The security of King Charles during his upcoming state visit to the United States is being taken 'very seriously' following an incident where a gunman stormed a Washington dinner attended by former President Donald Trump, ministers have confirmed.
Starmer expresses solidarity
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has sent a message of 'solidarity' to President Trump after the disturbing scenes at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner. 'Any attack on democratic institutions or on the freedom of the press must be condemned in the strongest possible terms,' the PM posted on social media. 'It is a huge relief that @POTUS, the First Lady, and all those attending are safe.'
Security measures for royal visit
In interviews this morning, Cabinet minister Darren Jones insisted that 'appropriate' measures would be in place for the monarch's state visit this week. Speaking on Sky News, Jones said: 'These are remarkable scenes. The Prime Minister has sent a message to the president of the United States in solidarity for the events that took place. As you would imagine, with the visit of His Majesty the King this week, our teams are working closely to ensure that security arrangements are put appropriately in place.'
When asked about additional concerns for the King's safety, Jones stated: 'As you would imagine, the Government and the Palace take the security of His Majesty very seriously, and there were already extensive discussions taking place, which will continue over the coming days.'
Details of the Washington incident
The White House Correspondents' Association dinner was thrown into chaos when a gunman attempted to breach security. President Trump, who was injured in a previous assassination attempt, was swiftly evacuated by Secret Service agents along with other senior administration officials. The suspect, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was carrying a shotgun and handgun. One officer was shot but protected by his bulletproof vest and taken to hospital.
President Trump later described the culprit as a 'lone wolf whack job'. The suspect, who was a guest at the Washington Hilton hotel where the event was held, faces charges including assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche indicated additional charges would be filed.
Trump vows to reschedule
At a late-night press conference, President Trump vowed to reschedule the disrupted event, saying the incident had 'unified' political opponents and the media. He praised the Secret Service for their swift action, adding: 'I saw a room that was just totally unified. It was, in one way, very beautiful, a very beautiful thing. To see a man charge a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, and he was taken down by some very brave members of Secret Service, and they acted very quickly.'
