Here's what we covered today
• Suspect charged: Cole Tomas Allen, the suspect in the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting, made his first court appearance Monday and was charged with attempting to assassinate the president. A CNN review of his social media shows a shift from video games to political rage.
• Reaction to rhetoric: At the daily press briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt sought to shift blame for a rise in political violence to Democrats, while omitting incendiary rhetoric coming from Republicans and from President Donald Trump. Her remarks drew a sharp rebuke from House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
• Security under scrutiny: Separately, Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin said he “saw no indication” of a security lapse at the event after he and Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley were briefed by Secret Service Director Sean Curran.
White House blames Democrats for inciting political violence
The White House sought to shift blame for a rise in political violence to Democrats, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt pointing to a long list of remarks from Democratic elected officials — while omitting incendiary rhetoric coming from Republicans and the president himself.
President Donald Trump, who has frequently used inflammatory rhetoric against his political opponents, initially called for unity after a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday evening. But in an interview with CBS News on Sunday, he warned that Democrats’ “hate speech” is “very dangerous.”
Leavitt on Monday read a selection of comments from Democratic leaders including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Sen. Alex Padilla of California, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Sen. Adam Schiff of California, Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois, Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rep. LaMonica McIver of New Jersey.
“These are Democrat elected officials calling for war against the president of the United States and his supporters,” Leavitt said.
She continued: “When you have people in positions of power that are saying things like this every single day for years, you are inspiring violence by people who are already mentally ill, and that’s what we’ve seen against this president for far too long.”
Political violence has targeted lawmakers and their loved ones on both sides of the aisle in recent years — from the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah university to the murder of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband to an arson at Shapiro’s home to an attack on Paul Pelosi.
Picking one designated survivor was not necessary for Saturday’s dinner, White House says
Selecting one designated survivor was not necessary for the night of the White House Correspondents’ dinner because several Cabinet members did not attend, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
There were conversations before the dinner about designating a specific survivor, Leavitt said, “but there were several members of the Cabinet in the line of succession who did not attend for various personal reasons.”
She added: “So, designating one survivor was not necessary, as we had several members who were not there already.”
White House won't rule out operational changes to Trump events
The White House declined to rule out operational changes to Donald Trump’s schedule following Saturday’s shooting at a gala in Washington, including the prospect of ensuring the president and Vice President JD Vance not attend events simultaneously.
“I definitely wouldn’t say changes are out of the question,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters when asked whether there would be changes in protocol for events outside the White House.
She said that Trump was satisfied with the security response Saturday evening at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, but that reassessing protocols was still a prudent step.
She said if the dinner is rescheduled, as Trump has requested, there would be a conversation over whether Vance would attend.
“I can assure you the president intends to attend the event, as he has told all of you publicly. I don’t want to rule in or out the vice president’s attendance, but certainly that’s a conversation that will take place,” she said.
House Speaker Johnson urges review of security measures after press gala
Security measures around large-scale events must be reevaluated following Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, House Speaker Mike Johnson said, aruging the shooting underscored the need for a White House ballroom.
“Secret Service did a great job; valiant people there. But obviously we do need to look at security measures,” Johnson told reporters Monday as he arrived at the US Capitol.
He also underscored the stakes of the event: “You had the president, the vice president, speaker of the House, that’s the first three in line (of succession) … half the Cabinet, at least, was there.”
Saturday night’s episode demonstrated why President Donald Trump should be able to construct a White House ballroom, Johnson said, echoing arguments made by the administration.
“This is why we need the ballroom. It really is. The president’s right about that. We need a facility that is secure enough to host events like this without having major national security concerns,” the Louisiana Republican said.
DHS funding: Following the shooting, calls are growing on Capitol Hill for Congress to finally pass funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which has been shut down since mid-February.
The Senate earlier this month sent the House a measure that would fund the department — excluding Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol — but House Republican leaders have not put it on the floor for a vote.
The speaker was noncommittal when pressed by CNN’s Lauren Fox on when exactly he’ll bring DHS funding to the floor. But he said the matter was “urgent.”
First lady implies Jimmy Kimmel should lose his job over joke before Correspondents' Dinner
First lady Melania Trump implied late-night show host Jimmy Kimmel should lose his job over a mock White House Correspondents’ Dinner sketch on his show last week.
As part of the skit, Kimmel delivered a series of jokes, including one saying the first lady had “a glow like an expectant widow.”
Kimmel made the joke Thursday on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” days before the alleged gunman attempted to enter the event where President Donald Trump, Melania Trump and other top officials were evacuated.
