capitol Hill -- with top members already receiving briefings on the incident from the U.S. Secret Service, congressional sources tell ABC News. The U.S. Secret Service is one of 12 DHS agencies that face a lapse in congressionally appropriated funding, raising concerns ahead of several upcoming high-profile events. Though there are increasing calls for Congress to act as soon as possible, funding for the agency is not likely to be approved and on President Donald Trump’s desk by the end of the week.

AP [4/27/2026 8:47 PM, Eric Tucker, Michael Kunzelman, Alanna Durkin Richer, 35287K] reports the man who authorities say tried to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner with guns and knives while President Donald Trump was in attendance is due in court Monday to face charges in a chaotic encounter that resulted in shots being fired, Trump being rushed off the stage and guests ducking for cover underneath their tables. Cole Tomas Allen was taken into custody after the shooting on Saturday night and is being charged in federal court in Washington. Court papers laying out the charges were not immediately available, though authorities have said Allen will face charges including assault on a federal officer and using a firearm during a crime of violence. Authorities say an officer wearing a bullet-resistant vest was shot in the vest but is expected to recover. It was unclear if Allen, of Torrance, California, had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf. The Associated Press called multiple phone numbers listed for Allen and relatives in public records, and there was no answer when a reporter knocked on the door of his home. Prosecutors have not revealed a motive, but in a message reviewed by the AP that authorities say was sent by Allen to family members minutes before the attack, Allen referred to himself as a "Friendly Federal Assassin," made repeated references to the Republican president without naming him and alluded to grievances over a range of Trump administration actions. Investigators are treating the writings, along with a trail of social media posts and interviews with family members, as some of the clearest evidence of the suspect’s mindset and possible motives. Allen, 31, is believed to have traveled by train from California to Chicago and then onto Washington, where he checked himself in as a guest at the hotel where the gala dinner was held with its typically tight security, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said. Video posted by Trump shows a man, who authorities say was armed with guns and knives, running past security barricade as Secret Service agents run toward him. Records show Allen is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer. A social media profile for a man with the same name and a photo that appears to match that of the suspect show he worked part-time for the last six years at a company that offers admissions counseling and test preparation services to aspiring college students.

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Wall Street Journal [4/27/2026 10:44 PM, Sadie Gurman, C. Ryan Barber, and Alyssa Lukpat, 646K]
Los Angeles Times [4/27/2026 5:32 PM, Ben Wieder, Kevin Rector and Michael Wilner, 12718K]
Washington Post [4/27/2026 7:23 PM, Salvador Rizzo, 24826K]
Politico [4/27/2026 4:29 PM, Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein, 21784K]
Roll Call [4/27/2026 5:45 PM, Ryan Tarinelli, 673K]
Breitbart [4/27/2026 4:27 PM, Hannah Knudsen, 2238K]
NBC News [4/27/2026 3:54 PM, Daniella Silva, Gary Grumbach, and Owen Hayes, 42967K]
Washington Examiner [4/27/2026 2:30 PM, Kaelan Deese, 1147K]

New York Times [4/27/2026 5:59 PM, Devlin Barrett, Zach Montague and Michael Levenson, 148038K] reports a California man who the authorities say ran through a security perimeter and fired a gun outside a packed black-tie gala in Washington on Saturday was charged on Monday with trying to assassinate President Trump. Prosecutors said the man, Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, Calif., came to the nation’s capitol with the intention of carrying out a political assassination. He brought a pump-action shotgun, a .38-caliber handgun and three knives, officials said. Mr. Allen appeared briefly in federal court in Washington on Monday, wearing a neon blue jumpsuit. He did not enter a plea and is likely to remain behind bars indefinitely. A magistrate judge scheduled a detention hearing in the case for Thursday. Mr. Allen’s sudden sprint past a security checkpoint while carrying deadly weapons created a harrowing security incident for the more than 2,000 people attending the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Washington Hilton. The episode renewed questions about political violence and the security measures necessary to protect a president who has been the target of multiple assassination attempts. In a federal affidavit unsealed on Monday, an F.B.I. agent said that around 8:40 p.m. on Saturday, Mr. Allen approached a security checkpoint inside the hotel, where Mr. Trump, Vice President JD Vance and members of the cabinet were attending the dinner in the ballroom one floor below. Mr. Allen ran through a magnetometer holding a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, and Secret Service agents “heard a loud gunshot,” the affidavit stated. One agent was shot in the chest but was wearing a bulletproof vest, according to the affidavit, which did not say that it was Mr. Allen who shot the agent. At a news conference after Mr. Allen’s court appearance, the acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, said the injured agent drew his gun and fired five times at Mr. Allen, who fell to the ground and was arrested. Mr. Allen was not shot and had only minor injuries, the affidavit said. In addition to the shotgun, Mr. Allen was also in possession of a .38-caliber pistol when he was arrested. Speaking to reporters at the White House earlier on Monday, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said that Mr. Trump had confidence in the Secret Service, and she praised the “heroic” agent who “took a bullet to the chest” on Saturday night. “Thankfully, he was saved by his bulletproof vest,” Ms. Leavitt said. Still, she said, Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, plans to meet this week with officials from the Secret Service, the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies to review security practices for presidential events in the coming months. Ms. Leavitt sought to blame the attack on Democrats and some members of the news media. She accused them of a “systemic demonization” of Mr. Trump that “helped to legitimize this violence and bring us to this dark moment.” She called it a “left-wing cult of hatred against the president and all of those who support him and work for him.”

CBS News [4/27/2026 1:25 PM, Staff, 51110K] reports that the day after a gunman attempted to storm the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton, President Trump sat down with CBS News correspondent Norah O’Donnell for a "60 Minutes" interview to talk about his experience. He spoke about his immediate reaction as the Secret Service whisked him and the first lady off stage, and what investigators have learned about the suspect’s apparent motivations. Cole Allen, a 31-year-old Caltech graduate from Torrance, California, was captured at the scene and is facing federal charges. Shortly before the attack, he emailed family members what officials are calling a "manifesto," writing that he planned to target Trump administration officials, "prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest," according to a copy obtained by CBS News. O’Donnell asked Mr. Trump about the suspect’s writings, which referenced his administration but did not mention the president by name. "The so-called manifesto is a stunning thing to read, Mr. President," O’Donnell said. "He appears to reference a motive in it. He writes this, quote, ‘Administration officials, they are targets.’ And he also wrote this, ‘I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.’ What’s your reaction to that?". Mr. Trump replied, "Well, I was waiting for you to read that because I knew you would because you’re— you’re he— you’re horrible people. Horrible people. Yeah, he did write that. I’m — I’m not a rapist. I didn’t rape anybody."

The Hill [4/27/2026 1:14 PM, Robby Soave, 18170K] reports that Another would-be assassin has failed, thank God. Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old engineer and teacher from California, attempted to target President Trump and administration officials at the White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday night. He brought guns and knives to the dinner’s venue, the Washington Hilton Hotel, where he had checked in as a guest. Thankfully the Secret Service apprehended Allen as he attempted to enter the checkpoint, and he did not get close to the president. The failed assassin released a manifesto minutes before carrying out his plan. That manifesto was obtained by The New York Post and other outlets. In it, Allen explains that his plan was to kill as many administration officials as possible. As for his motivation, he wrote this: “I am a citizen of the United States of America. What my representatives do reflects on me. And I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.” While it’s not specifically stated, I presume that’s a reference to Trump, in which case, we should be very clear about what seems to have motivated Allen. First and foremost, he refers to Trump as a pedophile. That can only logically be a reference to one thing: the abjectly false smear that Trump was complicit in the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein. Now let me state this plainly: When a crazy person commits violence, or tries to commit violence, I do not assign blame to anyone but him. That makes me a bit unusual, I’ll be honest. Left and right, Republican and Democrat, mainstream media and independent, commentators just love to say that the extreme rhetoric of such and such person or group is the real reason for the violence.

New York Post [4/27/2026 3:00 PM, Steven Nelson and Chris Nesi, 40934K] reports that the sister of the deranged man accused of storming the White House Correspondents’ Dinner armed with guns and knives said he had a tendency to make "radical" statements about politics and had a fixation about needing to do "something" about the issues in today’s world as he saw it through his twisted lens. Avriana Allen, 27, told Secret Service and Montgomery County Police about his obsession with world events and "constantly" made reference to a "plan" to fix the country, sources told The Post. She said he purchased two handguns and a shotgun from Cap Tactical Firearms and stored them at their parents’ home without their knowledge, and that he made regular trips to the shooting range to train. Allen, 31, a CalTech graduate who was named teacher of the month at C2 Education, a tutoring service where he worked part-time, allegedly put his impotent rage into action Saturday night when he attempted to barge into the gala with the intention of killing as many Trump administration officials as he could. He exchanged gunfire with Secret Service agents before being tackled and arrested at the hotel before he could inflict the carnage he allegedly intended. One agent was struck by gunfire in their bulletproof vest but is expected to recovery fully. Allen laid out his demented plot in a sprawling, anti-Trump manifesto he sent to family members 10 minutes before unleashing the attack on the event and its nearly 3,000 attendees.

ABC News [4/27/2026 4:02 PM, Josh Margolin, 34146K] reports a Secret Service after-action review is underway to examine the security and possible lapses from the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in the wake of Saturday’s shooting, according to officials briefed on internal procedures at the agency. The review is being conducted as a matter of standard procedure, which requires that such a probe be conducted whenever there is an "attack on a protectee." The review will go step-by-step through security planning and preparation, the deployment and assignment of personnel, and what occurred once the suspect rushed the Secret Service checkpoint in a failed effort to access the Washington Hilton ballroom, where the dinner was being held. The White House also plans to meet with Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security leadership early this week "to discuss protocol and practices for major events" involving President Donald Trump, according to a senior White House official. Allen was detained near the main magnetometer area for the event, with surveillance video showing him running past security officials. Allen -- who is a trained mechanical engineer working as a tutor in California -- was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives, police said. A Secret Service member was shot, but the bullet hit the agent’s protective vest, Trump said. U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said Monday that the suspect’s "intent was to bring down as many of the high-ranking cabinet officials as he could." Allen appeared in court on Monday to face three felony counts of attempted assassination of the President of the United States, transportation of a firearm and ammunition over state lines with the intent to commit a felony and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. Allen did not enter a plea. The judge scheduled a detention hearing for Thursday and ordered Allen to be temporarily detained until then.

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Bloomberg [4/27/2026 1:29 PM, Angelica Franganillo Diaz and Ellen M Gilmer, 18082K]

NewsMax [4/27/2026 3:11 PM, Theodore Bunker, 3760K] reports House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Monday called for the Secret Service to "tighten up" its security protocols after a gunman breached a checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner over the weekend. The incident occurred Saturday night at the Washington Hilton, where President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other senior officials were attending the annual gathering when gunfire erupted near a security screening area. Authorities said the culprit breached a checkpoint and tried to move toward the main ballroom before being stopped by law enforcement, triggering a rapid evacuation of top officials. Johnson, who attended the dinner, criticized what he described as insufficient screening measures at the venue. Federal authorities are continuing to investigate. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said law enforcement officials believe the culprit was targeting administration officials "likely including the president," describing the outcome as "a massive security success story." The suspect is expected to appear in court later Monday. The suspect was stopped before reaching the main ballroom, and at least one law enforcement officer was struck in a bullet-resistant vest but is expected to recover. Johnson said the gunfire underscores the need for stronger protections.

Breitbart [4/27/2026 11:55 AM, Jeff Poor, 2238K] reports Monday on Fox News Channel’s "America’s Newsroom," House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) commented on the security surrounding Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. The Louisiana Republican described it as "a little lax.” Johnson said, "I can tell you from a layman’s perspective, it did look a little lax in terms of, as everyone’s now noted, getting into the building now, we all came in, cabinet secretaries of government officials with their own details. We come in the back, so I didn’t see the magnetometers and all that, but it doesn’t sound like it was sufficient.” "Look, the president has now had three failed assassination attempts," he continued. "I have been with him for two of those. This can’t go on. He’s the most attacked, maligned political figure in history. He’s very resilient, but he needs greater protection. And I think there’s going to be a reevaluation, a very close reevaluation of how he handled these large events.” "I can tell you the House is doing our job and our Oversight Committee chairman, James Comer, has already announced that we’re going to have a review and a hearing with Secret Service to see if there’s anything that we can do on our part, if it’s funding, if it’s something else, let us know," Johnson added.

The Hill [4/27/2026 10:34 AM, Ashleigh Fields, 18170K] reports Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Sunday said Secret Service leaders would soon brief the committee on the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner shooting. “I’m setting up a briefing w Secret Service leadership & Ranking Member Durbin regarding security protocols & related law enforcement matters involving the WH Correspondents Dinner,” Grassley wrote in a post on the social platform X, referring to Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). “THX to Secret Service last night for quick action & attn to briefing,” he added. In addition to the Senate briefing, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles is holding a meeting early this week with the White House operations team, Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security leadership to discuss protocol and practice for large events involving Trump. “The meeting will discuss the processes and procedures that worked to stop Saturday’s attempt, while exploring additional options to ensure all relevant components are doing everything possible to secure the many major events planned for President Trump in the months ahead as he gears up to celebrate America 250,” one official told The Hill. The suspected shooter, Cole Allen, sprinted past a first line of police and Secret Service and shot one officer, who was not seriously injured, before being arrested. He allegedly had plans to target the president and other Trump administration officials. Allen was in possession of a handgun and knives and traveled from Los Angeles to Washington by train to crash the annual event honoring journalists’ coverage of the White House.

The Washington Post [4/27/2026 4:23 PM, Dan Diamond, 24826K] reports the White House is reviewing how best to protect President Donald Trump after Saturday’s shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner raised new questions about the protocols and procedures needed to keep the nation’s leaders safe. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles plans to convene a meeting this week with leaders of the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security to discuss lessons from Saturday’s shooting and next steps to protect the president, officials said Monday. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to say what changes may be made but did not rule out new limits on Trump’s public appearances or other changes. Saturday’s incident — in which a gunman stormed through the security checkpoint outside the dinner, but was stopped short of the ballroom where the event was taking place — was the third time in less than two years that Trump found himself under the threat of gunfire. White House officials have defended their existing safety protocols, noting that the alleged shooter was apprehended and that no dinner attendees were injured. But lawmakers, outside security experts and even some administration officials have acknowledged that the incident highlighted serious risks. The process used to protect the president and his top deputies, witnessed by hundreds of reporters in person and captured by C-SPAN television cameras, appeared disordered and in need of improvement. The Washington Examiner [4/27/2026 6:56 PM, Emily Hallas, 1147K] reports Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, warned other would-be troublemakers to stay away from the district as a series of events featuring the president puts a spotlight on security concerns. "Washington, D.C., is not the place to travel to commit acts of violence," Pirro said on Monday. "The Constitution and the laws of the United States permit us to register our views through our voices and our votes. What they don’t permit is making your views known through violence, especially violence directed at the president of the United States.” Her words come as the president is set to be the top official in attendance at several America 250 events in Washington this summer, including the June 14 UFC fight at the White House, which will feature security on par with the Super Bowl. Trump’s Freedom 250 organization is also hosting the historic IndyCar race on the National Mall from Aug. 21 to 23.

Reported similarly:
Washington Examiner [4/27/2026 10:29 AM, David Zimmermann, 1147K]

CBS News [4/27/2026 7:51 PM, Ed O’Keefe, 51110K] Video: HERE reports that, in the wake of Saturday’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the Trump administration has ordered a review of security procedures. Meanwhile, Republicans and Democrats are blaming each other for rhetoric leading up to the attack.

The Washington Examiner [4/27/2026 6:23 PM, Kaelan Deese, 1147K] reports an injured U.S. Secret Service officer fired five shots at a gunman who was allegedly attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump during an attack on the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner Saturday evening. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the officer was struck by a firearm in the chest but was protected by a ballistic vest and returned fire five times, before the 31-year-old suspect Cole Tomas Allen fell to the ground. "One Secret Service officer was shot in the chest, but was wearing a ballistic vest that worked," Blanche said during a press conference Monday afternoon. "This heroic officer who was hit fired five times at Allen, who was not shot, but fell to the ground and was promptly arrested.” Blanche said that investigators believe Allen discharged his shotgun during the encounter, though ballistics analysis remains ongoing. The Daily Caller [4/27/2026 7:05 PM, Will Upton, 803K] reports a Secret Service officer allegedly shot by the suspect charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump during the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) Dinner this past weekend was the only agent to return fire, according to an official affidavit filed in federal court on Monday. The affidavit, filed as part of the criminal complaint against Cole Allen — charged with the transportation of a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, and attempt to assassinate the U.S. president — details the moments leading up to the attack and the actions of the Secret Service officer only identified as "V.G.” According to the affidavit, "[a]t approximately 8:40 p.m., ALLEN approached a security checkpoint on the Terrace Level of the hotel leading to the location of the dinner.” "ALLEN approached and ran through the magnetometer holding a long gun. As he did so, U.S. Secret Service personnel assigned to the checkpoint heard a loud gunshot. U.S. Secret Service Officer V.G. was shot once in the chest; Officer V.G. was wearing a ballistic vest at the time," the filing states. "Officer V.G. drew his service weapon and fired multiple times at ALLEN, who fell to the ground and suffered minor injuries but was not shot. ALLEN was subsequently arrested." The affidavit, signed by an unidentified Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agent, does not state that any other security officers in the vicinity of Allen discharged their weapons, suggesting that it was only "Officer V.G." who fired several rounds at the suspect. According to the filing, the Secret Service officer only discharged his weapon after being shot himself. The document further states that the suspect "fell to the ground and suffered minor injuries but was not shot. ALLEN was subsequently arrested.”

The Hill [4/27/2026 3:49 PM, Max Rego, 18170K] reports that the Washington Hilton hotel said Monday it was following “stringent” Secret Service protocols during Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, where an armed man charged at a security checkpoint and exchanged gunfire with law enforcement officers. “The hotel was operating under stringent security protocols for the property as directed by the U.S. Secret Service, which led security for the event in coordination with a wide range of security teams, including local Washington, D.C. police and hotel security,” a spokesperson for the hotel told The Hill via email. “We appreciate the leadership of the men and women of the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies who followed a well-established security plan to respond quickly and ensure everyone’s safety,” the spokesperson added. The suspect in the incident, 31-year-old Cole Allen, was charged Monday with attempting to assassinate President Trump, transporting a firearm or ammunition in interstate commerce with the intent to commit a felony and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. The spokesperson for the hotel noted that it is “fully cooperating” with law enforcement in its investigation. The incident occurred one floor above the ballroom where Trump, administration officials, members of Congress and journalists were gathered for the annual black-tie event. Trump posted surveillance footage to his Truth Social platform of the gunman dashing past law enforcement personnel, who then drew their guns at him. Robert McDonald, a retired Secret Service agent, said Sunday that the agency “did a very good job” in neutralizing the threat posed by the gunman.

