On the evening of April 25, 2026, gunshots were fired near the main security screening area for the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and members of the Cabinet were evacuated by the Secret Service. It was the first White House Correspondents’ Dinner that Trump had attended as a sitting president.
Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, who was arrested near the screening area outside the banquet hall. One officer was struck in a bullet-resistant vest and is expected to recover; no other injuries were reported. Officials said writings attributed to Allen criticized Trump administration policies, referred to himself as the “Friendly Federal Assassin”, and suggested that he intended to target people connected to the administration. The attack is being investigated as politically motivated.