The first lady called Kimmel “a coward” and wrote: “Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand.”
Here are some of the latest developments in the aftermath of this weekend’s shooting:
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it was “quickly assessed” that “the continuity of government” was in place following the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday.
- Investigators are examining a note sent by the suspected gunman to family members, in which he allegedly called himself the “Friendly Federal Assassin,” and said he intended to target Trump administration officials.
- Lawyers for the historic preservation group suing Trump over his plans to build a massive new White House ballroom told the Justice Department yesterday it was “incorrect and irresponsible” for a top official to suggest the litigation puts the president’s life at risk.
- King Charles and Queen Camilla’s state visit to the US will go ahead as planned. The British monarch is expected to address Congress and meet privately with Trump.
Justice Department to hold press briefing after suspect's court appearance
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel and US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro plan to hold a press conference after the alleged gunman at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner appears in court.
The event is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.
The alleged gunman, identified as Cole Allen, will make his first appearance in DC federal court this afternoon.
He is expected to be arraigned on charges that include using a firearm in a violent crime. The charges have not yet been released and the investigation is active.
Investigators reviewing a note alleged to have been sent by the suspect
Authorities are going through a message sent by the suspected gunman involved in Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner attack, seeking to understand what allegedly led him from his life as a respected California teacher to a would-be assassin.
“Let me start off by apologizing to everyone whose trust I abused,” reads a note that authorities say was sent by the suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old from Torrance, California, who worked part-time as a teacher and also developed video games, according to public records.
In the note Allen allegedly sent to family members before the attack, he called himself the “Friendly Federal Assassin,” said he intended to target Trump administration officials and vented political anger, adding, “I don’t expect forgiveness.”
Investigators are reviewing the statement Allen allegedly sent and his social media history — which President Donald Trump has described as “anti-Christian” — speaking to family members and seeking to learn more about what drove him to allegedly carry out the violent attack.
The note laid out several grievances in broad terms that could point authorities toward a motive, including anger toward conditions in detention camps and appearing to refer to Trump as a “traitor.”
Allen had a tendency to make radical statements as he became involved in left-wing activism in Los Angeles, acquired firearms and began regularly practicing at a firing range, his sister told law enforcement, according to the White House.
Preservationists reject DOJ claim that suit over Trump's ballroom puts his safety at risk
Lawyers for the historic preservation group suing President Donald Trump over his plans to build a massive new White House ballroom told the Justice Department yesterday that it was “incorrect and irresponsible” for a top official to suggest the litigation puts the president’s life at risk.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which has rebuffed a request from the department to drop the case in light of the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, told the department in a letter that claims made earlier Sunday about the potential impact of the litigation were meritless.
The group emphasized that the case wasn’t focused on whether there should be a new ballroom but rather whether Trump could proceed without congressional approval. A federal judge agreed with the group last month and ordered construction to stop, but an appeals court has paused that decision.
Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate had demanded the trust drop its “folly of a lawsuit that literally serves no purpose,” arguing that the ballroom would ensure presidents don’t need to travel outside the White House to attend large gatherings like the one at the Washington Hilton on Saturday.
Observers, however, have pointed out that the correspondents’ dinner is a private event and that a new ballroom would not change that reality.
Shumate said that if the group didn’t agree to end the litigation, the department would ask a federal court to dismiss the case, though that ask has not yet happened.
Los Angeles County prosecutor describes suspect's family as "good people"
Los Angeles County prosecutor Paul Thompson, who told the Los Angeles Times he lives next door to the family of Cole Tomas Allen, described the suspect’s parents as “good people” in an email to CNN.
Thompson specified he was “answering as a private citizen and not as a representative of my work.” He is currently running for election to the Superior Court of Los Angeles County and has been endorsed by the county’s Democratic Party.
The prosecutor said he met Allen’s parents when they moved in to their home about 3-4 years ago but had “basically no interactions” with Allen, who has been identified by sources as the suspect in the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
“He didn’t make eye contact much when I saw him, and I probably said ‘hi’ to him once or twice,” he wrote. “I only saw him in passing and didn’t notice a change in his behavior.”
He described the family as “quiet.”
“I didn’t ever observe anything that stands out,” he said.
Rubio says it was "quickly assessed" that "the continuity of government" was in place
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it was “quickly assessed” that “the continuity of government” was in place following the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday.
The top US diplomat, who attended the dinner, said Monday that administration officials “went backstage to the command center, where the president sat in the back” after they were rushed out the ballroom.
“Sort of the first assessment that needed to be made was to be clear that all the continuity of government things were in place, and that was quickly assessed to be the case,” Rubio said in an interview with Fox News.