Reported similarly:
Reuters [4/27/2026 11:16 AM, Staff, 38315K]
NewsMax [4/27/2026 12:34 PM, Staff, 3760K]

Washington Examiner [4/27/2026 2:03 PM, Mabinty Quarshie, 1147K] reports that the White House said that while it has full faith in the U.S. Secret Service, changes are still possible after an alleged shooter attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump and several other Cabinet officials at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday. "I definitely wouldn’t say changes are out of the question," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters during a Monday afternoon briefing. "I think, again, that it’s up to the White House here, and we view it as a great responsibility to ensure the maximum safety of the president or vice president and the entire Cabinet, and so we’re always looking for ways to improve security." The alleged suspect, the 31-year-old Cole Allen, was captured on Saturday after he stormed the lobby of the Washington Hilton, where Trump, Cabinet members, and other attendees were gathered for the prestigious annual dinner. Immediately after the shooting, questions began to swirl over allegedly lax protocols that allowed Allen to get close to the event. But the White House maintains its support of the Secret Service. "The White House will continue to engage with DHS and with Secret Service to find ways to improve and strengthen security," Leavitt said. "But as far as Saturday night is concerned, the president was satisfied with the response and grateful to the men and women who provided the response for him, his wife, and members of his team." Leavitt also thanked the "heroic" Secret Service agent who was shot in the chest during the Saturday event. "Thankfully, he was saved by his bulletproof vest," she said.

CBS News [4/27/2026 3:16 PM, Kelsie Hoffman, 51110K] reports questions are swirling surrounding security at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday after shots rang out when an alleged gunman tried to charge a security checkpoint outside the event. The annual gala was attended by some 2,500 guests, including President Trump and top administration officials. "I was perplexed even before the incident about what I saw in security," Aaron MacLean, a CBS News national security analyst and military veteran, told "CBS Mornings" in an interview on Monday. MacLean attended the dinner for the first time this year and said his ID was not checked "at any point in the evening." "To get into the hotel all I had to do was show a screenshot of an invitation," he said. MacLean said he thinks the attack renews questions over training and procedures for the Secret Service. "You can’t just look at something like this and pat yourself on the back that this unserious person didn’t succeed," he said. Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn posted a statement over the weekend about the incident, saying: "Tonight, a coward attempted to create a national tragedy. He underestimated the protective capabilities of the U.S. Secret Service and was stopped at first contact." In a new statement Monday, Secret Service chief of communications Anthony Guglielmi said: "While the protective model for White House Correspondents’ Dinner event proved effective, the key takeaway for future events is that enhancements should be expected at every level, as that is how the model is designed to function. Every protective decision is driven by intelligence amid a dynamic and currently elevated threat environment. We are actively focused on identifying the trigger for this incident and fully understanding the factors that led to it." The FBI is conducting a criminal investigation into the attack. Allen was scheculed for his first federal court appearance on Monday.

CBS News [4/27/2026 7:43 PM, Nicole Sganga, 51110K] reports that Timothy Reboulet never calls it the Washington Hilton. Nobody in his former line of work ever does. "Within the agency," the former Secret Service agent says, "we refer to it as the ‘Hinckley’ Hilton." That’s because on March 30, 1981 — just steps outside the hotel — John Hinckley Jr. opened fire on then-President Ronald Reagan, wounding the commander in chief, U.S. Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy, D.C. police officer Thomas Delahanty and White House press secretary James Brady. Since that day, for the U.S. Secret Service, the building has never been just another venue. Reboulet knows it the way most agents know it — not as a ballroom, but as a system. Doors, choke points, stairwells, loading docks, motorcade routes, post assignments, "clean" spaces — those that are completely secure and have passed through magnetometers — and "dirty" spaces — unsecured areas where people and their possessions have not been screened. The bright red line between them is defined statutorily in 18 USC 1752. According to senior law enforcement officials, the suspect did not move undetected through the crowded lobby or pre-parties to arrive at the terrace level. Surveillance footage shows him leaving a 10th-floor room dressed in black, carrying a shotgun, a handgun and knives inside a black bag. He entered an interior stairwell — bypassing heavily monitored public areas — and ran down roughly 10 floors. Then, the alleged gunman kept running — 45 yards — before Secret Service Uniformed Division officers tackled him one story above the ballroom.

NewsMax [4/27/2026 11:33 AM, Nicole Weatherholtz, 3760K] reports Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., on Newsmax Monday delivered a forceful rebuke of federal security officials following Saturday night’s alleged assassination attempt on President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, calling the breach both preventable and deeply alarming. Appearing on "Wake Up America," Perry said the incident highlights serious operational failures while also reflecting what he described as a dangerous rise in politically driven hostility. "Let’s face it, this is a failure of the Secret Service," he said. "I’m talking to senior former Secret Service officials: This is an abject failure.” Perry emphasized that the suspect’s ability to get as far as he did should raise urgent questions about existing security protocols and decision-making surrounding the president’s safety. "Look, this is a guy who is allegedly a teacher, teaching our children about the future, who made it through, essentially, the security," he said. "I hate to think what might have happened if this were better planned.” Perry warned that the outcome could have been far more severe if the attacker had used different means or more sophisticated planning. "Somebody that got into where, as far as he got, with a different type of device for hurting people, could have been very, very effective," Perry said, underscoring the potential for mass harm. He also broadened the concern beyond a single individual, warning that adversarial governments could exploit similar vulnerabilities if they chose to do so. "Can you imagine if an organization like the government of Iran put together a program, so to speak, or a plan, how effective they could be?" Perry said, highlighting the national security implications. While reiterating his support for rank-and-file law enforcement personnel, he questioned whether leadership failures or political pressure contributed to the lapse in protecting the sitting president.

The Hill [4/27/2026 9:14 PM, Max Rego, 18170K] reports Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) on Monday asked the Trump administration and Secret Service for “answers” regarding security protocols in the wake of Saturday’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner in Washington. Crow, the ranking member on a bipartisan House task force that investigated the two assassination attempts against President Trump in 2024, told host Kasie Hunt on CNN’s “The Arena” that he wants “some answers out of [the] Secret Service and the administration as to how many” of that panel’s recommendations “have actually been implemented, or have they just been sitting on a shelf over the last year, collecting dust.” In the task force’s final report, issued in December 2024, it listed more than 30 recommendations for the Secret Service — including advising the agency to consolidate all operations plans, consider coverage inside and outside of a secure perimeter and weigh additional staffing to prepare for “chaotic and emergency situations.” The report also stated that Congress should consider legislation reviewing the Secret Service’s budget, staffing and retention, and reduce the number of protectees, which has “greatly expanded,” among other recommendations. Crow doubled down on the need for those reforms Monday, arguing the Secret Service needs “vastly more resources.” A spokesperson for the Washington Hilton, where the WHCA dinner was held on Saturday, told The Hill Monday that the hotel “was operating under stringent security protocols” as directed by the Secret Service. The agency led security for the event, along with the Metropolitan Police Department and hotel security, the spokesperson noted. On Saturday, a man charged through a security checkpoint one floor above the ballroom where Trump, administration officials, members of Congress and journalists gathered for the annual gala. The president shared a video to his Truth Social platform of the man running past law enforcement officers, who then drew their weapons in his direction. The suspect, 31-year-old Cole Allen, was charged Monday with attempting to assassinate Trump, transporting a firearm or ammunition in interstate commerce with the intent to commit a felony and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. After the shooting, the president praised the Secret Service and law enforcement, writing on Truth Social that they “acted quickly and bravely.” On Sunday morning, Trump said the incident reiterates the need for a ballroom at the White House. But Crow pushed back on that argument. “The lesson learned from this cannot be, ‘We have to stop being accessible, we have to stop going out in public, we have to stop being available to the American people that we represent, that we have to put ourselves behind higher fences and behind ballrooms,’” he told Hunt.

Federalist [4/27/2026 2:54 PM, Shawn Fleetwood, 540K] reports first it was Butler, Pennsylvania. Then it was Palm Beach County (twice). And now, in Washington, D.C., Americans witnessed yet another significant attempt on President Trump’s life. During this past weekend’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, a lone gunman stormed past "security" with the alleged goal of killing Trump and high-level members of his administration. Identified as a California resident and a reported Democrat donor, the suspect bears all the hallmarks of someone indoctrinated by the left’s media/online disinformation ecosystem — the same ecosystem that regularly slanders Trump and his supporters as "Nazis," "threats to democracy," and "literally Hitler.” I put "security" in quotation marks because it’s evident from the event attendees’ collective experience that the evening’s defensive measures were not up to standard. Not even close for one in which the president was in attendance. "There were no checkpoints at the doors at street level," NewsNation’s Katie Pavlich wrote on X, responding to a video of the suspect sprinting past security. "This checkpoint was only one level up from the ballroom, the stairs down to the ballroom are yards away. Grateful for the rapid response, but the fact that anyone could get this far into the building was a serious problem.” The hotel venue’s lackluster security was unfortunately a detail the attempted assassin seemingly noticed in his anti-Trump manifesto prior to the attack. While commentators are correct in noting the bravery of the individual U.S. Secret Service officers who quickly engaged the assailant before he could harm the president and other targets, the entire episode raises an important point the federal agency tasked with protecting the president doesn’t want discussed. That is, how was this wannabe-assassin allowed to get so close to the commander-in-chief at what should’ve been a highly secured event? To say that USSS got lucky that nobody was killed is an understatement. As my colleague Brianna Lyman aptly observed, "What if the would-be assassin had been carrying a bomb or other explosive device? A device detonated just outside the magnetometer may not have breached the ballroom, but it could have caused mass casualties and chaos nonetheless.” The Trump White House has since come out and issued a statement saying it is "standing by the leadership of Secret Service" but that Chief of Staff Susie Wiles is nonetheless "convening a meeting early this week with the White House operations team, USSS, and DHS leadership to discuss protocol and practices for major events involving POTUS.” Responding to the statement on X, Crabtree noted that "any admission by the White House that the @SecretService was not up to the task Saturday night would invite more perpetrators." She said the fact that the administration has scheduled a meeting on the subject, however, "is significant.” "Susie Wiles has been overseeing the Secret S[e]rvice and keeping Director Sean Curran in place in spite of multiple failures. The fact that she called a meeting to review USSS protoc[o]ls is significant. Top WH staff know this type of porous WHCD security can never happen again if they want to avoid a major tragedy," Crabtree wrote on X.

Blaze [4/27/2026 10:45 AM, Rebeka Zeljko, 1556K] reports FBI Director Kash Patel is facing some tough questions in the aftermath of yet another assassination attempt against President Donald Trump. Trump and members of his Cabinet were targeted Saturday night at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner after a gunman rushed past a security checkpoint and opened fire in the Washington Hilton lobby. The suspect, later identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen, was staying at the hotel and was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives. Before he was apprehended and taken into custody, the gunman shot a Secret Serviceman who was wearing a bulletproof vest. Allen’s alleged manifesto was later made public, revealing anti-Trump and anti-Christian motivations that may have fueled the attack. Although the Secret Service successfully stopped the third assassination attempt, several questions remain about the efficacy of the security measures in place since the shooter was able to get that far. "They did a great job on the ground," "Fox & Friends" host Lawrence Jones said of the Secret Service. "But they remain reactive. The proactive approach is still under great scrutiny. The president of the United States is averaging an assassination attempt once a year." "So who’s going to do the investigating of the procedures?" Jones asked Patel. "Secret Service can’t investigate themselves because there are still people in leadership at the Secret Service that were responsible for Butler. How does that happen? It was a failure." Patel acknowledged the failures that took place in Butler, Pennsylvania, but deferred to the Department of Homeland Security under Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s leadership. Patel did not detail which procedures or protocols would be improved or changed but indicated that some sort of reform would take place. "I can’t speak to Butler, and I agree it was a total failure. Absolutely," Patel responded. "But I have full confidence in Secretary Markwayne Mullin. He oversees the United States Secret Service. I’ve talked to him repeatedly over the weekend ... and said, ‘Whatever you need from the FBI, whatever we can assist in, and however we can better prepare to protect our protectees going forward, with the U.S. Secret Service, this FBI stands ready to do.’ And we’re going to improve that process under Markwayne’s leadership and oversight of the Secret Service."

The Washington Examiner [4/27/2026 10:34 AM, Molly Parks, 1147K] reports FBI Director Kash Patel said law enforcement and security are “going to be ready” for a second White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, after a Saturday night shooting led to the disruption of the original event. After a gunman rushed through security before being apprehended by law enforcement at Saturday evening’s event, President Donald Trump announced he wants to put on another event in the next month to make up for the dinner being cut short. Patel said the security detail covering the event will be “completely different” next time. “I think we are going to do it entirely differently,” Patel said on Fox & Friends. “You heard the president say on Saturday night that we’re going to do this again in short order, maybe in 30 days or so, and we’re going to be ready for that. The security posture, I imagine, is going to be completely different.” Though the suspected gunman, a 31-year-old teacher from California named Cole Allen, was apprehended by law enforcement before making it into the event room, he did breach the security screening checkpoint within the hotel and came close to the entrance of the dinner. A Secret Service agent was shot by the gunman in his bulletproof vest, marking the only injury reported from the scene at the Washington Hilton hotel. The incident has raised serious concerns about how a man armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives was able to come so close to entering such a high-profile dinner. “It’s true the Secret Service protective model worked, but it only worked because of luck,” former Secret Service agent Bill Gage told MS Now. “It was just luck he didn’t get into the room and have a chance to open fire.” The outlet noted in its piece about the security pitfalls of the event that the staff at the final security checkpoint allowed the gunman to breach and run through the front of the checkpoint. That final checkpoint, with a weapons magnetometer screener, was only one flight of stairs away from the main entrance to the event room. Further, guests at the Washington Hilton were able to roam free in the hotel lobby without a credential or identification check, making the magnetometer checkpoint the only thing standing in the way between guests and the nearby event space. Allen was a guest staying at the hotel at the time of the shooting. He apparently ran down 10 flights of an interior stairwell to circumvent major areas of the hotel with security details, according to CBS News. “I’ll be working with the White House, with the Department of Homeland Security, the Secret Service, the Metropolitan Police Department,” Patel said in the Fox News interview Monday morning. “The FBI will be fully resourced for that event to assist in the security, and we will provide our input.” The The Hill [4/27/2026 1:47 PM, Ashleigh Fields, 18170K] reports Patel said he would lean on Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin for assistance in securing the event while noting agents investigating the shooting “have not slept” while in pursuit of answers regarding the attack. “That is the great thing about having this law enforcement team, I can call Markwayne Mullen and say we have to do things differently. We will be better postured for the next event,” the FBI director said of Mullin, who oversees the Secret Service, which is a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) subagency.

Politico [4/27/2026 7:12 PM, Hailey Fuchs and Jordain Carney, 21784K] reports the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, following a briefing Monday from U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran, said he saw “no indication” of a security lapse at Saturday night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner. “It’s a challenge to bring that many people, 2,500 or whatever the number was … but they gave us a good explanation,” the Illinois Democrat told reporters of Curran’s presentation to himself and the panel’s chair, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). Curran is currently making the rounds on Capitol Hill after a shooter attempted to blow past the magnetometers outside the hotel ballroom where President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Speaker Mike Johnson and several Cabinet members were in attendance. The incident has prompted members of leadership and key committee chairs to request briefings with Curran. He also met Monday with House Oversight and Government Reform Committee chair James Comer (R-Ky.), according to a panel spokesperson, who added that they were trying to set up a briefing for all members take place later this week. An aide with the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee said the office had been in touch with Secret Service and the FBI and that the top Democrat, Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, expected to be “briefed soon.” Spokespeople for Sen. Rand Paul, the committee’s chair, did not immediately respond to a question about if he would also be briefed. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter Monday asking Paul to hold a hearing in the wake of Saturday’s shooting, saying it could be used “to assess the adequacy of presidential security arrangements and resources in the current threat environment.” Paul didn’t address whether or not he would hold a hearing when talking to reporters Monday, but said that his panel would investigate the security posture around Saturday’s dinner. “We’re looking into it,” Paul said. Durbin, meanwhile, said it was not clear whether Grassley intended to call for a hearing with Curran, and that his counterpart had not committed to next steps his committee might take. “I appreciate Secret Service Dir Sean Curran coming 2my office 2day 4 bipart briefing w me+Sen Durbin USSS is closely reviewing its security posture+the attacker’s bkground Overall Secret Service response has been swift&transparent I commend their bravery + ongoing work,” Grassley wrote on X.

AP [4/28/2026 8:29 PM, Mary Clare Jalonick, 2238K] reports Republicans in Congress launched new efforts Monday to approve and pay for President Donald Trump’s proposed ballroom at the White House, arguing that it would help avert security breaches like the shooting at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. A new bill introduced by Republican senators would authorize $400 million — roughly the cost of the project — for construction and security infrastructure underneath. Trump has said that private money would pay for the ballroom, but Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of the sponsors, said Monday that he believes those private dollars should only pay for “buying china and stuff like that.” Graham said at a news conference that some people may think the ballroom was Trump’s “vanity project,” but said it is necessary to allow the president to hold events safely and avoid much less secure venues like the Washington Hilton, where Saturday’s event was held. The man who authorities say tried to storm the dinner with guns and knives had reserved a room in the hotel, according to an FBI affidavit filed in the case. “It would be insane” to hold the dinner there again, Graham said, adding that he would advise any president not to do it, even as Trump has said he would like the dinner to be rescheduled. Cole Tomas Allen appeared in court Monday to face federal charges of attempting to assassinate Trump after the encounter Saturday in which shots were fired outside the ballroom. The president was evacuated off the stage as thousands of guests dived under tables and ducked for cover. Other lawmakers said they would push their own measures to approve the ballroom, including Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Republican Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Tim Sheehy of Montana. “It is an embarrassment to the strongest nation on earth that we cannot host gatherings in our nation’s capital, including ones attended by our president, without the threat of violence and attempted assassinations,” Sheehy posted on X. It is unclear, though, whether the effort could get enough support. Democrats have opposed the ballroom’s construction since Trump demolished part of the White House to make way for it without permission from Congress, and as it has faced lawsuits. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that the president should be focused on ending the war with Iran, healthcare and other measures to drive down living costs. “These are the things that we should actually be focused on,” Jeffries said. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday that Trump wants to seclude himself in a “walled palace, literally.” He said Republicans should instead pass a spending bill that includes money for the U.S. Secret Service, which is part of the Homeland Security Department and has been shut down for more than two months. The House has yet to act on two spending bills for the department that were approved by the Senate. “If Republicans truly want to improve security, they should join Democrats in funding the Secret Service, not Donald Trump’s luxury ballroom,” Schumer said.

