Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy reported Sunday that there are “discussions underway” at the highest levels about whether “President Trump is going to have to start wearing a bullet-proof vest for future events in public.” The White House is reportedly weighing new security measures for President Trump after three attempts on his life in the past two years.
The president has now faced three legitimate threats on his life from three armed madmen, one of whom came within centimeters of fatally striking his head.
Saturday Night Attack at the Washington Hilton
On the evening of April 25, 2026, gunshots were fired near the main security screening area of the annual White House Correspondents’ dinner at the Washington Hilton hotel in Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and members of the Cabinet were evacuated by the US Secret Service.
This was the first White House Correspondents’ dinner Trump attended as a sitting president.
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, who lives in the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance, is the armed suspect federal authorities subdued near the packed ballroom at the Washington Hilton, according to a federal official familiar with the case.
The suspect was armed “with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives,” interim Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said in a press conference.
Secret Service Agent Saved by Vest
One officer was shot, but he was “saved by the fact that he was wearing obviously a very good bulletproof vest,” Trump told reporters during a press conference in the White House briefing room.
“He was shot from very close distance with a very powerful gun, and the vest did the job,” Trump said.
The Secret Service officer was hit but protected by a bullet-resistant vest and later was released from a hospital.
Suspect’s Motives Under Investigation
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the motive of the suspected gunman is still under investigation, telling NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that “preliminary” findings suggest he was targeting administration officials.
The suspect sent a note to family members before the attack that authorities describe as a “manifesto.” The note said he intended to target administration officials and expressed his political anger, while noting, “I don’t expect forgiveness.”
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigators found records indicating Allen purchased a .38-caliber semi-automatic pistol from a store in southern California in October 2023.
Investigators believe the suspect traveled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago and then Chicago to Washington, D.C., before checking into the hotel where the dinner was held.
Trump Calls for White House Ballroom
President Trump said Sunday the attempted attack shows why he has been pushing for a new White House ballroom, arguing the shooting exposed the risks of holding major presidential events off-site. “What happened last night is exactly the reason that our great Military, Secret Service, Law Enforcement and, for different reasons, every President for the last 150 years, have been DEMANDING that a large, safe, and secure Ballroom be built ON THE GROUNDS OF THE WHITE HOUSE,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
The president said the shooting validated his push for a $400 million White House ballroom funded with private donations — a project that has drawn controversy and legal challenges. The 90,000-square-foot structure, rising on the East Wing grounds, has been tied up in court, though construction has been allowed to continue for now.
King Charles Visit to Proceed
“Following discussions on both sides of the Atlantic through the day, and acting on advice of Government, we can confirm the State Visit by Their Majesties will proceed as planned,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement ahead of the royal couple’s trip on Monday. “The King and Queen are most grateful to all those who have worked at pace to ensure this remains the case and are looking forward to the Visit getting underway tomorrow.”
House Oversight Requests Briefing
The House Oversight Committee has requested a briefing with the Secret Service following the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, a committee spokesperson told CNN.
FBI agents are going door to door in the suspect’s neighborhood in southern California. A CNN field team saw agents in FBI jackets knocking on doors neighboring the home of Cole Tomas Allen in Torrance, California.
Allen is expected to be arraigned Monday in U.S. District Court on two counts — using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon.