Kari Lake, senior advisor to the United States Agency for Global Media, joined a chorus of attendees Saturday night in criticizing the lack of robust security at the Washington Hilton after a gunman opened fire at the White House Correspondents' Dinner with President Donald Trump in attendance. Lake questioned how a shooter could have gotten so close to Trump, first lady Melania, Vice President JD Vance, and nearly the entire presidential line of succession.
“I can’t believe how lax the security was at the White House correspondents dinner tonight,” Lake posted on X. “Upon entering, nobody asked to visibly INSPECT my ticket nor asked for my photo identification.” Tickets for the dinner, hosted by the White House Correspondents’ Association, did not include specific names. Attendees only passed through one round of magnetometers for the ballroom, not for the entire hotel.
The suspected shooter, Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old from Torrance, California, is in custody after being tackled while allegedly firing a weapon. In contrast, pre-parties and after-parties often require name checks and photo IDs. Mads Campbell, CEO of Leda Health, noted there was “no bag check. no real screening. no line. just thousands of people packed together, being pushed through the doors as fast as possible.” She left early because her friend said, “I think something is going to happen.” Caty Payette, a communications director for Sen. Martin Heinrich, echoed concerns: “There was no security to be admitted to the lobby... Guests had to simply flash a ticket to a pre-event party or the dinner itself to be let into the premises.”
Reporter Carolina Lumetta offered a different view, stating she had to show her ticket, go through a security magnetometer, and have her purse searched. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, feet from the shooter, noted additional security and how agents tackled the gunman. The banquet hall was evacuated, with National Guard members taking positions inside. Security outside was extremely tight.
Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York said he heard a pop and “didn’t know what the hell it was.” He added, “I think we live in a climate where everybody recognizes it's a problem, but I don’t think people fully appreciate how much of a problem it really is.” Video showed the suspect running past barricades as Secret Service agents responded. One officer was shot in a bullet-resistant vest but was recovering. Inside, guests scrambled for cover as agents swarmed the stage. Vice President Vance was removed first, while agents covered Trump before escorting him and the first lady out. Trump briefly stumbled before being assisted.
The shooting raises serious security concerns. The Hilton remains open to regular guests during the dinner, with security focused on the ballroom, leaving public spaces vulnerable. In 1981, John Hinckley Jr. shot President Ronald Reagan at the same hotel. During the 2024 campaign, Trump faced two assassination attempts. After the Butler, Pennsylvania shooting in July 2024, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned. The agency has faced past scandals, including agents hiring sex workers in Colombia in 2012, a White House fence jumper in 2014, and drunk agents driving into a White House barricade.