Reported similarly:
FOX News [4/27/2026 10:56 AM, Alex Miller and Adam Pack, 37576K]
NewsMax [4/27/2026 7:37 PM, Richard Cowan, 3760K]
Washington Examiner [4/27/2026 7:29 PM, Emily Hallas, 1147K]

Washington Post [4/28/2026 4:07 AM, Dan Diamond and Jonathan Edwards, 24826K] reports Justice Department officials late Monday asked a federal judge to lift his order halting President Donald Trump’s planned $400 million ballroom, contending that Saturday’s attack at the White House correspondents’ dinner proved why the space is needed. “After the Saturday night attempted assassination, which could have never taken place in the new facility, reasonable minds can no longer differ — The injunction must be dissolved,” acting attorney general Todd Blanche and two other top Justice Department lawyers wrote in the filing to U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, who ordered a halt to aboveground construction on the project. The Justice Department’s motion — which is unusually written for a government legal filing and resembles Trump’s Truth Social posts — was one of several documents filed to the court late Monday night. The motion also criticizes the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the nonprofit that brought the lawsuit, writing that the group’s “name is FAKE” and claiming that “they suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome, commonly referred to as TDS.” Trump has stepped up his efforts to build the ballroom in recent days, claiming in public remarks and on social media that such a facility would have prevented a would-be shooter from getting close to him. Cole Tomas Allen, of Torrance, California, was charged Monday with attempting to assassinate Trump. He is accused of charging a security checkpoint leading to the gala with a shotgun and a pistol. The National Trust on Monday said that it would not drop its lawsuit, contending that its challenge is focused on whether the president has the executive authority to unilaterally demolish parts of the White House and build new facilities, and not related to national security. It also noted that the group had consistently called for any court injunction to allow continued construction of any underground bunker.

CBS News [4/28/2026 3:28 AM, Arden Farhi, 51110K] reports Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has formally asked a federal judge to overturn the judge’s own ruling that blocked construction of the White House ballroom. In a 9-page filing late Monday, Blanche argued that the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner is proof that the ballroom is necessary for the president’s safety and construction must be allowed to proceed. Federal Judge Richard Leon imposed a preliminary injunction earlier this month that paused above-ground construction until the administration obtains congressional approval. Construction of a presidential bunker beneath the East Wing was not subject to the injunction. A federal appellate court now reviewing the case then allowed all construction to continue temporarily and will hear further arguments in early June. The lawsuit against construction was initially filed late last year by the Trust for Historic Preservation. It said Monday it had no intention of dropping its suit "which endangers no one and which respectfully asks the Administration to follow the law.” Blanche’s filing asks Judge Leon for an indicative ruling - essentially a request for Leon to consider the impact of the dinner shooting and state whether he would lift the injunction or throw out the case if it were sent back to him by the appellate court. Leon has expressed reservations about the project’s $400 million private financing arrangement and the lack of congressional input. Republican Rand Paul, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, said Monday he would introduce legislation to permit ballroom construction. Blanche, whose writing at times mirrors President Trump’s social media posts, argues "Saturday’s narrow miss [at the dinner] ... confirms what should have already been obvious: Presidents need a secure space for large events, that currently does not exist in Washington, D.C.” Blanche claims Saturday’s shooting "could never have taken place in the new facility" and "the Project is required for National Security.” The government’s motion is accompanied by a sworn affidavit from Secret Service deputy director Matthew Quinn, who attests to the "security limitations of large off-site venues.” Such events bring members of the public into close proximity of the event, Quinn writes, while the White House "is a controlled facility with a permanent security infrastructure.” Alleged gunman Cole Allen was charged Monday with attempting to assassinate President Trump at the Washington Hilton.

Washington Post [4/27/2026 2:46 PM, Jonathan Edwards and Dan Diamond, 24826K] reports that the National Trust for Historic Preservation said it would continue its legal challenge to President Donald Trump’s planned ballroom, rejecting a Justice Department demand to drop the case because of the shooting this weekend at the White House correspondents’ dinner. The shooting was an “awful event” but did not change the legal reality that the Constitution and federal law require Trump to get Congress’s approval for the $400 million White House ballroom project, the trust said. The nonprofit, which is authorized by Congress to protect federal buildings, pushed back sharply against the Justice Department’s contention that the lawsuit endangers the president. “Your assertion that this lawsuit puts the President’s life at ‘grave risk’ is incorrect and irresponsible,” Gregory Craig, a Foley Hoag lawyer representing the National Trust, wrote to Justice Department lawyers on Sunday. “Simply put, this case does not jeopardize the President’s safety in any way.” The letter was shared with The Washington Post. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday reiterated the administration’s demand that the project be allowed to move forward. On Saturday night, a person armed with a shotgun and other weapons charged past a Secret Service checkpoint outside the Washington Hilton’s ballroom. One Secret Service agent was shot in the chest but was protected by a bullet-resistant vest. Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and members of the Cabinet were evacuated. A suspect is in custody.

Politico [4/27/2026 5:03 PM, Jordain Carney and Katherine Tully-McManus, 21784K] reports President Donald Trump’s allies in Congress want to quickly authorize completion of the White House ballroom after the Saturday shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. But it’s not going to be simple. Trump’s ambitious ballroom project was put on hold earlier this year after a federal judge said Congress needed to explicitly approve it. Responses from lawmakers were relatively muted at that time. Then over the weekend, Trump and several members of the presidential line of succession were sitting down to their salads at a Washington hotel when a gunman tried to storm past a security checkpoint. Now, what was once regarded by many lawmakers as a nice-to-have is being viewed as a necessary venue for future events and celebrations. Multiple Hill Republicans have made public promises to try to approve the ballroom’s construction as soon as this week despite there being no clear path to getting a bill quickly to Trump’s desk. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R.S.C) said he has been hearing from Trump directly about the ballroom and wants Senate Majority Leader John Thune to “expedite” consideration of his new bill with GOP Sens. Katie Britt of Alabama and Eric Schmitt of Missouri that would provide up to $400 million for the project. Schmitt told reporters that while the ongoing legal battle isn’t over and that he believes Trump has the authority to build the ballroom on his own, Saturday’s shooting “renews the focus” on finding ways to finish the project without delays or complications. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is expected to try Tuesday to pass his bill that would authorize construction of the ballroom. Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) is also expected to go to the Senate floor this week to try and pass his own bill. Yet Republicans are facing multiple hurdles, the most serious of which is that senators don’t have support to overcome a filibuster. Democrats are furious the ballroom is being built on the rubble of the East Wing that Trump bulldozed without consulting with lawmakers or planning and preservation review boards. That’s giving way to talk among some Republicans about trying to jam it into the party-line immigration enforcement bill Trump wants on his desk by June 1 — a maneuver that might not work or could, at the very least, complicate the GOP’s ability to meet its deadline as the Department of Homeland Security shutdown drags on. Trump himself urged the House to approve the budget blueprint as-is that the Senate advanced last week, which would tee up a bill through the filibuster-skirting budget reconciliation process to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol activities — part of a two-step plan to reopen DHS after bipartisan negotiations fell through.

NewsMax [4/27/2026 11:10 AM, Solange Reyner, 3760K] reports Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., raised concerns Monday about security procedures at the White House Correspondents’ dinner following an incident in which a suspected gunman reportedly charged a nearby security checkpoint while allegedly targeting Trump administration officials. Speaking on Newsmax’s "National Report," Stutzman said he was struck by what he described as inconsistencies in security protocols at the high-profile event, which took place Saturday night in Washington. "I was surprised at the level of security," Stutzman said, comparing the situation to his own experiences visiting the White House. "When you go to the White House, if my name doesn’t match the registry going in, I’ve got to stand off to the side until they get my name correct.” The Indiana lawmaker suggested that similar rigor may not have been uniformly applied at the Correspondents’ dinner venue, where government officials, journalists, and celebrities gathered. "The level of security going into the ballroom, I think, was suspect," he said. Stutzman emphasized that the U.S. Secret Service appeared to have fulfilled its primary responsibility of protecting President Donald Trump during the incident. However, he questioned whether earlier preventive measures could have been stronger. "I think the Secret Service did their job protecting the president," he said. "But I think there’s a lot of questions about what happened beforehand.” Authorities say Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, was taken into custody at the dinner Saturday night that was attended by Trump and top members of his administration. Authorities said Allen will face charges including using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer, as well as other potential counts. A search of state and federal court databases showed no indication Allen had ever previously been charged with a crime. A social media profile for a man with the same name and a photo that appears to match the suspect shows he worked part time for the past six years at a company that offers admissions counseling and test preparation services to aspiring college students. Stutzman said some attendees reported varying experiences with security screening inside the venue.

The Hill [4/27/2026 10:15 AM, Alexander Bolton, 18170K] reports Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) is calling on fellow Democrats to support the construction of a new ballroom at the White House after a lone gunman tried to assassinate the president and senior administration officials at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner Saturday. Fetterman said the Washington Hilton, where Secret Service officers exchanged gunfire with a 31-year-old man armed with a shotgun and handgun, was not secure enough to host an event with the president, vice president and more than 2,000 guests. “We were there front and center. That venue wasn’t built to accommodate an event with the line of succession for the U.S. government. After witnessing last night, drop the TDS and build the White House ballroom for events exactly like these,” Fetterman posted Sunday on the social platform X, referring to “Trump derangement syndrome,” a term the president uses for his critics. Fetterman attached his comment to an article by Mediaite Editor-in-Chief Joe DePaolo with the headline, “I Was Inside the Washington Hilton Tonight. The Security was Downright Awful.” DePaolo, who did not attend the dinner itself, reported that he could get into the Hilton by showing a photo of an invitation to the Fox News preparty. The suspect, who was apprehended after running past the magnetometers on the Hilton’s terrace level, mocked the security at the hotel in a manifesto he shared with family members shortly before attempting to storm the dinner, where President Trump and Vice President Vance were seated at the head table. “The 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,” the suspect wrote in the message shared with his family. Trump cited the security vulnerabilities of the hotel during a press conference Saturday night, arguing that the incident shows why a 1,000-person ballroom needs to be built at the White House — a construction project that has set off a storm of criticism in Washington. “I didn’t want to say this, but this is why we have to have all of the attributes of what we’re planning at the White House. It’s actually a larger room, and it’s much more secure. It’s got — it’s drone-proof. It’s bulletproof glass. We need the ballroom,” Trump told reporters after the shooting.

USA Today [4/27/2026 9:41 AM, Gabe Hauari and Christopher Cann, 70643K] reports FBI Director Kash Patel said he and Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche will soon address the nation regarding the shooting outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Saturday night. In a Monday morning interview on "Fox & Friends," Patel said he and Blanche will address the nation "with actual details relating to this event.” "We’re going to be able to present to the world, in less than 36 hours almost, exactly what happened, this individual’s entire background – who he knew, where he lived, who he was talking to, everything about the firearms," Patel said in the interview, adding that the news conference will occur Monday after a criminal complaint is signed by a magistrate. The suspect is set to appear Monday for an arraignment in federal court. The man suspected to be the gunman who opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on April 25 appeared in a Los Angeles television news report demonstrating a prototype wheelchair in 2017. Cole Tomas Allen, whose identity was told to USA TODAY by a federal law enforcement official familiar with the investigation on April 26, appeared in a segment on KABC-TV about a conference for inventions aimed at improving the lives of seniors. Authorities allege that Allen charged a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton with multiple weapons before gunshots rang out. One Secret Service agent was injured. President Donald Trump attended the dinner for the first time as president. The event also saw multiple high-profile guests, including Cabinet officials and Vice President JD Vance.

CBS News [4/27/2026 4:25 PM, Melissa Quinn, Jacob Rosen, 51110K] reports Cole Allen, the man charged with attempting to assassinate President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, allegedly purchased the firearms used in the attack in 2023 and 2025, and traveled by train from the West Coast to Washington, according to newly unsealed court filings. The filings — a criminal complaint charging Allen with three offenses, and a seven-page affidavit by an FBI agent — were unsealed Monday after the suspected gunman appeared in federal court for an initial appearance. He is charged with discharging a firearm during a violent crime, transporting a firearm in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony and attempting to assassinate the president. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters that it appears law enforcement fired five shots. He declined to say whether it was a round from Allen’s gun that hit the Secret Service officer. In response to the attack, the president, vice president and administration officials were whisked out of the ballroom. They were not injured. The Secret Service officer hit with gunfire has been released from the hospital.

ABC News [4/27/2026 5:53 PM, Bill Hutchinson, 34146K] reports moments after the head of the White House Correspondents Association welcomed President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump to its annual dinner to celebrate journalism on Saturday evening, gunshots sounded outside the doors of the Washington Hilton Hotel’s International Ballroom. Within seconds, the festive occasion attended by more than 2,000 journalists, government officials and other newsmakers erupted in chaos, as Secret Service agents hustled Trump and the first lady off stage. Unbeknownst to those inside the ballroom, an alleged gunman, later identified by authorities as 31-year-old Cole Allen of Torrance, California, had bolted through a security checkpoint and past Secret Service agents in an attempt to get into the event and perpetrate "as much damage as he could," sources told ABC News. Allen -- allegedly armed with a shotgun and other weapons -- was taken down and arrested before he could enter the ballroom after officials said he exchanged shots with Secret Service agents. During the incident, a Uniformed Division Secret Service officer was hit, but whose life was saved by his bulletproof vest, officials said. The suspect, Cole Allen, makes his first court appearance on charges of attempted assassination of the President of the United States, transportation of a firearm and ammunition over state lines with intent to commit a felony and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. The first count of attempting to assassinate the president carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, if convicted. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Ballantine says in court that the suspect attempted to assassinate Trump using a 12-gauge pump action shotgun and says he was also carrying a .38 caliber semi-automatic pistol, three knives "and other dangerous paraphernalia."

NPR [4/27/2026 3:30 PM, Tamara Keith, 28764K] Audio: HERE reports the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner has long been held at the Washington Hilton, which hosts a lot of high profile events at least in part because of a unique design that is specifically intended for presidential security. There’s even a special entrance for the president and a dedicated holding room behind the stage with a presidential seal engraved on the floor. In the years when the president attends the WHCA dinner, the Secret Service takes over the security for the event, though numerous law enforcement agencies had personnel on site Saturday night. The hotel also hosts the annual National Prayer Breakfast in the same ballroom with similar government dignitaries and that event is also secured by the Secret Service. The official went on to say that Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, will hold a meeting this week with top officials from DHS, the Secret Service and White House operations to discuss current security processes and procedures for the president. The president has indicated he would like to hold another dinner in the next 30 days which seems logistically and financially unlikely. In an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes Sunday evening, he did encourage the WHCA to redo the event with tighter security — but stopped short of saying he would attend.

Washington Examiner [4/27/2026 4:41 PM, Mabinty Quarshie, 1147K] reports President Donald Trump and the national press corps are pushing to quickly revive the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner after Saturday night’s attempted shooting, but the effort is already running into the logistical and security challenges of staging one of Washington’s largest annual events. Trump called for the dinner to be rescheduled within 30 days after an alleged gunman stormed the Washington Hilton. But that timeline is colliding with reality: The annual dinner, which draws more than 2,000 attendees, takes months to plan. So far, there is no proposal for how — or even whether — the event will return in its traditional form. White House officials signaled Monday that discussions remain preliminary, with no decisions on venue, format, or attendance finalized. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., FBI Director Kash Patel, and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin were among the top Cabinet officials who attended the annual dinner on Saturday and were promptly escorted out of the ballroom by Secret Service. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a Monday afternoon briefing that Trump would be in attendance whenever the event takes place, but left open whether other Cabinet officers, including Vance, would too. The alleged gunman, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, was apprehended by Secret Service but managed to shoot at least one agent, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, in the chest.

Reuters [4/27/2026 1:28 PM, Staff, 38315K] reports that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday described the foiled attack ‌at the White House Correspondents Association dinner as the third major assassination attempt against President Donald Trump. Leavitt, in her first briefing for reporters since the Saturday night ⁠incident, confirmed that White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles will convene a meeting with officials from the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Secret Service and the White House operations team to "ensure the safety and the security of the president." A gun-wielding suspect ‌was ⁠stopped by Secret Service guards before he could enter the crowded hotel ballroom where Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and many ⁠other top U.S. officials were gathered for the annual dinner. Leavitt blamed harsh political rhetoric for fostering ​an ⁠environment where someone might want to attack the president. "We should not live in a ⁠country where such constant fear of political violence permeates," she said. NewsMax [4/27/2026 1:16 PM, Mark Swanson, 3760K] reports that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday told reporters that President Donald Trump and his administration are expressing deep gratitude to law enforcement following another assassination attempt against the president in the past two years. "This is the third major assassination attempt against President Trump in two years. No other president in history has faced such repeated, serious attempts on his life," Leavitt said. She emphasized that the president, first lady, and White House staff are "extraordinarily grateful" to law enforcement officers who acted quickly to stop the suspect and ensure safety. "The president would especially like to express his gratitude to the men and women of the United States Secret Service, who acted with the utmost professionalism, courage, and sense of duty," Leavitt said, highlighting in particular an agent who was shot during the incident. "This includes the heroic agent who took a bullet to the chest. Thankfully, he was saved by his bulletproof vest." Leavitt noted that shortly after returning to the Oval Office, Trump sought to personally check on the injured agent. "Ahead of addressing you here in the briefing room, President Trump was intent on speaking to this brave agent to ensure he was OK, and the agent assured the president that he was," she said.

Reported similarly:
ABC News [4/27/2026 1:39 PM, Staff, 34146K]

Breitbart [4/27/2026 6:56 PM, Staff, 2238K] reports White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt condemned negative comments and rhetoric about President Donald Trump in a press briefing Monday. Leavitt addressed the press, likely for the last time before she begins her maternity leave, in the wake of a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday. Leavitt blamed the incident on "violent rhetoric" from Democratic lawmakers, television personalities, the media and others on social media. "This hateful and constant and violent rhetoric directed at President Trump day after day after day for 11 years has helped to legitimize this violence and bring us to this dark moment," Leavitt said. "Those who constantly falsely label and slander the president as a fascist, as a threat to democracy, and compare him to Hitler to score political points are fueling this kind of violence.” Leavitt said one member of the U.S. Secret Service was shot in the chest but survived because they were wearing a bulletproof vest. The Department of Justice will address the arraignment of the alleged gunman, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, on Monday, Leavitt added. She also acknowledged that the White House Correspondents’ Dinner may be rescheduled. "When you read the manifesto of this shooter, ask yourselves how different is the rhetoric from this almost-assassin from what you read on social media and hear in various forums every single day," Leavitt said. "Much of the manifesto of the would-be assassin is indistinguishable from the words that we hear daily from so many.” In response to the shooting, Leavitt said that White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles will be meeting with Department of Homeland Security leadership to discuss the security of the president. Univision [4/27/2026 6:26 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports that spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt set the official position of the government. In a press conference, he linked the attack to the current political environment and launched a direct accusation: “The left’s hateful cult against the president and all those who support and work for him has caused several people to be injured and killed, and he almost did it again this weekend.” The official said the language used by political adversaries and some media has contributed to "dehumanizing" the president, generating an environment that, she said, can influence radicalized individuals. The positioning occurred while federal investigations are progressing and security protocols are reviewed at official events.