The incident has raised questions about why so many members in the presidential line of succession, including Vice President JD Vance, were in attendance at the same event.
Rubio said he did not hear shots fired.
Rubio said he saw officials “follow all of the security protocols.”
“It was sort of an unfortunate situation that happened there, where one individual can disrupt what is one of the bigger nights in Washington, especially when the president attends,” he said. “That’s kind of the world we live in right now.”
White House will hold press briefing today
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X that there will be a press briefing today at 1 p.m. ET.
The briefing comes after Saturday’s shocking White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting.
King Charles’ US visit will go ahead later today
Meanwhile, King Charles and Queen Camilla’s state visit to the US will go ahead as planned, following Saturday’s shooting incident.
We understand there will be some minor operational adjustments to one or two engagements, but the overall plan for the four-day visit remains as scheduled.
Buckingham Palace has confirmed that King Charles and Queen Camilla’s state visit to the US will go ahead as planned, following a shooting at last night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner. CNN understands there will be some minor operational adjustments to one or two engagements, but the overall plan for the four-day visit remains as previously scheduled.
You can follow our coverage of the first day of the state visit here.
Security review planned after Saturday's shooting, as suspect expected in court
A suspect is expected to be arraigned in federal court today following Saturday night’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, DC.
If you’re just joining us, here are some of the latest developments in the aftermath of this weekend’s shooting:
- Sources have said that the suspect has been identified as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old teacher from California. Investigators are combing through a message authorities say he wrote before the shooting.
- In an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes” aired last night, President Donald Trump discussed the shooting incident, and said he “wasn’t worried” as the sound of gunfire rang out.
- CNN Senior Law Enforcement Analyst and former acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe laid out what can be expected from today’s arraignment, saying Allen will be “officially charged in public with the offenses.”
- The House Homeland Security Committee has requested a briefing from the Secret Service on the shooting incident, the committee’s chairman, Rep. Andrew Garbarino, said in a statement this morning.
- FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau will work with other law enforcement agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the US Secret Service, to discuss lessons learned from the incident.
- The White House will hold a meeting this week with the US Secret Service and leadership at the Department of Homeland Security to discuss security protocol and best practices for major events involving President Donald Trump, a senior White House official told CNN.
CNN’s Michael Williams, Annie Grayer, Alayna Treene and Kevin Liptak contributed to this reporting.
A look at the historic hotel where shooting incident took place
The hotel where a gunman charged a security checkpoint last night has hosted numerous large events since it opened in 1965 – including the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
The Washington Hilton, located a little more than a mile northwest of the White House, also regularly hosts the National Prayer Breakfast.
And during the 1960s and ’70s, the hotel’s cavernous ballroom was the venue for musical events, including concerts by The Doors and Jimi Hendrix.
In 1981, the hotel was the site of another violent attack: John Hinckley Jr. attempted to assassinate then-president Ronald Reagan as he was leaving the hotel. Reagan survived but was seriously injured by a gunshot wound that punctured a lung and caused serious internal bleeding.
Reagan’s press secretary, James S. Brady, was shot in the head and left partially paralyzed after the attack.
House Homeland Security Committee requests briefing from Secret Service on dinner attack
The House Homeland Security Committee has requested a briefing from the Secret Service on the weekend shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
“The Committee is in contact with the Department of Homeland Security and has requested a briefing from the Secret Service on this alarming attack,” the committee’s chairman, Rep. Andrew Garbarino, said in a statement this morning.
The House Oversight Committee had also requested a briefing with the Secret Service following the shooting.
"We're going to learn from this one," Patel says of future security planning
FBI Director Kash Patel said this morning that the bureau will work with other local and federal law enforcement agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the US Secret Service, to discuss lessons learned from Saturday’s incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
“This was a matter that needs to be heavily scrutinized, because it almost took the lives of dozens, if not hundreds of people … but for the quick reaction of our law enforcement,” Patel said on “Fox and Friends.”
“And we’re going to be talking about how we improve the security, not just for this event, but for all events going forward,” the director added. “We’re going to learn from this one.”
Patel declined to address specific questions about the suspected gunman who allegedly rushed a security checkpoint at the dinner ahead of his expected arraignment later today.
White House to meet with Secret Service and DHS to review president's security
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles will convene a meeting early this week with the White House operations team, US Secret Service, and leadership at the Department of Homeland Security to discuss security protocol and best practices for major events involving President Donald Trump, a senior White House official told CNN.
“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,” the official said.