Politico [4/27/2026 1:21 PM, Megan Messerly, 21784K] reports President Donald Trump, standing at the White House briefing room podium in his tuxedo hours after the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting Saturday night, called for peace. By Monday, the tone had changed. Administration officials shifted to a more combative stance, insisting that the chaos that erupted at the dinner is a potent justification for a range of Trump initiatives — from his new White House ballroom, to the stalled fight over funding for the Department of Homeland Security and even the ouster of late night provocateur Jimmy Kimmel. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt accused Democrats of putting the president’s life in danger with inflammatory rhetoric. “When you read that manifesto of this shooter, ask yourselves, how different is that rhetoric from this almost-assassin than what you read on social media and hear in various forms every single day? The answer, if you’re being honest with yourself, is that there is no difference at all,” she told reporters at the White House briefing. She argued that years of Democratic vitriol against the president had set the stage for the shooting, reading aloud statements from party leaders including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Sens. Adam Schiff and Elizabeth Warren, and Govs. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and JB Pritzker of Illinois. And it isn’t just Democratic politicians. On Monday, Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, also suggested the media shares part of the blame. “They’re just as guilty as a lot of people on X when you have — when you have reporters ... just being overly critical and calling the president horrible names for no reason and without evidence,” Blanche said. Leavitt drew a direct line from a joke that Kimmel told two days before the shooting — saying that First Lady Melania Trump had a “glow like an expectant widow” — and the gunman’s apparent attempt to storm the ballroom where the dinner was being held. The suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, was taken down by law enforcement officials before he reached the ballroom and was charged Monday with attempting to assassinate the president. It was a stark contrast from the president’s remarks Saturday evening, when he called for “Republicans, Democrats, independents, conservatives, liberals, and progressives” to resolve their differences peacefully.In a room packed with journalists and high-ranking Cabinet officials, Trump observed Saturday, “there was a record-setting group of people, and there was a tremendous amount of love and coming together.” “I watched and I was very, very impressed by that,” Trump said. The White House did not respond to a request for further comment.

Reported similarly:
Washington Examiner [4/27/2026 1:52 PM, Christian Datoc, 1147K]

Washington Examiner [4/27/2026 2:27 PM, Sydney Topf, 1147K] reports that President Donald Trump joined first lady Melania Trump in condemning late-night host Jimmy Kimmel for his remarks calling her an "expectant widow," ahead of Saturday’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. Hours after the first lady called for ABC to pull Kimmel from the airwaves, the president echoed the sentiment on Truth Social, saying the late-night host should be "immediately fired." "I appreciate that so many people are incensed by Kimmel’s despicable call to violence, and normally would not be responsive to anything that he said but, this is something far beyond the pale," Trump wrote. "Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC. Trump said Kimmel’s segment showed a "fake video" of the first lady and the first couple’s son, Barron Trump. "He showed a fake video of the First Lady, Melania, and our son, Barron, like they were actually sitting in his studio, listening to him speak, which they weren’t, and never would be," he said. In Kimmel’s "alternative" White House Correspondents’ Association dinner skit that aired on Thursday night, the late-night host said the first lady looked like an "expectant widow.” "Our first lady, Melania, is here," Kimmel said. "Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow." The remark received a wave of backlash as Saturday’s dinner erupted into chaos after a man ran through a security checkpoint at the prestigious dinner, shooting at Secret Service, heading into the room where Trump and other officials gathered.

Reported similarly:
CNN [4/27/2026 2:36 PM, Alejandra Jaramillo and Brian Stelter, 19874K]
USA Today [4/27/2026 3:10 PM, Brendan Morrow, 70643K]

New York Post [4/27/2026 11:25 AM, Emily Goodin, 40934K] reports First lady Melania Trump savagely criticized ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel as a "coward" Monday after he referred to her as "an expectant widow" two days before Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting. "Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country. His monologue about my family isn’t comedy- his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America," Trump, 56, wrote in a post on X. The comic is facing severe backlash after the attack on the gala dinner, in which a Secret Service agent suffered minor injuries after a gunman charged a checkpoint in a bid to kill President Trump and others in his administration. Donald and Melania Trump were attending the dinner for the first time since his first election to the presidency in 2016, lending additional anticipation to one of the capital’s biggest annual social events. Kimmel, 58, mocked the dinner on his show on Thursday night, giving his own speech in which he said: "Our first lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.” The first lady also accused Disney-owned ABC of protecting the former "Man Show" host and called for ABC to step in and yank him off the air. "A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him," she wrote. The New York Post [4/27/2026 10:43 AM, Emily Goodin, 40934K] reports that the first lady was sitting between her husband and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt at the top table when authorities say 31-year-old Cole Allen charged a Secret Service checkpoint with a long gun in a bid to take out the president and top administration officials. The president’s wife looked shocked at the sound of the gunfire. In the aftermath, Melania released a two-page statement calling for an end to political violence and thanking law enforcement. "When I watched that violent bullet strike my husband, Donald, I realized my life, and Barron’s life, were on the brink of devastating change. I am grateful to the brave Secret Service agents and law enforcement officials who risked their own lives to protect my husband," she said.

Reported similarly:
Washington Examiner [4/27/2026 5:03 PM, Sydney Topf, 1147K]

Washington Examiner [4/27/2026 2:24 PM, Mia Cathell, 1147K] reports that Cole Allen, the alleged gunman accused of opening fire at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner over the weekend, has suspected ties to a left-wing activist group organized around racial justice. Allen’s sister reportedly told the Secret Service that he was part of the Wide Awakes, a progressive revival of an abolitionist organization that formed during the 1860 presidential race in support of President Abraham Lincoln. Allen allegedly left behind a manifesto that was filled with left-wing rhetoric about the Trump administration. Amplifier.org, a Seattle-based arts nonprofit group that produced visuals for the Wide Awakes resurgence project, posted a statement on its website declaring that Allen is not involved with the organization. "We had never heard of Cole Allen before yesterday and he has never had any affiliation with our organization," the statement said. "Our hearts go out to those affected by the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner." Allen’s sister told authorities on Sunday her brother often made "radical statements" and frequently referenced plans to do "something" to fix what he saw as problems in the country. A frequent user of Bluesky, where he often complained about Trump, Allen is believed to have attended a "No Kings" protest in California and once donated to the 2024 presidential campaign of former Vice President Kamala Harris.

Daily Caller [4/27/2026 1:18 PM, Hudson Crozier, 803K] reports that leftist group "the Wide Awakes" denied knowing suspected White House Correspondents’ Dinner gunman Cole Allen in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation after reports claimed a connection. Allen’s journey through leftist politics included joining the informal Wide Awakes movement before he allegedly targeted President Donald Trump at the Saturday night event in Washington, multiple media outlets reported, citing officials who heard from Allen’s family. The Wide Awakes, consisting of little more than a website and an artistic style of protest, considers itself a successor to an anti-slavery movement of the same name that supported Abraham Lincoln for president and defended free speech. "We do not know Allen he doesn’t have a connection to us as far as anyone knows," a spokesperson for the group said in an Instagram message. The spokesperson speculated that Allen may have instead been involved in a February noise demonstration against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Hudson, Wisconsin, which was dubbed a "Wide Awake" protest. "They are not a part of our decentralized group," the Wide Awakes said of the anti-ICE protesters. Law enforcement agents arrested him at the hotel after he allegedly shot a Secret Service agent, who was kept alive by a bulletproof vest. Allen’s alleged behavior is a far cry from the Wide Awakes’ ostensibly nonviolent, colorful methods of political expression.

NewsMax [4/27/2026 12:33 PM, Nicole Weatherholtz, 3760K] reports that former President Barack Obama condemned political violence after a gunman targeted President Donald Trump and several members of his Cabinet in an alleged assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner Saturday. "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," Obama said in a Sunday statement on X. "It’s also a sobering reminder of the courage and sacrifice that U.S. Secret Service Agents show every day," he added. "I’m grateful to them – and thankful that the agent who was shot is going to be okay." Authorities identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California. Officials said Allen traveled by train to Washington and arrived at the Washington Hilton armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives. Allen allegedly planned to target Trump and administration officials during Saturday night’s dinner. The president has survived two previous assassination attempts. Authorities said Allen attempted to breach a security checkpoint on a floor above the event and fired two shots before U.S. Secret Service agents stopped him. One Secret Service agent was hit, but his bulletproof vest prevented serious injury. No other injuries were reported. In an impromptu news conference following the incident, Trump called on Americans to settle their political differences peacefully.

FOX News [4/27/2026 10:03 AM, Andrew Mark Miller and Peter Pinedo, 37576K] reports Former President Barack Obama sparked an online firestorm over the weekend after his X post discussing the "motive" of the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner shooter went viral. "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," Obama posted on X on Sunday evening, roughly 24 hours after President Trump and top officials were whisked out of the Washington Hilton Hotel when shots rang out from a man who stormed security during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. "It’s also a sobering reminder of the courage and sacrifice that the 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." Obama’s post has been viewed nearly 52 million times and sparked outrage from conservatives, who pointed to a manifesto left by the shooter and other details of the attack that they say show the motive was to harm Trump and his Cabinet. "Let’s not pretend to be this clueless about motive, @BarackObama," EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin posted on X. "The attempted assassin put out an anti-Trump manifesto about wanting to kill Trump Admin officials, minutes before trying to storm a ballroom filled with the President, VP, Cabinet, and many others from his Admin." Former FBI Co-Deputy Director Dan Bongino simply replied, "Are you kidding?" "There is a manifesto, and this is why you are the problem," Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., posted on X. "Oh come on," reacted former Department of Homeland Security press secretary Tricia McLaughlin. "There is no ambiguity. It was a politically motivated attack driven by anti-Trump and anti-Christian bile. It’s wrong to downplay or obscure the obvious motive."

FOX News [4/27/2026 10:59 AM, Max Bacall, 37576K] reports Rep. Jim Jordan said Sunday that the latest apparent assassination attempt targeting President Donald Trump reflected a dangerous political climate fueled by what he described as left-wing rhetoric. The Ohio Republican praised Trump’s poise on "Sunday Morning Futures," saying "very few human beings" could "handle things the way that he has," notwithstanding "the last 10 years [of] all the attacks by the left and the weaponization of government." He advocated for "robust debate" but argued people on the political left were standing in the way. "We have this amazing thing, the First Amendment, and we want real and robust debate happening... some of this language is just ridiculous that we see, particularly from the left." He said deliberation between conservatives and liberals amounted to "common sense versus crazy," and argued that the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner Saturday night made the case for a secure ballroom on White House grounds.

FOX News [4/27/2026 9:15 AM, Adam Pack, 37576K] reports just days before an apparent assassination attempt on President Donald Trump’s life, one of the Democratic Party’s leaders called for "maximum warfare" against Republicans. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., made the inflammatory remark while warning Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., against redrawing the state’s congressional map ahead of November’s midterm elections. Jeffries said that if DeSantis attempted to counter Democratic gains in Virginia following the state’s aggressive gerrymander, Democrats would continue to ratchet up pressure on Republicans nationwide. "We are in an era of maximum warfare. Everywhere, all the time," Jeffries said Wednesday at a news conference. Three days later, a California man allegedly attempted to assassinate the president Saturday evening at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. Cole Allen, 31, is accused of storming a Secret Service checkpoint while armed and intending to enter the hotel ballroom to kill Trump and administration officials. The alleged assassin was armed with a shotgun, handgun and several knives and opened fire on federal agents before being subdued. A Secret Service officer wearing a ballistic vest, whom Allen allegedly shot at close range, was released from the hospital Sunday. The gunman allegedly prepared a manifesto before the attack that included anti-Trump and anti-Christian messages, several law enforcement officials told Fox News. He is expected to be arraigned on several federal gun charges Monday.

Reuters [4/27/2026 7:26 PM, Jasper Ward, 38315K] reports two Republican members of Congress are calling on the Trump administration to empower the National Guard to address ​potential drone-related threats and ensure a "unified federal security posture" at ‌the upcoming World Cup games. The letter by U.S. Representatives Michael McCaul and Elijah Crane, who both sit on the House of Representatives’ Committee on Homeland Security, was ​sent to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, acting U.S. ​Attorney General Todd Blanche and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth ⁠on Friday. McCaul and Crane called for immediate interagency action to secure ​the airspace over the 11 U.S. cities hosting World Cup matches this ​summer. Potential personnel shortages and complex jurisdictional divides between event organizers and host cities risk creating a fragmented environment, they said, adding that the situation requires a ​unified federal security posture. "With its rapid deployability, nationwide scalability, and extensive ​experience responding to domestic emergencies, the National Guard is uniquely positioned to assist federal ‌and ⁠state authorities with C-UAS mitigation and unified coordination for World Cup security," they wrote. The Department of Homeland Security, Justice Department and Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Reuters [4/27/2026 6:07 PM, Pearl Josephine Nazare, 16072K] reports FIFA should press ​the U.S. government to establish an "ICE Truce" for this year’s World Cup, including a public guarantee from federal authorities to refrain from immigration enforcement operations ‌at games and venues, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report published on Monday. The 2026 World Cup - the first edition of the global showpiece tournament to feature 48 teams - will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been the face of a hardline immigration crackdown and deportation drive pursued by the administration of President Donald Trump. Rights groups have condemned the crackdown, ​saying it has led to violations of free speech and due process rights and created an unsafe environment, particularly for minorities. Trump casts his actions as necessary ​to improve domestic security and curb illegal immigration. "FIFA needs to act urgently to address the risks of human rights abuses for athletes, fans, ⁠and workers," HRW said. "One concrete thing it should do is work to persuade the Trump administration to establish an ‘ICE Truce’..."Gianni Infantino (FIFA president) and his FIFA colleagues should use their leverage ​to demand that the Trump administration do what’s right for the games," it added. "Roll back discriminatory travel bans, refrain from abusive immigration enforcement operations in and around World Cup venues, ​protect children’s rights and commit to uphold freedom of assembly and speech." The idea is drawn from the "Olympic Truce," a tradition dating back to ancient Greece, when warring city states paused hostilities so athletes and spectators could travel safely to the Games. "The FIFA 2026 World Cup will no doubt be one of the greatest and most spectacular events in the history of mankind, attracting millions of fans from around the ​world to 11 host cities across America," White House spokesman Davis Ingle told Reuters.

Washington Post [4/28/2026 5:00 AM, David Nakamura, 24826K] reports a month into his tenure, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is facing mounting pressure from conservative groups that fear the Trump administration is going soft on its mass deportation agenda amid a public backlash over aggressive enforcement tactics. Mullin has vowed to restore confidence in the Department of Homeland Security after the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis. In a recent cable news appearance, he expressed a desire to conduct enforcement in a “more quiet way.” Organizations such as the Mass Deportation Coalition, formed in March and led by the Heritage Foundation, interpret that approach as a potential betrayal of one of the president’s core campaign promises. The coalition recently published a lengthy report concluding that the administration had deported 350,000 immigrants in the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, far fewer than the 650,000 deportations that Trump officials have cited. The numbers “don’t represent a victory in quantity,” said the report, which offered 21 recommendations to vastly expand operations. “What remains is a policy choice: to carry out a program of mass deportation, in keeping with the campaign promise, or not,” the report said. Mike Howell, president of Heritage’s Oversight Project, said Mullin’s comments thus far appear aimed at “assuaging left-wing concerns.” “There’s not a lot of recommitting to the cause” of mass deportations, Howell said in an interview. “It makes you wonder.”

Wall Street Journal [4/27/2026 1:43 PM, Caitlin Ostroff and Jaclyn Jeffrey-Wilensky, 646K] reports on Saturday, a gunman rushed a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Multiple administration officials were present, including President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, FBI Director Kash Patel and several cabinet members. All were quickly hustled out by Secret Service agents. The incident, allegedly perpetrated by a 31-year-old Caltech grad, has refocused attention on rising violence in American politics. In January, a man broke windows at Vance’s home with a hammer. In March, the Justice Department charged two men with attempting to carry out an attack near New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s residence. In fact, domestic attacks and plots against the U.S. government are at their highest levels since at least 1994, according to data from the Center for Strategic and International Studies. For the first time in 20 years, they are coming from extremists on the left in greater numbers than the right, the center’s data shows. Of the 20 attacks and plots recorded in 2025, the center categorized 10 as originating from the extreme left and eight as coming from the extreme right. Half the incidents from the extreme left last year appear to have been aimed at immigration officers or facilities in response to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Another was an attempted attack on the Dickinson County Republican Committee Headquarters in Michigan. Violence from the extreme-right has also climbed. A Democratic state lawmaker and her husband were killed in Minnesota last June. One police officer was killed in August after a man who had been critical of the Covid-19 vaccine fired 500 rounds outside the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All told, three people were killed last year in attacks characterized as extreme right, while one died after an attack classed as extreme left. Classifying extremism attacks is a murky business. The CSIS data sorts attacks by political leanings where possible based on court documents and contemporaneous reporting. Perpetrators often don’t fit into neat categories. Some attacks on U.S. political figures, like the one on Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, whose residence was set on fire last April, were allegedly motivated by events abroad.

AP [4/27/2026 10:05 AM, Fernanda Figueroa, 16072K] reports rhetoric dehumanizing immigrant and Latino communities may appear more open and in-your-face in the current political climate. But that has not been a barrier for Latinos seeking elective office or high-level roles in government. Voters are choosing an increasing number of nonwhite Hispanic leaders to local elective office — and many of the leaders are the first Latinos to hold their seats. Some political science experts attribute the rise of Latino leadership to years of grassroots organizing, coupled with ongoing demonization of their communities by Trump administration officials and conservative activists. “That’s the difference now, is that there’s this extra incentive of an unrelenting attack on Latinos across the country,” said Anna Sampaio, an ethnic studies professor at Santa Clara University who specializes in race and gender politics. There are currently an estimated 7,700 Latino elected officials nationwide, according to data from the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. That’s up from 6,883 officials in 2020. Estimated to number as many as 55 million people — 16% of the U.S. population — Latinos are the largest ethnic minority in the country, with politics, interests and priorities as diverse as the national origins represented within their population. But Latinos also are underrepresented as a demographic across elective offices. Since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term, Latino communities have been a target of his hard-line immigration tactics. The feeling of attack doesn’t stop there. From memes shared from the official White House page perpetuating Hispanic stereotypes, a federally led English-only initiative and an anti-diversity, equity and inclusion push have painted a target on Latinos across the country. It’s all led to more Latinos seeking office to defend their communities and give voice to those who may be afraid to speak out in the current political climate. As a result, legislators have proposed measures that include providing community members with protections against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, halting the approval of ICE detention centers in their cities, and calling for a stop to ICE funding, among other actions.

Wall Street Journal [4/28/2026 1:00 AM, Santiago Pérez, José de Córdoba, and Michael Amon, 646K] reports when word reached Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum last week that two Central Intelligence Agency officials had died in a car wreck in northern Mexico while participating in a counternarcotics operation, she could have chosen to express outrage at an apparently egregious violation of Mexican sovereignty. Instead, she struck a muted response. If anyone was to blame, she said publicly, it was the opposition governor of Chihuahua state, whose officers had been working with the American agents. In the end, she sent a diplomatic note to the U.S. Embassy expressing surprise and requesting more information. Even that display of restraint seemed to irk the powers that be in Washington. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that although the U.S. “has seen some cooperation” from Mexico, more needs to be done and that some sympathy for the fallen U.S. officials “would be well worth it.” It was a by-now-familiar pattern in the relationship between the two neighbors. Each time Sheinbaum gives President Trump an inch, he demands a mile. More than a year after both leaders took office, the give and take is forcing Mexico’s president into a corner. In that way, she may be following other world leaders who have tried to forge a working partnership with Trump—from Italy’s Giorgia Meloni to French President Emmanuel Macron—only to face a falling-out. It began with decisions that cost Sheinbaum very little political capital, such as sending National Guard troops to the border to stop U.S.-bound drug smuggling and closing Mexico’s doors to migrants from Venezuela and other countries. But lately Trump has pushed Sheinbaum into moves that risk angering her political base. The incident with the CIA officials comes as both governments are starting to review the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which is vital for Mexico’s export-led economy.

New York Times [4/28/2026 3:23 AM, David Ovalle and Patricia Mazzei, 330K] 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. Mr. Hossain said that Ms. Easmin later returned to Bangladesh for several years, where she gave birth to a second daughter in 2004. Then she returned to the Miami area. Her husband eventually joined her. Working constantly, Mr. Hossain said, “We didn’t have that much time for fun.”

Daily Wire [4/27/2026 1:14 PM, Tod Lindberg, 2314K] reports a security camera captured video of the alleged would-be assassin charging through a magnetometer at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Saturday night. Some saw the ease with which he breached the security perimeter as a failure. It wasn’t. The perimeter allowed Secret Service and other security officers to immediately identify and take down a deadly threat. That’s a successful exercise in prevention and protection, and it required careful preparation. The partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) didn’t have any direct impact on the effectiveness of the response on Saturday. But with the shutdown now in its 11th week, Congress is playing with fire. The vital government function of prevention — the department’s most important mission — is challenging enough when DHS is running at full capacity. Congress should restore funding to end the shutdown now, before its cumulative effect leads to a catastrophic failure. The establishment of DHS in 2003 was a massive effort to improve the federal government’s ability to prevent harm to Americans. The immediate context was the 9/11 attack and the lack of coordination among government agencies that allowed the al-Qaeda plot to go forward undetected. By the broadest measure — the non-recurrence of a 9/11-scale attack or anything close — the DHS consolidation of agencies, breakdown of silos, and the addition of preventive legal authorities have been a success.

Daily Wire [4/27/2026 7:10 AM, Beth Van Duyne, 2314K] reports Saturday night’s attempted assassination of elected officials was a vile attack on our democracy and a chilling reminder that reckless rhetoric and political violence can have deadly consequences. Every leader, regardless of party, should condemn it clearly and without hesitation. It is also a reminder that we are living through a dangerous moment — one that demands seriousness, responsibility, and leadership. America faces serious threats abroad, rising instability at home, and a political climate that has become dangerously overheated. We are in an active conflict with Iran. Terror threats remain elevated. Border security is critical. Yet instead of coming together to address these challenges, Democrat leadership continues to play political games with funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Department of Homeland Security is not an abstract Washington agency. It protects our borders, secures our airports and ports, combats cyberattacks, prevents terrorism, and supports the men and women who stand between American families and those who wish to do us harm. At a time of heightened threats, delaying or weakening DHS funding is not a strategy; it is negligence. And yet House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, and other Democrat leaders continue to prioritize partisan warfare over public safety.

Wall Street Journal [4/27/2026 5:42 PM, William McGurn, 646K]reports three days after gunshots brought the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner to a premature end, the verdict—at least among the commentariat—is in: The Secret Service blew it. The 31-year-old suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, traveled by train from his parents’ home outside Los Angeles to the Washington Hilton. He came with weapons, including a shotgun, a handgun and several knives. His targets were the president and as many “administration officials” as possible, “prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest,” he wrote. On Saturday night, he did manage to run through the security checkpoint and past Secret Service agents. Even so, within seconds agents fired at Mr. Allen and subdued him—eliminating the threat. One agent was shot in the chest during the gunfire but, fortunately, was wearing a ballistic vest. After a short stint at a hospital he was released. In the thick of all this, the Secret Service brought President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump to safety. The dominant fact of that terrible evening was that the Secret Service did its job—protecting the president—with no loss of life. It’s one thing we all ought to applaud. You might not know it from the commentators. One conservative called the Secret Service’s handling of security an “unmitigated failure.” Others complain about “lax security.” The Washington Post reported that “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.” Attendees have reported being waved in to the building with barely a showing of their ticket—though the security perimeter around the ballroom held. The second-guessing has only begun, and it’s becoming wrapped up with other issues.

New York Times [4/27/2026 8:45 PM, Michelle Goldberg, 148038K] reports Cole Tomas Allen, who was arrested during an attempt to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday, may be America’s first normie liberal terrorist. The right, naturally, sees Allen as part of a pattern, lumping him in with figures like Thomas Matthew Crooks, who fired on Donald Trump in 2024, grazing his ear; Ryan Wesley Routh, who carried a semiautomatic rifle to one of Trump’s golf courses a few months later; or Tyler Robinson, charged in the killing of Charlie Kirk last year. But all those men had weird or heterogenous politics. Crooks was a nihilistic Republican misfit. Routh had a history of violence and a delusional fixation on Ukraine, where he reportedly tried to join the war effort. Robinson seems to have cooked his brain in online fetish subcultures. But Allen, who on Monday was charged with attempting to assassinate the president, seemed to be a man with remarkably ordinary political opinions. Social media posts that appear to come from him suggest that he despised ICE, cared a lot about Ukraine, and, like the majority of Americans, wanted to see Trump impeached. Far from a radical leftist, he reposted criticisms of pro-Palestine protesters and the left-wing streamer Hasan Piker. He wasn’t exactly a standard Democrat — he was registered to no political party, and at least at one point was an evangelical Christian — but from what we know so far, before he showed up at the Washington Hilton, he had fairly mainstream beliefs. This makes Allen’s apparent attempt at political martyrdom particularly convenient for conservatives who want to stigmatize Democratic denunciations of the president. National Review blamed “the feverish opposition to Trump” for allowing “sundry fanatics and losers to resort to political violence.” The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board tied Saturday’s attack to a political culture in which Trump’s opponents have lost “all judgment and proportion.” Some nonpartisan journalists have parroted this framing. On CNN, Dana Bash asked Representative Jamie Raskin whether he’s thinking twice about “heated rhetoric” against the president, such as calling him “terrible for this country.” I can’t really blame Republicans for exploiting the attack; Allen has provided them with an irresistible rhetorical cudgel. The problem, of course, is that Trump is indeed terrible for this country. The fact that people have tried to kill him can’t be a reason to eschew frankness about his depravity. Rather, it’s a reason to reiterate that even depravity doesn’t justify political violence, which is morally abhorrent, socially corrosive and counterproductive. It’s true that the manifesto attributed to Allen contains exaggerated accusations. “I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes,” the manifesto declares. There is no convincing evidence that Trump has ever abused children; all the women who’ve credibly accused him of sexual assault have been adults. Calling Trump a “pedophile” has become a too-common way to describe the president’s intimate relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and coverup of the Epstein files. The manifesto is a reminder that all of us should be more precise in our language. To describe Trump accurately, however, will always sound to some like incitement. There’s a fierce argument in America about whether the right or the left is more violent. Until very recently, there was no contest: The right was. (A 2024 study using National Institute of Justice data found that in the United States since 1990, “far-right extremists have committed far more ideologically motivated homicides than far-left or radical Islamist extremists.”) In recent years, however, there’s been an uptick in left-wing terrorist attacks and plots. A report on this phenomenon from the Center for Strategic and International Studies suggests that there’s a ratchet at work. It noted that both Republicans and Democrats overestimate their foes’ approval of violence, and said, “Widespread polarization and misperceptions that the other side is far more violent than it actually is creates a dangerous environment where extremists can more easily rationalize using violence.” Each act of political violence further frays our threadbare social fabric, laying the foundation for authoritarianism.

USA Today [4/27/2026 6:34 PM, Nicole Russell, 70643K] reports in the aftermath of the foiled assassination attempt on President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on April 25, the third in under two years, I have a lot of questions. I suspect most Americans do. How many more times will we wake up to headlines about another attempt on a Republican president’s life? How many more times will the Secret Service have to move in split seconds to stop a gunman? Americans can feel gratitude for the Secret Service agents who neutralized the threat and still wonder how a teacher-turned-would-be-assassin got that close to the president in the first place. The attack raises a darker question: What kind of political climate produces this level of hatred? What makes someone attempt an assassination in a room full of journalists, a setting where the act would be witnessed, filmed from every angle and pushed across every feed within the hour? As a conservative who voted for Trump, I have watched two earlier attempts on his life and the murder of conservative icon Charlie Kirk in real time. My reaction is simple: Political violence should be condemned outright. It has no place in this country. We are better than this.

FOX News [4/27/2026 7:08 PM, Bonny Chu, 37576K] reports the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Monday released its latest "worst of the worst" list of criminal illegal immigrants convicted of a range of "horrific crimes," including pedophilia, kidnapping and other violent offenses. The agency released the identities of the 15 criminals officials arrested over the weekend. The group, which consists of 13 men and two women, originated from the Dominican Republic, China, Angola, Mexico and several other countries across South America. Many of those listed were convicted in New York, Florida and Texas, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). "Over the weekend ICE arrested pedophiles, sexual deviants, kidnappers, and other violent thugs," Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said. "Every day, our law enforcement officers remove heinous criminals from our communities. If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will find you and arrest you. Criminals are not welcome in the U.S.”

New York Times [4/27/2026 7:36 PM, Hamed Aleaziz, 148038K] reports the Trump administration is scrambling to conduct environmental impact reviews of warehouses it plans to convert into immigrant holding facilities, after a flurry of lawsuits claiming the administration sidestepped federal requirements. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is buying the warehouses to help it increase the rate of deportations, which depends on having enough space to house detainees. The administration currently has about 58,000 immigrants in custody, and fell short of its target to reach 100,000 beds by the end of last year. But the plan to buy and retrofit commercial warehouses to accommodate tens of thousands more detainees may be delayed after hitting roadblocks, including opposition from residents and officials in the communities where the warehouses are located. Now, states are trying to block the projects by arguing that the Trump administration failed to do environmental reviews required under federal law. In court filings, ICE officials have argued the warehouse renovations are exempt from reviews required under the National Environmental Policy Act, citing a variety of reasons. Justice Department officials have voiced concern in recent weeks that the approach could leave the administration vulnerable to legal challenges, internal documents show. Those fears were realized this month when a federal judge in Maryland blocked plans to retrofit a warehouse in the state, citing the lack of an environmental review. “That Maryland result changed their strategy,” said Jamison E. Colburn, a professor at Pennsylvania State University who focuses on environmental law. The administration’s move to conduct environmental reviews, he said, appeared to be “them biting the bullet in view of a bigger loss if they didn’t.” Agency officials now have plans to conduct environmental assessments of at least two of the warehouse sites the government has purchased, according to documents obtained by The New York Times. The reviews could take months, according to experts. So far, the Department of Homeland Security, which houses ICE, has purchased 11 warehouses across the country for about $1 billion.

USA Today [4/27/2026 6:44 PM, Fernando Cervantes Jr, 70643K] reports President Donald Trump endorsed changing the name of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to National Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a Truth Social post on Sunday, April 26. The name change would convert the agency’s acronym from ICE to NICE. The change was first promoted by conservative influencer Alyssa Marie in March. "I want Trump to change ICE to NICE (National Immigration and Customs Enforcement) so the media has to say NICE agents all day everyday," she said in a post on X. More than a month after Marie proposed the change, Trump weighed in, publicly endorsing it. "GREAT IDEA!!! DO IT. President DJT," Trump said on Truth Social. Changing the name of a federal agency typically requires congressional approval, but it has not stopped the Trump administration from attempting to rename parts of the federal government. In September 2025, Trump signed an executive order that sought to rename the U.S. Department of Defense to the Department of War. The floating of a name change for ICE comes as the agency has faced deep criticism across the country stemming from Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, which saw two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, fatally shot by federal agents earlier this year. Funding for the Department of Homeland Security, under which ICE falls, has been stuck in limbo as Democrats have demanded a series of reforms to immigration enforcement after the deaths. Earlier this month, the Senate unanimously approved a bill to fund all of the DHS except for ICE and Border Patrol. But that measure was shot down by House Republicans, who instead called on the Senate GOP to fund DHS in its entirety. The Hill [4/27/2026 10:43 AM, Ashleigh Fields, 18170K] reports “100% agree! Make it happen, @SecMullinDHS!” Nick Sortor wrote in a post on X, urging Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin to support the change. A federal agency name change typically requires congressional action through legislation to amend the statutory authority that established the agency. However, the Trump administration has sought to change the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War without congressional buy-in. The ICE name-change proposal comes as immigration remains a sore spot for Trump’s approval and the agency remains unfunded amid a standoff in Congress. Democrats have demanded various reforms to immigration enforcement following the death of two U.S. citizens at the hands of federal authorities earlier this year.

Reported similarly:
FOX News [4/27/2026 5:53 AM, Alex Nitzberg, 37576K]
Daily Wire [4/27/2026 7:38 AM, Jennie Taer, 2314K]

CNN [4/28/2026 5:03 AM, Priscilla Alvarez, 19874K] reports the Trump administration is taking steps to accelerate the deportations of migrant children in US custody amid White House pressure to quickly move kids through the system, according to administration officials and lawyers for the children. Immigration hearings, where a judge will eventually decide whether a child can stay in the US or be deported, are being moved up by weeks or even months, making it more difficult for attorneys to obtain immigration relief for kids in an already-cumbersome process. Children as young as four years old are being forced to repeatedly appear in court and provide updates on the status of their case, at times without legal help, within a matter of weeks. The frequent court hearings are alarming to kids who are just getting acquainted with courts and the immigration system. Children are frequently feeling "enormous pressure" and some wet their pants when they have to go to court, according to Emily Norman, regional director for the east coast at Kids in Need of Defense. It’s the latest in a series of moves to focus immigration enforcement on minors who arrived in the United States unaccompanied or have returned to government custody because of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations that resulted in their guardians being detained. The push has raised alarm among attorneys and advocates who argue the rushed timelines could result in vulnerable children being sent back to the conditions they were fleeing.

Breitbart [4/27/2026 2:46 PM, Pam Key, 2238K] reports that Sunday on MS NOW’s "Alex Witt Reports," Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) said Democrats are making the country "more safe" with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown. Witt said, "Let’s take a listen together to this message that Blanche is sending to Capitol Hill, specifically today. Here it is." On NBC, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said, "You saw these Secret Service agents. They were remarkable. And by the way, they’re about to, you know, the fact that DHS is not being funded after what we saw, those men, those men and women doing last night should be a wake-up call to Congress. And I hope that it is." Witt said, "OK, duly noted, though Blanche went on to say that he doesn’t think the funding fight is making the country less safe. So what is your reaction to this?" Moulton said, "Well, the funding fight is not making the country less safe. In fact, it’s making the country more safe by reining in ICE. And what we’re asking from the Republicans here is something that the vast majority of Americans agree with, which is it should not be killing American citizens in the streets. This is not complicated. It’s not hard. The Democratic demands here are what the American people want. And that’s why the Republicans, despite controlling all of Congress, the House and the Senate, and obviously the White House, cannot get this mess undone. It’s their shutdown. They can’t get out of their own way.

HS Today [4/27/2026 6:20 AM, Matt Seldon, 38K] reports a newly launched website is offering a closer look at the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), a federal initiative aimed at coordinating efforts across agencies to combat transnational criminal organizations operating in and beyond the United States. Established under Executive Order 14159, the HSTF is designed as a permanent, whole-of-government effort focused on dismantling criminal cartels, foreign gangs, human trafficking networks, and other transnational threats. The initiative brings together law enforcement and intelligence capabilities to identify, investigate, and prosecute a wide range of criminal activity tied to these organizations. According to details outlined on the new site, the task force operates nationwide through a network of 30 regional task forces and 29 satellite offices, covering all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Each regional unit is co-led by a Special Agent in Charge from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the two agencies jointly leading the effort. Oversight is provided by a National Executive Committee made up of senior leadership from both organizations.

Bloomberg Law [4/27/2026 11:46 AM, Andrew Kreighbaum, 50K] reports a Minnesota law firm and legal services provider filed to dismiss their lawsuit over an alleged fast-tracked deportation policy targeting Somali immigrants. The plaintiffs claimed that the Department of Justice unlawfully put non-detained Somali nationals in accelerated immigration court proceedings that undermined their ability to secure relief from deportation. That fast-track policy was adopted as the Trump administration pursued a major immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota directed in part at the Somali community there and axed temporary humanitarian protections for people from the country.

FOX News [4/27/2026 4:45 PM, Michael Ruiz, 37576K] reports Texas authorities have arrested an illegal migrant from Honduras on a Greyhound bus headed toward the southern border in connection with the violent rape of a man behind a dumpster outside a New York restaurant, according to prosecutors. The victim, who passed out drunk before the attack, was allegedly beaten and left for dead in a parking lot outside the Esperanza Deli Cafe in Amityville. Surveillance video allegedly shows Bonilla Garcia drag the unconscious man behind a dumpster and sexually assault him. By the time police had identified Bonilla Garcia as a suspect, he had already fled the state on a bus. U.S. Marshals captured him in Rosenberg, Texas, however, allegedly headed toward the southern border. He has since been extradited from Fort Bend County in Texas to New York and was arraigned Monday. Bonilla Garcia is being held without bail on two charges of first-degree rape and one of felony assault. He’s due back in court on May 28. The suspect faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charges. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has filed a detainer to have him deported after the case plays out.

Reported similarly:
New York Post [4/27/2026 3:13 PM, Brandon Cruz, 40934K]

NewsMax [4/27/2026 8:46 PM, Michael Katz, 3760K] reports more than a dozen high-powered crop-dusting drones capable of rapidly spreading chemicals over wide areas have been recovered after going missing last month. The theft raised concerns among federal law enforcement about possible terrorist use. Homeland Security Investigations in Newark, New Jersey, wrote Monday on X that the 15 drones, worth approximately $870,000, were found in a New Jersey warehouse. "No other information is available at this time as this is an ongoing investigation," HSI Newark wrote.