The official specifically referenced the planning currently underway for large events to celebrate America’s 250th birthday and how the discussion will also focus on ensuring confidence in security for those celebrations.
The official made clear that the president and the White House “are 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,” echoing Trump’s comments during an interview with CBS News’ “60 Minutes” on Sunday.
Several questions remain following the shooting on Saturday regarding whether proper security measures were taken, specifically on how the suspected gunman was able to breach the magnetometers on the level above the ballroom where the dinner was held.
Regulating social media easiest way to reduce political violence, expert says
Regulating social media is the simplest step the US could take to reduce violence at a time when political violence is at an all-time high, according to a political scientist.
Walter believes violence is increasingly being “viewed as justified for political reasons,” especially among younger generations.
And this comes at a time when the United States is grappling with “significantly more political violence” than ever before, she said, according to statistics.
Meanwhile, Rutgers professor Alex Hinton warned the online ecosystem is “gamed up in a really bad way,” driven by algorithms and now, artificial intelligence.
“Far more people are exposed to language of outrage – and demonization is everywhere,” Hinton told CNN Newsroom, adding that rhetoric once confined to fringe platforms like 4chan is now commonplace on mainstream social media sites such as X.
How the shooting incident and aftermath unfolded
A suspect is expected to be arraigned in federal court today following Saturday night’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, DC.
He faces two charges in connection with the incident, which took place with US President Donald Trump and members of his cabinet and guests in attendance.
Here’s a timeline of how things unfolded:
- 8:45 p.m. ET: CNN reports that Trump has been escorted off the stage by Secret Service, as Vice President JD Vance and some members of Trump’s Cabinet are also rushed out.
- 8:52 p.m. ET: We report that Trump is safe, according to a source familiar with what is going on.
- 9:00 p.m. ET: We report that several US Secret Service agents yelled, “shots fired” at the dinner, according to pool reports. One agent announced that a shooter was in custody over the radio, the pool said.
- 9:10 p.m. ET: A suspected gunman is what caused the cabinet to be evacuated and the scene locked down, we report.
- 9:11 p.m. ET: We report that an administration official says those in the cabinet who were attending the dinner are all okay.
- 9:15 p.m. ET: CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, who was attending the dinner, describes “hearing gunshots in the hall right near me” and seeing “a guy with a weapon” as police officers escorted him to safety.
- 9:17 p.m. ET: Trump posts to Truth Social that a “shooter” has been apprehended. We report that Trump wants to come back to the venue, but Secret Service does not want this, citing an administration official.
- 9:36 p.m. ET: Trump says law enforcement has asked him to leave the premises and he is returning to the White House. He also says that the White House Correspondents’ Dinner will be rescheduled.
- 9:39 p.m. ET: We report that one person is in custody after the shooting, according to the US Secret Service.
- 10:04 p.m. ET: We report that a US Secret Service agent was shot at the dinner, according to three people familiar with the matter.
- 10:33 p.m. ET: Trump gives a news conference from the White House, where he says “a man charged a security checkpoint, armed with multiple weapons” at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
- 11:16 p.m. ET: We report that the suspect has been identified as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old from California, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
- 3:51 a.m. ET: We report that the Secret Service officer who was shot has been released from hospital, according to USSS Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi.
CNN’s Kaanita Iyer, Alayna Treene, Zachary Cohen, Logan Schiciano, Kristen Holmes, Riane Lumer, Haven Orecchio-Egresitz, Aditi Sangal, Hannah Rabinowitz, Zoe Sottile, Holmes Lybrand and Brian Todd contributed to this reporting.
Father read daughter's text as he hid on ballroom floor during incident
Guests at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner have revealed what went through their minds while crouched under a table during Saturday’s shooting incident, a moment captured in a widely-shared photograph.
DC Shadow Senator Paul Strauss said he worried for his family, who were watching live on TV, before grabbing his phone from the table top to see a message from his daughter.
“I was very worried, not just with what was happening, but that picture was going out and essentially going viral,” Strauss told CNN Newsroom earlier today.
Crouched under the same table, Richard Strauss appears in the photo staring wide-eyed into the camera lens. a moment he described as surreal and “super scary” – and was photographed staring, wide-eyed, at the camera.
Strauss, who is not related to Paul Strauss, said it was “super scary” and recalled thinking of his son as he lay on the floor, unsure of what was happening.
“It was just so surreal. We were pushed to the ground and, somehow, I must have decided to look up just to see if I could see anything that was going on,” he said.
“I’ve never seen anything like that and it was a moment that I hope to never experience again.”