Washington Times [4/27/2026 8:24 AM, Matt Delaney, 1323K] reports the mother of a Virginia woman who was allegedly stabbed to death by an illegal immigrant with a lengthy criminal record wants Fairfax County’s top prosecutor out of office for saying he won’t pursue criminal cases against migrants because it could result in their deportation. Cheryl Minter, with the help of the Victim’s Rights Reform Council, submitted a federal civil rights complaint asking the Department of Justice to probe Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano over what the filing calls "preferential treatment for illegal immigrants over native-born citizens.” The complaint notes that the suspect in daughter Stephanie Minter’s slaying — Sierra Leone national Abdul Jalloh — avoided time behind bars despite more than 30 arrests on charges such as rape and stabbing. "What makes them any different than any other criminal out there?" Ms. Minter said in an interview with The Washington Times. "Why are the illegals getting away with it when nobody else can? Why is Descano getting away with doing what he’s doing?". Police said Jalloh fatally stabbed Stephanie Minter, 41, at random in February near a bus shelter in the Alexandria portion of Fairfax County. The Department of Homeland Security said Jalloh came to the U.S. illegally in 2012 and had an ICE detainer lodged against him in 2020. A federal judge issued a final order of removal to a country other than Sierra Leone. Jalloh’s alleged connection to Stephanie Minter’s killing brought to light his record of arrests for violent acts and Mr. Descano’s stance on prosecuting migrants. Mr. Descano, a Democrat whose campaigns have been supported by left-wing billionaire George Soros, had a section on his campaign website titled "Consideration of Immigration Consequences.” "If two people commit the same crime, but only one’s punishment includes deportation, that’s a perversion of justice and not a reflection of the values of Fairfax County," Mr. Descano’s website said.

Axios [4/27/2026 6:20 AM, Annalise Frank, 17364K] reports advocates say some detainees at a Michigan immigration detention center — ICE’s biggest in the Midwest — decided Saturday to reignite a major hunger strike that began early last week. Unsafe conditions, intimidation, medical neglect and delays in legal assistance prompted the protest among hundreds of the detainees at North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, per advocacy group No Detention Centers in Michigan and multiple news outlets. Advocates gathered Sunday outside North Lake in solidarity after detainees decided Saturday to renew the hunger strike that most people had paused after several days, a spokesperson for the advocacy group told Axios. The group shared a statement last week from Ahmad Alnajdawi, a detained immigrant from Jordan: "I want the people outside to know, they’re treating us like animals." "There are people who are suffering from many different illnesses with no treatment," a statement from an unnamed ex-detainee who was released on Friday says, adding that people are also striking from work duties.

NewsMax [4/27/2026 5:40 PM, Jim Mishler, 3760K] reports three large Texas cities have revised policies governing cooperation with federal immigration authorities after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to cut state funding over the matter. The Texas Tribune reported that Austin, Dallas, and Houston each faced potential losses tied to law enforcement grant funding if they did not change policies that limited cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Austin updated its police guidance after the governor’s office warned that about $2.5 million in grants was at risk. The revised policy directs officers who encounter administrative warrants to contact ICE "when operationally feasible" to confirm validity and determine how long agents would need to respond. Officers are instructed not to take "an unreasonable amount of time assisting in these matters," with a supervisor determining what is reasonable based on available resources and public safety concerns. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the changes are focused on maintaining public safety. The governor’s office lifted the funding hold after the changes, with spokesperson Andrew Mahaleris saying the state "expects full contract compliance moving forward." Dallas, which stood to lose $32 million, also revised its policy, removing language that previously barred officers from prolonging a detention to investigate immigration status or hold individuals for federal agents. Houston made similar changes after facing the largest potential loss, with more than $110 million in grants at risk.

Breitbart [4/27/2026 2:18 PM, John Binder, 2238K] reports that President Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) protected an illegal alien from arrest and deportation who is now accused of beating a woman and biting her child’s face in a random attack in San Antonio, Texas. As Breitbart News reported last week, 24-year-old illegal alien Atharva Vyas jumped out of a wooded area and viciously beat 27-year-old Gabriella Perez before biting her three-year-old daughter’s face. DHS officials said Vyas arrived in the United States in August 2023 on an F-1 student visa. Three months after arriving in the U.S., Vyas was arrested at the University of Texas for felony assault. Even though university police contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following Vyas’s arrest, the Biden administration determined that his crimes were not egregious enough to warrant revoking his student visa. Thus, no federal law enforcement action was taken against Vyas under the Biden administration’s directives. In April 2025, President Donald Trump’s administration revoked Vyas’s visa because of the assault charges. "This criminal illegal alien brutally bit this child and caused her to lose two teeth. This barbaric assault against this woman and her three-year-old in a park was completely preventable," DHS’s Lauren Bis said in a statement. "The Biden administration never should have released this animal following his arrest for assault," Bis said. "We are working with our partners in Texas to ensure this criminal illegal alien never roams free in American communities again." ICE agents have lodged a detainer against Vyas so that if he is released from jail at any time, he will be turned over to federal custody.

Federal Newswire [4/27/2026 2:20 PM, T. J. Graves] reports the United States Department of Homeland Security announced on April 25 that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged an arrest detainer for Atharva Vyas, a 24-year-old Indian national, following his arrest for assaulting a mother and her three-year-old daughter in a San Antonio park. The case highlights ongoing concerns about public safety and immigration enforcement policies. The incident involved local police arresting Vyas on April 18 after he reportedly assaulted Gabriella Perez and her young daughter. According to law enforcement, the attack began when Vyas grabbed Perez by the hair, causing her child to fall from her arms. While Perez was on the ground, Vyas allegedly assaulted the child, resulting in bodily injuries including bite marks and the loss of two teeth. Vyas first entered the United States in August 2023 on a student visa. Three months later, he was arrested at the University of Texas campus for felony assault. The University of Texas Police contacted ICE at that time; however, according to DHS officials, "the Biden Administration determined this crime was not ‘egregious’ enough to warrant visa revocation and decided to take no enforcement action against Vyas." ICE lodged its current detainer requesting that San Antonio authorities turn over Vyas once legal proceedings are complete. Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said: "This criminal illegal alien brutally bit this child and caused her to lose two teeth. This barbaric assault against this woman and her three-year-old in a park was completely preventable. The Biden administration NEVER should have released this animal following his arrest for assault. We are working with our partners in Texas to ensure this criminal illegal alien never roams free in American communities again." In April 2025, DHS reports that the Trump Administration revoked Vyas’s F-1 visa due to his earlier arrest.

Daily Caller [4/27/2026 4:35 PM, Mark Tanos, 803K] reports a federal jury found a 26-year-old Oklahoma man guilty of threatening to assault, kill and gun down federal immigration officers in posts on social media, according to a statement. Logan Christopher Murfin of Skiatook was convicted on 10 federal counts, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma. The jury found him guilty on five counts of threatening to assault and kill federal law enforcement officers and another five counts of interstate communication of threats. Homeland Security Investigations personnel flagged Murfin’s posts on X, made under the handle "Azulenq," after receiving an intelligence tip in October 2025, according to evidence presented before the jury. Search warrants tied the account to Murfin, who was posting from his home. A grand jury indicted him on December 2025. Following his arrest, Murfin told agents he was angry and "pissed off" at ICE officers and acknowledged authoring the posts, according to the DOJ. A recording of the interview was presented to the trial jury. Before trial, a federal judge rejected Murfin’s attempt to have the case thrown out on First Amendment grounds. Judge Gregory Frizzell ruled that a reasonable jury could view the posts as genuine threats of violence rather than protected political speech, according to federal court documents obtained by Reason. Murfin was taken into custody following the verdict, according to the DOJ release. He was on bond before the trial began. A sentencing date has not been set.

Breitbart [4/27/2026 10:11 AM, Randy Clark, 2238K] reports according to the attorney for the six-member family of Mohamed Sabri Soliman, the group was re-detained by ICE on Saturday after their release earlier in the week as a result of a federal judge’s decision. According to a social media post by the family’s counsel, Michigan-based Immigration Attorney Eric Lee, ICE said, "Deportation is imminent." Within hours, Lee says the deportation flight turned around after a federal judge issued an emergency stay. On Thursday, Federal District Judge Bred Biery had ordered the release of the six-member family of Mohamed Sabri Soliman, an Egyptian national, who is currently facing 184 criminal charges related to a firebomb attack that killed one in Boulder, Colorado. The ruling handed down by Biery in San Antonio ordered ICE to release the family members who had been detained in Dilley, Texas, since June 2025. The family of six includes Hayam Salah Alsaid Ahmed El Gamal, the 41-year-old Egyptian citizen married to Soliman, two minor sons, and three minor daughters. All are citizens of Egypt who arrived in the United States in August 2022. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), they were granted entry until February 26, 2023, after Soliman filed for asylum, listing the six-member family as his dependents in Denver, Colorado. The White House signaled the removal of the family would be a speedy process in a social media post on X shortly after the family’s detention. The post carried the simple message, "Six One-Way Tickets for Mohamed’s Wife and Five Kids. Final Boarding Call Coming Soon."

Univision [4/27/2026 2:41 PM, Jorge Cancino, 4937K] reports that "There is no hunger strike at the ICE North Lake Processing Center" in Baldwin, Michigan, the agency responded in an email to an inquiry from the N+ Univision newsroom. It added: "For the record: During hunger strikes, ICE continues to provide three meals a day—delivered to the detained noncitizen’s room—as well as an adequate supply of potable water or other beverages." However, despite the explanation provided by an unidentified spokesperson for the agency—which operates under the authority of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), together with the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC), issued a call to Congress this Monday demanding "an independent investigation" into the facility "following reports of a hunger strike and dangerously inadequate medical conditions." "Individuals detained there began a hunger strike on Monday (of last week)," reads a statement issued by both organizations. "The hunger strike is reportedly a protest against substandard conditions—including a lack of medical care—as well as against prolonged detention," the complaint specifies. The ACLU and MIRC added that they "have been in contact with numerous individuals detained at North Lake, who described similar inhumane conditions."

Daily Wire [4/27/2026 12:59 PM, Jennie Taer, 2314K] reports an illegal immigrant was working as a youth soccer coach in Ohio when he allegedly sexually assaulted a child. Timothy Glenn Boggs, 51, a Mexican national, is charged with nine counts of sexual battery and is accused of engaging "in sexual activity" with a teen between the ages of 13 and 17, according to local reports. Prosecutors say Boggs committed the offenses while acting as "an athletic or other type of coach, instructor… or otherwise in a position of temporary or occasional disciplinary control" over the victim, WKYC reported. The assaults allegedly occurred between October 1, 2024, and April 30, 2025, authorities said. Boggs, a former West Salem council member, has since resigned from his role as a girls’ soccer coach at Northwestern Local Schools in Wayne County, WKYC reported. He was also a coach for the Ohio Strikers United Soccer Club, which said the allegations had "deeply shaken" its club community. Boggs last entered the United States legally in June 1995 through the Canadian border, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told The Daily Wire. The agency now refers to him as a "criminal illegal alien.” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer on March 31 requesting that local authorities hand over Boggs once he’s released from custody, DHS said. "Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S.," a DHS spokesperson told The Daily Wire.

Daily Wire [4/27/2026 7:50 AM, Jennie Taer, 2314K] reports a crazed illegal immigrant allegedly bit a 3-year-old girl in the face and also attacked her mother in a Texas park after the Biden administration refused to take him into custody, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Indian national Atharva Vyas, 24, allegedly came out of the woods in San Antonio’s Espada Park on the afternoon of April 18 before he started punching the girl’s mother, Gabriella Perez, 27, and pulling her hair, according to Fox 29. Vyas then allegedly jumped on the little girl and bit her face. Perez said she pulled Vyas’ hair to get him off her daughter, while several good Samaritans restrained him until police arrived at the scene, Fox 29 reported. The little girl lost two teeth in the attack and is now traumatized, Perez posted on a GoFundMe page for the family. “The emotional distress from this event has been overwhelming for both of us, and we are now focused on helping her heal physically and emotionally,” Perez said. “Since the attack, my daughter has needed constant care, comfort, and reassurance. She is unable to be left with anyone else, so I have had to take time away from work to be by her side,” she said. Vyas entered the United States in August 2023 on a student visa, according to DHS. Three months later, he was arrested on the campus of the University of Texas for felony assault. University police contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the time, but “the Biden Administration determined this crime was not ‘egregious’ enough to warrant visa revocation and decided to take no enforcement action against Vyas,” DHS said. Since the latest attack, ICE has lodged a detainer with local authorities, asking them to hand Vyas over for deportation proceedings. The Trump administration also revoked his visa. “This criminal illegal alien brutally bit this child and caused her to lose two teeth. This barbaric assault against this woman and her three-year-old in a park was completely preventable,” Acting Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Lauren Bis said in a recent statement. “The Biden administration NEVER should have released this animal following his arrest for assault. We are working with our partners in Texas to ensure this criminal illegal alien never roams free in American communities again,” Bis said.

Telemundo [4/27/2026 9:04 PM, Andrés Brender, 26K] reports pro-immigrant activists protested Monday outside the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office in Santa Rosa. The protesters claimed that authorities are collaborating with ICE following the case of a man who was supposed to be released on parole last Thursday, April 23, but ended up in the custody of federal agents. "His family was inside the jail waiting for him to come out, and they waited and waited and weren’t told that they were taken away behind his back," said Bernice Espinoza, spokeswoman for Sonoma Immigrant Services. Johana, the detainee’s sister, spoke by phone with Telemundo 48. "He called me saying he was being detained by immigration and that I was in San Francisco because of the sadness that they handed my brother over. I went and asked them, ‘Where is my brother? Why did they hand him over? Why didn’t you tell me anything?’ Seeing me sitting here all day, you couldn’t tell me anything," Johana stated. Telemundo 48 confirmed that the individual, whom the family asked to remain anonymous, is at the California City Immigration Processing Center. "She is demanding to know what happened," said Gina Geribo, spokesperson for Immigrant Justice and Justice Organizer. We spoke exclusively with Eddi Engram, sheriff of Sonoma County, about the case. Engram asserted that his office adheres to state law SB-54. He indicated that they maintain a comprehensive list of crimes that allows them to provide public information to ICE upon request. If the crime committed is on that list, they release the information, as was the case here, confirming that the individual evaded police, had been previously deported, and had a criminal record. Indeed, that law, which dates from 2017, provides a list of several crimes that qualify as serious. "ICE took him away from behind. Our marshals say they don’t cooperate with ICE and that they aren’t present inside the jail, but that’s not true," Espinoza asserted. Engram, for his part, rejected that accusation, stating that ICE waits in the transfer area, then checks the credentials and releases them if they comply with the law. But the activists said that the sister in question was never informed about it and also called for that practice to stop.

Telemundo [4/28/2026 1:49 AM, Ignaci Domínguez, 56K] reports the city of Chula Vista has approved a new ordinance that will limit cooperation between its departments and federal or other state agents. City leaders say the measure reinforces their commitment to the safety and security of the community, especially among its undocumented residents. City leaders signed the “ Safe Neighborhood Ordinance ,” which, according to Councilwoman Carolina Chavez, aims to ensure that all residents feel safe. “It’s an ordinance so that we all feel safe in this city,” she stated. From now on, municipal departments will not be able to collaborate with federal agents in most cases. Deputy Mayor Cesar Fernandez explained that exceptions will only be made when there is a court order or when addressing ongoing criminal activity. In those scenarios, the use of municipal resources to support federal actions will be limited or nonexistent. The ordinance also prohibits the city from sharing information with federal authorities about people’s immigration status. For some community leaders, this measure addresses real concerns within the population. Francisco Tamayo noted that many parents are afraid to take their children to school due to the risk of immigration raids. However, the initiative has not been without controversy. Months ago, some residents expressed their disagreement with the city council over previous resolutions related to actions by federal immigration agents. Furthermore, the city’s mayor, John McCann, voiced his opposition to the ordinance, arguing that it could turn Chula Vista into a "sanctuary city." “Sometimes you have to be aware of who you are representing… this is a very diverse city,” Chávez said. For his part, Deputy Mayor César Fernández reiterated that the main responsibility of the local government is to ensure the safety of everyone, regardless of their immigration status.

Reuters [4/27/2026 5:49 PM, Kanishka Singh, 38315K] reports the U.S. Department of Homeland ​Security said on Monday that past statements espousing what it labeled extremist views from immigrants applying for green cards and naturalization would "warrant closer scrutiny," causing free speech advocates to raise concerns that it could stifle First Amendment rights. The DHS statement came in response to a weekend report by the New York Times, which cited documents saying that under ​new guidance by President Donald Trump’s administration, immigrants can now be denied a green card for expressing ​political opinions, like participating in pro-Palestinian protests, criticizing Israel and desecrating the American flag. The Trump administration includes criticism of Israel as a potentially disqualifying factor, with DHS training materials, citing as ​an example of questionable speech a social media post that declares, "Stop Israeli Terror in Palestine" and shows the ​Israeli flag crossed out, the newspaper reported. Immigration officers were told to weigh those factors as "overwhelmingly negative," it added. Critics and rights groups have ⁠raised free speech and due process concerns.

Breitbart [4/27/2026 2:04 PM, John Binder, 2238K] reports that the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), a three-judge panel within the Department of Justice (DOJ), issued an order that will make it easier for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deport illegal aliens enrolled in former President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The order, issued late last week, dealt with the case of Catalina "Xóchitl" Santiago, a DACA illegal alien. Santiago had deportation proceedings against her terminated by federal immigration judge Michael Pleters, the husband of Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX), citing her DACA status. DHS attorneys appealed Pleters’ decision. The BIA’s three-judge panel sided with DHS and sent the case to a different immigration judge to make a decision. The implication of the order seemingly ensures that DHS will have an easier time deporting DACA illegal aliens as the BIA suggests that such status alone is not reason to throw out deportation proceedings against an illegal alien. Obama started the DACA program via executive order, bypassing federal immigration law and making sure hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens were shielded from deportation from the United States. In February, DHS officials revealed that in 2025 alone more than 260 DACA illegal aliens had been arrested for crimes and 86 were deported. Almost all of those arrested last year had prior criminal records.

The Hill [4/27/2026 9:52 AM, Zach Schonfeld, 18170K] reports the Supreme Court agreed on Monday to take up whether the Labor secretary needs to go to federal court to impose massive fines against employers for breaching agricultural visa rules. The government uses an in-house process, and it petitioned the justices to review it after a lower court deemed the setup unconstitutional. A decision is likely by next year. Solicitor General D. John Sauer called it a “quintessential case” that warrants the justices’ attention. “By any metric, barring the Department from relying on in-house adjudication of civil penalties to enforce the terms and conditions of the H–2A program — and requiring the Department to jettison its decades-old procedures for resolving such cases — inflicts upheaval in a national program,” Sauer wrote in court filings. H-2A visas provide foreigners with legal authorization to temporarily perform agricultural work in the U.S., oftentimes a seasonal job. Employers must comply with Labor Department regulations and make certain certifications. The Supreme Court battle concerns Sun Valley Orchards, a New Jersey-based family farm that first enrolled in the H-2A program in 2015. It has since shuttered. The Department of Labor (DOL) fined Sun Valley after finding it failed to meet housing, kitchen access and transportation guarantees it offered to foreign workers. Sun Valley sued after an in-house administrative judge finalized the amounts at $211,800 in civil penalties and $344,946 in back wages. The company argues the Constitution guarantees it the right to go before a federal district judge.

Univision [4/27/2026 6:58 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports a federal judge in Maryland ordered the Trump administration to resume processing of applications for permanent residence that had been suspended for immigrants from countries subject to travel restrictions. In a 39-page ruling released Monday, Judge George L. Russell III concluded that the practice of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) to keep these procedures on hold amounted to an indefinite and no legal suspension, by preventing rulings on the cases from being issued. The decision responds to a lawsuit filed by 83 people who already legally reside in the United States, some for several years, and who sought to advance their process to obtain the "green card". The court found that while immigration authorities have room for discretion to decide each case, they cannot refuse to resolve them indefinitely. The ruling does not remove existing immigration restrictions or guarantee approval of applications, but it does force the agency to resume analysis and issue decisions within a reasonable time, returning the process to normal conditions after months of administrative paralysis. The resolution applies directly to the 83 plaintiffs, all from countries included in the list of immigration restrictions promoted by the US government. However, specialists believe that the judge’s judgment could influence other similar cases, since it states that a generalized pause based solely on the country of origin is illegal. The origin of the conflict lies in USCIS’ interpretation of the presidential proclamations issued under the Immigration and Nationality Act, designed to limit the entry of people from certain countries. The agency extended that logic to internal procedures, freezing applications even from immigrants who were already inside the country with legal status.

Univision [4/27/2026 1:16 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports that on Wednesday, April 29, the Supreme Court will hear legal arguments regarding whether the administration has the authority to terminate the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for Haitian and Syrian citizens in the United States. Since returning to office, the Republican president has sought to revoke the authorizations granted to various nations that allow foreign nationals to remain in the United States. Below, we explain what this entails. The Temporary Protected Status program was established in 1990 to allow foreign nationals—who cannot safely return to their home countries due to natural disasters, armed conflicts, or similar circumstances—to remain and work in the United States. In 2012, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Syria in response to the brutal repression and deteriorating national conditions caused by dictator Bashar al-Assad. Over the years, this authorization has been repeatedly renewed. In 2010, an earthquake struck Port-au-Prince—the capital of Haiti—killing more than 200,000 people and injuring over 300,000. Consequently, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) granted the country TPS for an initial period of 18 months, which was subsequently extended. Kristi Noem stated that these nations no longer meet the criteria for the authorization. In 2025, Kristi Noem—the former Secretary of Homeland Security—announced that President Donald Trump’s administration intended to terminate the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) authorizations. This is explained by the fact that the new government was attempting to establish institutional governance in Syria, and there were no adverse conditions in Haiti that would have deterred citizens from wanting to return to their country.

USA Today [4/28/2026 3:01 AM, Maureen Groppe, 70643K] reports Syria was embroiled in a violent civil war when Adham, a Syrian now in his forties, came to the United States in 2018 on an academic scholarship. After earning his master’s degree, Adham − who asked to be identified by that pseudonym because he fears retaliation from the Trump administration − was allowed to stay in the U.S. through a humanitarian relief program for people from dangerous countries. Since then, Adham has worked as a pharmacist, grateful for having been given “a place to settle and a moment to breathe.” So he was stunned last September when the Trump administration abruptly ended the Temporary Protected Status program for approximately 6,000 Syrians living in the United States, despite the still perilous conditions in his home country. Adham and his wife, who also works in health care, had 60 days to leave or face potential deportation. “In a matter of weeks, we were facing the prospect of going from legal residents to people hunted by law enforcement,” he said. The Supreme Court will review on April 29 the administration’s push to end deportation protections for Syrians and for 350,000 Haitians – including whether the decision to terminate protections for Haitians was racially motivated. The case could affect the future of the entire humanitarian program, which is providing legal residency and the ability to work to about 1.3 million immigrants. Ending the program for everyone, immigrant rights advocates say, would be the largest stripping in U.S. history of legal status from people who currently have it. Curtailing the Temporary Protected Status program is a significant part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration, which also includes his attempt to limit birthright citizenship that the Supreme Court is already considering. Trump has referred to the program as a “little trick.” He’s been particularly vocal about ending it for Haitians, a group he’s repeatedly maligned – including falsely accusing Haitians living in Ohio of eating people’s pets. During the 2024 campaign, Trump promised “large deportations in Springfield.” “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs," Trump said during a presidential debate. "The people that came in, they’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there." Elected officials and others have defended the immigrants in Ohio and elsewhere, saying they have become valuable members of their communities and contribute to the local economy, taking on jobs in health care, elder care and other industries that are hard to fill. Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, has said the Haitians have helped revive Springfield. “Springfield is an industrial city, manufacturing city that was down,” DeWine said on CBS News’ "Face the Nation” in February. “It has been coming back. And frankly, one of the reasons it’s coming back is because of the Haitians who are working there.” But critics say the humanitarian program, which was supposed to be temporary, is being exploited. “In practice, what’s happened is once TPS has been granted in the past, administrations have always just consistently renewed it. They never terminate,” said James Rogers, a lawyer with American First Legal, a group supporting Trump’s policy priorities.

CNN [4/27/2026 9:46 AM, John Fritze, 19874K] reports the Supreme Court agreed Monday to decide whether the US Department of Labor is empowered to enforce working conditions for foreign farm laborers, delving into an immigration program that the Trump administration is attempting to expand. At the center of the case is a dispute between a New Jersey farm that hired about 96 foreign workers to help harvest peppers and asparagus in 2015 and the Department of Labor, which claims the farm failed to meet basic working conditions such as consistent access to drinking water, clean bathrooms and a kitchen to prepare meals. The farm workers were hired under the H-2A visa program, which brings in hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals each year to work in agriculture on a temporary basis. The administration recently moved to lower wages for that program, a boon to farmers who are facing labor shortages — a longstanding problem that has been aggravated by the administration’s crackdown on both legal and illegal immigration. After an inspection at Sun Valley Orchards in rural New Jersey, the department levied more than $212,000 in civil penalties and nearly $370,000 in back wages. But a federal appeals court ruled that the farm was entitled to have its case decided first by a federal court, rather than an administrative law judge at the Labor Department.

Telemundo [4/27/2026 10:06 PM, Staff, 56K] reports a recent decision by the Board of Immigration Appeals has changed the landscape for beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, determining that this protection is not sufficient reason to halt deportation proceedings. The ruling reverses an immigration judge’s decision to close the deportation case of beneficiary Catalina Xochilt Santiago because she had DACA status. The Board deemed that criterion incorrect and ordered the case reopened for review by another judge. “Before, for many, many years after DACA began, unless the person had committed some type of crime, cases were closed because they had DACA,” explained immigration attorney María Chávez. “They were protected; they had that deferred action, meaning they wouldn’t be touched; they wouldn’t be deported.” However, this new ruling marks a significant change and could influence similar future cases. Although the young woman involved in this case cannot be deported while she maintains her DACA status, experts warn that the decision could make it easier for authorities to continue deportation proceedings against other beneficiaries. Currently, it is estimated that there are more than 500,000 people protected by this program in the US. The measure has generated concern among the so-called "Dreamers," who depend on DACA to work legally in the country. Many express that, despite complying with the law and contributing to society, they continue to face an uncertain future. “Well, it’s just so frustrating, because I’m telling you, doing things right and trying to stay on track isn’t enough. I mean, not even having your papers in order, not even doing what you’re doing is enough,” said “Haferks,” a tattoo artist from San Diego and a beneficiary. “It causes anxiety that anyone could experience.” The decision also ordered that the case be reviewed by a different judge, due to possible doubts about the impartiality of the previous judge, whose wife is a congresswoman in the country and had publicly shown support for the beneficiary, according to the document. For its part, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Telemundo 20 in part of a statement that the decision is a “victory for the Trump Administration.” “The reality is that DACA does not grant any legal status in this country. Any undocumented immigrant who is a DACA beneficiary may be subject to arrest and deportation for various reasons, including if they have committed a crime,” the DHS spokesperson added. Given this situation, experts recommend that DACA recipients maintain basic precautions: comply with their tax obligations, avoid legal problems, and continue with their daily lives within the framework of the law. “My recommendation is to live your normal life, take the same precautions as always, work, and not commit crimes or get arrested,” Chávez said. The case could now continue in immigration court or escalate to a federal appeals court, while the future of DACA and those who depend on this program remains unresolved. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Daily Wire [4/27/2026 3:25 PM, Jennie Taer, 2314K] reports hundreds of Border Patrol agents are being pulled from across the country to address an influx of illegal immigrants trying to run from authorities in a Texas border town, multiple Department of Homeland Security sources told The Daily Wire. At least 200 Border Patrol agents from both the southern and northern borders are being pulled for 30-day volunteer duties to support colleagues in Laredo, Texas, who are trying to chase down the "gotaways," sources said. The number of "gotaways" running through Laredo is not public. "Everyone from across the country is getting sent there," one source said. Border agents monitor gotaways through sensors and cameras, but the true number isn’t known. During the Biden administration, the number of known gotaways surged past 2 million illegal immigrants, according to the House Homeland Security Committee. A Border Patrol source stationed along the northern border told The Daily Wire they’re not volunteering to head south because there’s not enough manpower to cover the smuggling traffic coming from Canada. While fewer than 600 illegal migrants have been caught crossing the northern border each month since November, some stations find it difficult with fewer agents to cover the largest land crossing in the world. Border agents stationed in the Laredo border sector were seeing thousands of illegal migrants cross each month under the Biden administration. Now, the numbers are in the hundreds and slightly jumped in March, when agents caught 1,242 illegal migrants. "They’re asking for manpower, they already have close to 2,000 agents on the southern border, so if you’re having that many gotaways then that’s a leadership thing," the agent said. "None of us need to go over there because we got our own stations to take care of, that’s how most of the agents feel.” "On the northern border, we’re in small towns that are south of these small cities that are hubs for illegals. There is this massive influx coming out of all of these cities and they’re coming into small towns so we have to be vigilant of local police resources. Sometimes, you’re the only agent out in the field and you have to deal with people that are trying to get in pursuits," the agent added. The Department of Homeland Security didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. President Donald Trump has imposed harsher consequences for illegal border crossers, while carrying out a mass deportation campaign. That effort has driven illegal crossings down to historic lows. More than 8 million illegal immigrants crossed the southern border during the Biden administration, which was releasing them en masse.

FOX News [4/27/2026 11:00 AM, Alexander Hall, 37576K] reports a report released last week showed that a formerly major illegal crossing site — Eagle Pass, Texas — has now gotten much quieter under President Donald Trump’s administration. According to CBS chief correspondent Matt Gutman, the border has undergone a massive shift amid Trump’s second term in office. After "illegal crossings skyrocketed during the Biden administration," Gutman noted they have now "fallen to a 55-year low.” Eagle Pass, Texas, was one of the illegal immigration hotspots that was a frequent topic of news during President Joe Biden’s administration. "Miles and miles of water divide the U.S. and Mexico here in Texas. While on the Rio Grande with Border Patrol, we did not see a single migrant," CBS reporter Camilo Montoya-Galvez said. "Less than three years ago, this section of the border was the epicenter of a dire humanitarian crisis.” "The last time we were here at the U.S.-Mexico border near Eagle Pass, we saw hundreds of people, including families with young children, cross the Rio Grande to enter the country illegally," he said. "Now the border is extremely quiet." He contrasted how there had been thousands of people crossing per day in that particular section of the border alone, to how a local Border Patrol official claimed there are now around 32 apprehensions a day. Chief Patrol Agent Anthony Good of the Del Rio sector said the reason for this change is that Trump shut down the asylum system that previously was being abused by migrants.

Breitbart [4/27/2026 10:22 PM, Elizabeth Weibel, 2238K] reports roughly five dozen migrants were apprehended after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials intercepted several smuggling boats off the coast of California. In a press release on Friday, it was revealed that officials from the CBP’s Air and Marine Operations (AMO) division "interdicted three smuggling vessels" between April 17 and April 21, 2026. Out of the 60 migrants who were apprehended, some of them were reported to "have criminal histories for offenses including failure to yield, driving under the influence, felony hit-and-run, making false police reports," along with trespassing, burglary, and domestic violence offenses. "These interdictions show the great lengths dangerous criminals will go to avoid apprehension, including taking to the open ocean in unsafe, overcrowded vessels," Hunter Robinson, the executive director for the Air and Marine Operations Southwest Region, said in a statement. On April 17, 13 migrants, which included "seven men, five women and one juvenile female," were apprehended on a boat "near San Clemente Island," by officials with AMO’s San Diego Marine Unit. The following day, officials with AMO’s Long Beach Marine Unit, along with officials from the U.S. Coast Guard’s Cutter Florence Finch, ended up intercepting a boat "near San Nicolas Island." This resulted in "29 Mexican nationals" being apprehended. In another instance, on April 21, the Coast Guard’s Cutter Terrel Horne, which was "guided by an AMO aircrew, interdicted a 25-foot cuddy cabin," resulting in 18 Mexican nationals being apprehended.

Telemundo 20 [4/27/2026 2:46 PM, Staff, 56K] reports that this month, agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized more than 3,000 pounds of crystal methamphetamine—valued at nearly $5 million—at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility, federal authorities in San Diego reported this weekend. According to CBP officials, the drugs were concealed within a cargo trailer that was seized on April 14, even though the shipment’s manifest listed the merchandise as corrugated cardboard boxes. CBP agents referred a 2017 Freightliner Cascadia tractor-trailer—along with its trailer and driver, a 31-year-old Mexican national—for a secondary inspection. A non-intrusive inspection detected anomalies in the trailer’s front wall, and a CBP canine alerted agents to the same area, authorities reported. During a physical inspection, agents allegedly discovered 300 packages containing a crystalline-looking substance, wrapped in clear plastic. Tests confirmed the substance was methamphetamine, with a total weight of 3,078.10 pounds, officials noted. "Our CBP officers at the ports of entry are unwavering guardians," stated Rosa Hernández, Port Director for Otay Mesa. "Their diligence prevented illegal narcotics from entering our country, ensuring our communities remain safe from dangerous drugs."

Politico [4/27/2026 5:23 PM, Sam Ogozalek, 21784K] reports more than 1,110 officers at the Transportation Security Administration have quit since the ongoing DHS shutdown began Feb. 14, a spokesperson told POLITICO on Monday. That’s a sizable jump compared with a week ago, when DHS on April 20 said that over 830 TSA personnel had departed the agency due to the record-breaking lapse in appropriations. The latest figure, first reported by POLITICO, could have implications for this summer’s FIFA World Cup, which kicks off in June. The TSA spokesperson in a statement Monday said replacements need four to six months of training to “perform regular airport duties.” As of late March, there were about 50,000 TSA officers total, according to the White House. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin previously said that President Donald Trump via executive action has allowed DHS to “grab emergency funding” from last year’s GOP megalaw to pay department employees, but that money will be exhausted if the shutdown continues into the first week of May. This means airport security lines could become snarled again, like they were earlier during the spending stalemate — which waylaid travelers across the country. Speaker Mike Johnson said Monday that a Senate-passed bill to fund most of DHS, including TSA, will have to change to get the House’s OK. That suggests there will be a further delay in reopening a large swath of the department. During last fall’s 43-day federal shutdown, around 1,110 TSA officers left the agency, a 25 percent increase in separations compared with the same time frame in 2024.

Reported similarly:
NewsMax [4/27/2026 8:57 PM, Kanishka Singh, 3760K]

Washington Post [4/27/2026 12:10 PM, Matthew Cappucci and Ben Noll, 24826K] reports that an outbreak of severe weather, including the potential for a few significant and strong tornadoes, looms for Monday afternoon and evening. Rotating thunderstorms, known as supercells, will be most numerous in eastern Missouri, southern Illinois and western Kentucky, with St. Louis in the bull’s eye of severe weather risk and Chicago not out of harm’s way. Additional storms are likely Tuesday as the instigating cold front sags south. Every day since Thursday has featured tornadoes, including a set of twins Sunday night in Osage County, Oklahoma. Late April through early June marks peak tornado season in the United States, and the dangerous storms are occurring right on cue. Monday’s storms look to mark a dramatic crescendo, with the most widespread storm risk. The expected tornado threat comes after a destructive EF4 tornado with winds of 170 mph decimated an area south of Enid, Oklahoma, last week. Tornadoes are rated based on the damage they cause on the 0-to-5 Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Monday’s risk area is home to millions of people. A surface low-pressure system is migrating from the Corn Belt into the Upper Midwest. It’s pulling warm, humid air northward over the Mississippi Valley, providing ample instability, or thunderstorm fuel. That warm, humid air is the elixir of life for dangerous and severe thunderstorms. Overnight thunderstorms churned through much of the instability across northern Illinois, which is why the greater risk covers the other half of the state. The same low-pressure system is also dragging a cold front east.

USA Today [4/27/2026 11:54 AM, Natalie Neysa Alund, 70643K] reports a fast-growing wildfire tearing through southern Georgia doubled in size over the weekend, local officials said, spreading over dozens of square miles and potentially forcing mandatory evacuations. The Highway 82 fire, discovered on April 20, continued to burn in Brantley County, about 100 miles southwest of Savannah and some 35 miles north of the Florida state line. The fire was burning more than 20,000 acres and was 6% contained as of April 27, according to data gathered by USA TODAY. “The fire basically doubled last night in size,” Brantley County Manager Joey Cason said in an April 26 Facebook post. “It is a dynamic fire event that will be impacted by the wind. We do have potential evacuation notices going out. If you receive an evacuation notice, I am telling you... please evacuate." Firefighters continued to battle the blaze and other wildfires burning across parts of southeast Georgia and northeast Florida. The wildfires have forced road closures, Carson said, and destroyed homes and buildings in their path. Record-breaking drought in the Southeast continues to fuel flames in both states, and the fires are emitting enough smoke to keep air quality conditions poor across the area.

The Hill [4/27/2026 4:31 PM, Mills Hayes, 18170K] reports evacuations are underway in several Georgia counties as two massive wildfires continue to tear through the southeastern part of the state. One of the fires is now bigger than Manhattan and still spreading. The Highway 82 fire grew by 10,000 acres over the weekend, more than doubling in size. Firefighters from across the country are coming to Georgia’s aid to contain and suppress the fires. But there is a lot of dry vegetation, strong winds and heat that make containing the fires difficult. In Brantley County, Georgia, investigators believe the wildfire was caused by a foil balloon that landed on a live power line. There has also been one death: a volunteer firefighter who passed away from a medical emergency while trying to fight the wildfires.

USA Today [4/27/2026 7:06 PM, Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, 70643K] reports seven of the top eight people in the U.S. presidential line of succession were in the same room as President Donald Trump when a gunman allegedly opened fire outside the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on April 25. The one exception? A 92-year-old senator who was recovering from surgery. "I’m gr8ful for the excellent care from local health care providers Be back to capitol ASAP," Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley wrote in an April 20 post on X. A spokeswoman for the senator confirmed that on the day of the shooting, Grassley was in New Hartford, Iowa. The annual correspondents’ dinner turned chaotic when a gunman fired and tried to run past a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton. The suspect, Cole Allen of Torrance, California, was apprehended by security officials and indicted Monday on charges of attempting to assassinate the president. Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Cabinet members were immediately evacuated from the cavernous ballroom in the basement of the hotel, packed with more than 2,500 journalists, politicians and celebrities. Grassley, who as Senate president pro tempore is third in line behind Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana for the presidency, had undergone surgery to remove gallstones a week before the event. The position of president pro tempore goes to the majority-party senator with the longest continuous service.

The Hill [4/27/2026 8:21 AM, Julia Manchester, 18170K] reports President Trump is standing by Secret Service leadership following the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday. In a statement, a senior White House official said Trump thinks the Secret Service did “an excellent job” of neutralizing the shooter and moving the president, along with first lady Melania Trump and Vice President Vance, to safety. The official also said White House chief of staff Susie Wiles would hold a meeting at the White House early this week with the White House operations team, Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security leadership to discuss protocol and practice for large events involving Trump. “The meeting will discuss the processes and procedures that worked to stop Saturday’s attempt, while exploring additional options to ensure all relevant components are doing everything possible to secure the many major events planned for President Trump in the months ahead as he gears up to celebrate America 250,” the official said. Trump was swiftly removed from the dais at the front of the Washington Hilton ballroom to a special presidential suite, which was created to protect the commander in chief after former President Reagan was shot at the same hotel in 1981. The Daily Wire [4/27/2026 6:38 AM, Zach Jewell, 2314K] reports that a White House official said that the president is "standing by the leadership of Secret Service, and President Trump has said he personally thinks they did an excellent job neutralizing the shooter and moving the President, First Lady, Vice President and cabinet to safety." The Secret Service has faced criticism from some people after Allen opened fire inside the hotel, throwing the White House Correspondents’ Dinner into chaos and confusion. Video footage showed Allen running through a security checkpoint inside the hotel before he was quickly neutralized by agents. Allen shot one agent, who was protected by a bulletproof vest. No one else was injured. In a 1,000-word manifesto, Allen criticized the Secret Service and claimed there was "no damn security" at the hotel before the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Allen checked into the Washington Hilton one day before he attempted to take out the president and top Trump administration officials.

Breitbart [4/27/2026 8:17 PM, Christian K. Caruzo, 2238K] reports the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced on Sunday that U.S. forces carried out a "lethal kinetic strike" against a drug-trafficking vessel in Eastern Pacific waters, killing three male narco-terrorists. SOUTHCOM informed in an official statement that the operation was carried out by Joint Task Force Southern Spear at the direction of Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan. "Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations," the statement read. "Three male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed," the statement concluded. SOUTHCOM shared unclassified footage of the strike on its website and on social media. Sunday’s strike is the latest publicly known military operation of its nature since the start of Operation Southern Spear, a U.S. military counter-narco-terrorism security campaign launched by the Department of War in late 2025 aimed at detecting, disrupting, and degrading transnational criminal and illicit maritime networks. The strike comes hours after SOUTHCOM announced on Friday that it carried out a separate lethal kinetic strike that day against another drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing two male narco-terrorists. Like Sunday’s operation, no U.S. military forces were harmed during the April 24 strike. Over 50 strikes have been carried out against drug trafficking vessels since September, with at least 185 drug traffickers reportedly killed since then. In addition to conducting strikes against drug-laden vessels operating in known narco-trafficking routes across the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean Oceans, Operation Southern Spear has successfully conducted at least six interdictions of oil tankers illegally transporting U.S.-sanctioned oil. "Joint Task Force Southern Spear continues to conduct decisive operations to detect, disrupt, and dismantle narco-terrorist networks. In support of the President’s directives, the U.S. Coast Guard’s Maritime Security Response Team, accompanied by U.S. Marine Corps Special Purpose Forces, continue to support maritime interdiction operations to target the dark fleet that is enabling U.S. adversaries across the globe," Gen. Donovan said in a Saturday statement.

CBS News [4/27/2026 2:15 PM, Matt Schooley, 51110K] reports Coast Guard teams have suspended the search for a crew member who fell off a Norwegian cruise ship while it was traveling from Bermuda to Boston. Rescuers searched early Sunday off the coast of Massachusetts after issuing a man overboard announcement to passengers. The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England received a report that the crew member was seen on a security camera falling off the Norwegian Breakaway, plunging into the waters about 12 miles off of the Cape Cod town of Wellfleet. Passengers were returning to Boston after a 7-day round-trip cruise to Bermuda. According to the Coast Guard, a search helicopter arrived just after 1:15 a.m. to assist in the search. A crew from Coast Guard Station Provincetown also helped in the search. Another helicopter took off later Sunday morning, but the search was suspended just after noon, "pending new information." The cruise ship arrived at Boston’s Black Falcon Terminal Sunday just before noon.

Reuters [4/27/2026 7:36 AM, Staff, 38315K] reports Medical device maker Medtronic said on Monday a cyberattack on its computer systems last week did not affect its products or ability ‌to meet patient needs, and is not expected to materially impact its business or financial results. Medtronic said the attack that hit the network supporting its corporate IT systems did not impact its products, ⁠patient safety, manufacturing or distribution operations. The incident, disclosed in a statement on Friday, underscores growing cyber risks for medical device makers, as attacks disrupt critical health services, raising concerns over patient safety and data security. The IT network remain separate from those that support its products, manufacturing and distribution operations, Medtronic said on Friday.

CyberScoop [4/27/2026 10:10 AM, Matt Kapko, 122K] reports researchers warn that BlackFile, an extortion group likely associated with The Com, continues to impersonate IT support in voice-phishing and social engineering attacks that have impacted organizations in multiple industries, including healthcare, technology, transportation, logistics, wholesale and retail. Attackers have been actively targeting organizations in the retail and hospitality industry since February, according to Unit 42’s latest intelligence on the campaign, which the Retail & Hospitality Information Sharing and Analysis Center (RH-ISAC) released alongside indicators of compromise Thursday. The threat group, which is also tracked as CL-CRI-1116, UNC6671 and Cordial Spider, appears to be targeting victims opportunistically in a campaign that remains active and ongoing, Matt Brady, senior principal researcher at Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42, told CyberScoop. “The core objective of these threat actors is to pressure targeted organizations into paying large ransom demands, typically in the seven-figure range,” Brady said. Unit 42 declined to say how many organizations have been impacted thus far, and RH-ISAC did not respond to a request for comment.

CyberScoop [4/27/2026 1:15 PM, Tim Starks, 122K] reports a bipartisan pair of senators want a company that operates a tip line for anonymously reporting school safety concerns to answer questions about hackers compromising sensitive student information. Sens. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and Jim Banks, R-Ind., announced on Monday they’d sent a letter to the firm, Navigate360, about last month’s incident. “We write to express significant concern about the risks to students, staff, and schools from a recent cyberattack on your company’s P3 Global Intel tip line,” they said in the April 24 letter. “We are particularly concerned by reports that the cyberattack exploited platform vulnerabilities in order to steal students’ highly sensitive personally identifiable information. We urge you to provide the public clarity regarding what data was stolen, how Navigate360 is responding, and what safeguards Navigate360 will put into place to prevent this from happening again.” According to the company, more than 30,000 schools and 5,000 public safety agencies use Navigate360’s products. Hackers claimed to purloin 93 gigabytes of data from the firm. “Your company markets its product as an anonymous tip line,” Hassan and Banks said. “However, the personally identifiable information recently released by the hackers suggests otherwise. This puts the safety of students at risk and undermines public trust in using such platforms to report suspicious activity. Education and school safety experts have expressed concerns that, without guaranteed anonymity, students will choose not to report safety concerns.”

CyberScoop [4/27/2026 8:15 PM, Matt Kapko, 122K] reports a Chinese national allegedly involved in a massive, pandemic-era attack spree that compromised nearly 13,000 U.S. organizations was extradited from Italy to the United States and formally charged in federal court, the Justice Department said Monday. Xu Zewei and his co-conspirators are accused of exploiting a string of zero-day vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server to steal research on COVID-19 vaccines, treatment and testing during the initial wave and subsequent height of the pandemic. His alleged crimes, directed by China’s intelligence services, were part of a broader espionage campaign known as HAFNIUM, which targeted infectious disease experts, law firms, universities, defense contractors and policy think tanks, according to an indictment filed against Xu and Zhang Yu, who remains at large. The China state-sponsored threat group behind those attacks against Microsoft customers, and many other vendors’ customers since, is now more widely known as Silk Typhoon. “Xu will now answer for his alleged role in HAFNIUM, a group responsible for a vast intrusion campaign directed by China’s Ministry of State Security that compromised more than 12,700 U.S. organizations,” Brett Leatherman, assistant director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, said in a statement.

New York Post [4/27/2026 6:55 PM, Rikki Schlott, 40934K] reports attempts have been made on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s life not once, but twice, just in the month of April. Then on Saturday a madman trying to assassinate President Donald Trump, the third known attempt, was thwarted in Washington DC. Worryingly, the response online isn’t condemnation — for some, it’s a sick celebration. "I kinda like it," one anonymous Reddit user responded to news someone threw a Molotov cocktail at Altman’s house on April 10. "After all those s—ty decisions [Altman] made… practically giving us a middle finger… I don’t feel any semblance of sympathy for him," the poster added of the OpenAI boss, whose ChatGPT program is the most commonly used AI tool in the US. "Keep em coming," another chimed in to the online thread. And a third, "Good on you, best news I’ve heard all day.” AI "doomers," convinced artificial intelligence will displace jobs or even destroy humanity are, incredibly, rallying around Altman’s 20-year-old accused attacker. On April 10, Daniel Moreno-Gama allegedly attempted to kill Altman at his home in San Francisco with a Molotov cocktail, before trying to burn down OpenAI’s headquarters. He has since been charged with attempted murder.

Daily Caller [4/27/2026 6:11 PM, Mark Tanos, 803K] reports a federal appeals court threw out the ISIS material support conviction of the man who detonated a pipe bomb inside a New York City subway passage in 2017, ruling that consuming terrorist propaganda online does not amount to working under a terror group’s control. The Second Circuit voted 2-1 on Tuesday to reverse that single count against Akayed Ullah. The court left his remaining convictions intact, including for carrying out a terrorist attack on a mass transit system, New York Times (NYT) reported. Ullah strapped a homemade explosive to his body and set it off during the morning commute on Dec. 11, 2017, in a corridor between the Times Square and Port Authority stations. Ullah told a detective at the hospital that he acted on behalf of ISIS and had watched the group’s propaganda videos on YouTube, according to the NYT. Investigators found an ISIS slogan written across his visa, passport and bomb-making materials. Ullah built the device as a suicide bomb, but it largely failed because of a construction flaw, the Associated Press (AP) reported. One bystander lost 70% of his hearing in the blast. Ullah received a life sentence in 2021 and remains in prison. Judge Myrna Pérez, who penned the majority opinion, acknowledged ISIS drove Ullah’s attack but found that online radicalization alone fell short of the statute’s requirement that a defendant act under a foreign group’s direction or control, the NYT reported. Trump-appointed Judge Steven Menashi pushed back in dissent. "That is wrong," Menashi wrote, arguing the majority had distorted the material support statute and disregarded evidence the jury considered, according to the AP.

Reuters [4/27/2026 4:52 PM, Laura Gottesdiener, Ana Isabel Martinez, and Lizbeth Diaz, 38315K] reports Mexican special forces ​have arrested Audias Flores, known as "El Jardinero" and one of the top commanders of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), in the western state ‌of Nayarit, security minister Omar Garcia Harfuch said on Monday. Flores - a regional commander in control of swathes of CJNG territory along Mexico’s Pacific coast - was considered a potential successor to Nemesio Oseguera, alias "El Mencho," who ran the cartel and was killed in a security operation in February. Security forces surrounded a cabin in El Mirador, some 20 km (12 miles) north of the popular resort city of Puerto Vallarta, where Flores was being protected by a perimeter of some 30 pickup trucks and over 60 gunmen, according to a press release from Mexico’s Navy, which led the operation. Flores’ escorts scattered as a diversion but he was located as he ⁠tried to hide in a drainage ditch, it added. "The operation was carried out with surgical precision without a single shot being fired," the Navy said in a statement.

Reported similarly:
Univision [4/27/2026 6:28 PM, Staff, 4937K]

FOX News [4/27/2026 12:56 PM, Benjamin Weinthal, 37576K] reports that the Trump administration has reportedly ramped up its punitive measures to compel Iraq to disband Iranian regime-backed militias known as the Popular Mobilization Force (PMF) that form part of its government after sustained attacks on U.S. personnel and facilities. Amid a tenuous ceasefire between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic of Iran, the administration tightened the screws on Iraq by stopping U.S. dollar shipments to Baghdad. The growing disagreements over policy between the U.S. and Iraq could lead to weakening Iran’s presence in the region and advance U.S. war aims against Tehran. In a statement against Iraq’s government, a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "The United States has consistently been clear we will take all measures to counter Iran’s destabilizing activities in Iraq, protect U.S. interests against Iran-aligned terrorist militias in Iraq, and make clear our concerns about the Iraqi government’s failure to prevent this terrorism." The spokesperson added, "While we acknowledge the efforts of Iraqi Security Forces to respond to terrorist attacks by Iran-aligned militia groups, we continue to emphasize the Iraqi government’s failure to prevent these attacks while some elements associated with the Iraqi government continue to actively provide political, financial, and operational cover for the militias adversely impacts the U.S.-Iraq relationship. The United States will not tolerate attacks on U.S. interests and expects the Iraqi government to immediately take all measures to dismantle the Iran-aligned militia groups in Iraq."

Reuters [4/27/2026 1:44 PM, Staff, 38315K] reports that U.S. President Donald Trump discussed a new Iranian proposal ‌on resolving the war with Tehran with his top national security aides on Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. Answering questions at ⁠a briefing, Leavitt did not offer an opinion of the proposal, in which the Strait of Hormuz would be opened and Iran’s nuclear program discussed at a later date. But she said Trump’s bottom line demands remain the same. Trump ‌wants ⁠the Strait of Hormuz oil transit waterway to be open and for Iran to hand over its enriched uranium.

"I wouldn’t say ⁠they’re considering it. I would just say that there was a discussion this morning that ⁠I don’t want to get ahead of, and you’ll hear directly from ⁠the president, I’m sure, on this topic," she said.

Bloomberg [4/28/2026 2:49 AM, Joumanna Bercetche, 18082K] reports President Donald Trump convened his national security team to discuss Iran’s proposal to end a war now in its third month and which has left thousands dead across the Middle East, as well as disrupted energy supplies. [Editorial note: consult audio at source link]

NewsMax [4/27/2026 6:36 PM, Staff, 3760K] reports Iran’s top diplomat blamed Washington Monday for the failure of Middle East peace talks during a visit to Russia, where President Vladimir Putin promised him Moscow’s support in ending the war. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was in Saint Petersburg on a whirlwind diplomatic tour, having sandwiched a trip to Oman in between two visits to Pakistan, the main mediator in the Mideast war. Islamabad hosted a first, unsuccessful round of U.S.-Iran talks, and Araghchi’s visit raised hopes for more negotiations over the weekend — until President Donald Trump scrapped a planned trip by his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. "The U.S. approaches caused the previous round of negotiations, despite progress, to fail to reach its goals because of the excessive demands," Araghchi said Monday. Trump told Fox News if Iran wanted talks, "they can call us" — adding the cancellation does not signal a return to hostilities. Iran’s envoy to the U.N. said Tehran would first need guarantees Washington and Israel would not attack again if it were to offer security assurances in the Gulf. "Lasting stability and security in the Persian Gulf and the wider region can only be achieved through a durable and permanent cessation of aggression against Iran, supplemented by credible guarantees of nonrecurrence," Amir Saeid Iravani told a U.N. Security Council session.

NewsMax [4/27/2026 9:58 AM, Staff, 3760K] reports Iran has offered to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the U.S. lifting its blockade on the country and an end to the war, while proposing that discussions on the larger question of its nuclear program would come in a later phase, two regional officials said Monday. President Donald Trump seems unlikely to accept the offer, which was passed to the Americans by Pakistan and would leave unresolved the disagreements that led the U.S. and Israel to go to war on Feb. 28. With a fragile ceasefire in place, the U.S. and Iran are locked in a standoff over the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas passes in peacetime. The U.S blockade is designed to prevent Iran from selling its oil, depriving it of crucial revenue while also potentially creating a situation where Tehran has to shut off production because it has nowhere to store the oil. The strait’s closure, meanwhile, has put pressure on Trump, as oil and gasoline prices have skyrocketed ahead of crucial midterm elections, and it has pressured his Gulf allies, which use the waterway to export their oil and gas. The closure has also had far-reaching effects throughout the world economy, raising the price of fertilizer, food, and other basic goods. The proposal would push off negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program to a later date. Trump said one of the major reasons he went to war was to deny Iran the ability to develop nuclear weapons.

FOX News [4/27/2026 1:37 PM, Staff, 37576K] reports that Sec. of State Marco Rubio warned that the regime cannot be allowed to ‘normalize’ control over international waterways after President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel a diplomatic mission to Pakistan reportedly forced a ‘better’ offer from Iran. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

HS Today [4/27/2026 8:15 AM, Ahmet S. Yayla and Colin P. Clarke, PhD, 38K] reports the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, which began with coordinated strikes on February 28, 2026, has revived a familiar homeland-security question: what kind of retaliation is most likely to follow direct military confrontation with Tehran? Public discussion has focused heavily on sleeper cells, Hezbollah networks, and the possibility of a spectacular Iranian-directed attack on U.S. soil. Those concerns are understandable, but they fail to capture the full potential gamut of possibilities. The more credible threat picture is broader, more diffuse, and in some ways more dangerous precisely because it is less centralized. A serious assessment must disaggregate the threat. Iran retains the capability to threaten U.S. interests both directly and indirectly, but Tehran’s historic preference has been deniable coercion: proxies, surrogates, criminal intermediaries and disposable agents (as we are now seeing in London), covert action, and cyber operations. At the same time, the conflict has energized other pathways, including lone-actor mobilization and opportunistic exploitation by transnational jihadist actors such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

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