Wikipedia

2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting

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 from the event by the Secret Service. It was the first White House Correspondents' Dinner that Trump attended as president.[4]

2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting
Part of Security incidents involving Donald Trump
Law enforcement responds to the armed suspect.
Location38°54′59″N 77°02′43″W / 38.91639°N 77.04528°W / 38.91639; -77.04528
Washington Hilton
Washington, D.C., US
DateApril 25, 2026 (2026-04-25)
8:36 p.m. (EDT; UTC−04:00)
TargetTrump administration officials
Attack type
Weapons
Deaths0
Injured2 (including the suspect)[a]
MotiveUnder investigation
AccusedCole Tomas Allen
Charges4 counts[b]

Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, who allegedly intended to target multiple Trump administration officials. Allen was arrested near the screening area outside the banquet hall after running past the security checkpoint while armed. Investigators believe he was staying at the hotel as a guest. One officer was struck in his bullet-resistant vest and was admitted to a hospital but was later released.[5][6] The suspect was taken to the hospital for a single knee injury despite not being hit by gunfire.[7]

A manifesto that officials attributed to Allen criticized Trump administration policies, referred to himself as the "Friendly Federal Assassin", and stated that he intended to target administration officials. The manifesto did not name Trump, but stated "I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes".[4][6] Allen was charged with four criminal counts, including attempting to assassinate a United States president,[1][8] carrying a possible sentence of life in prison if convicted.[9] He pleaded not guilty to all of the charges on May 11.[10]

The incident was the third apparent attempt on Trump's life since 2024, following the July 2024 attempt near Butler, Pennsylvania, and the September 2024 attempt at Trump's golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida.[11][12][13] The Washington Hilton was the site of the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan in 1981.[14]

Background

The White House Correspondents' Dinner was held at the Washington Hilton hotel, seen here in 2010.

The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) holds an annual dinner in Washington, D.C., traditionally attended by the sitting president, members of the press, and other dignitaries. The 2026 dinner, held at the Washington Hilton, was the first such event attended by Trump during his presidencies; he had declined to attend during his first term and in 2025.[15] The 2026 dinner featured mentalist Oz Pearlman as the celebrity performer.[16]

The event attracted approximately 2,600 attendees,[17] including senior administration officials such as Vice President Vance,[16] Secretary of State Marco Rubio,[18] Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth,[18] Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director Kash Patel,[16] Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.[16] and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Lee Zeldin.[16]

Former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe said that security at the event was "almost on the level of a national security event", given the concentration of senior government officials in one location. He said that a likely massive coordination between the Secret Service and partner agencies had been organized in advance.[19] However, the highest security level was not invoked for the event.[20] The Associated Press noted that the lobby of the Washington Hilton regularly remains open to other guests during the dinner, and that security and screening is typically located closer to the ballroom itself.[21]

The Associated Press noted Trump's contentious relationship with journalists; before the dinner, five hundred journalists had signed a petition urging the WHCA to oppose Trump's "efforts to trample freedom of the press". For her part, WHCA president Weijia Jiang said, "I don't think people realize how closely we are working with the White House". Among the protesters outside the event, one held a sign saying, "Journalism is dead."[21] In 1981, John Hinckley Jr. attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan at the entrance to the same hotel.[22][23]

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that a discussion about the line of succession took place before the dinner but that there were several members of the Cabinet not in attendance, so no specific designated survivor was needed.[24]

Incident

Shooting

CCTV footage of the suspect running past the secure area near the ballroom at 8:36 p.m.[25]

At about 8:00 p.m. EDT, the suspect took a photo of himself standing in front of the mirror in his hotel room that he had reportedly had booked at the venue, dressed in black with a red neck tie. He reportedly also wore a small leather bag, a shoulder holster, a sheathed knife, pliers and wire cutters, before taking an unguarded back stairwell down from his room, which was 10 floors above the ballroom.[26][27] At 8:30 p.m., the suspect sent his manifesto, a text file titled "Apology and Explanation", to family members via email.[28]

At 8:36 p.m.,[25] while dinner was being served inside the main ballroom, the suspect ran past a security checkpoint and authorities believe he fired at least one shot. Investigators alleged that the suspect was running at at least 9 miles per hour while he was chased and apprehended, after he tripped and fell to the ground after hitting his knee on a magnetometer box.[26][29][30] Several US Secret Service agents yelled "shots fired" inside the venue, according to pool reports.[31]

CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, who was outside the main ballroom at the time, reported being only a few feet away from the gunman when the shots were fired. Blitzer described the shooter as firing what appeared to be "a very serious weapon" at least six times before being tackled and taken to the ground by police. Blitzer was ushered to safety in a nearby restroom by officers.[32][33] It was later stated by investigators that the suspect had fired one shot with his shotgun and five rounds were fired by the Secret Service officer who had been struck in his bullet proof vest.[26]

The Secret Service stopped the suspect from entering the ballroom and he was taken into custody at the scene, after being stripped of his shirt to determine if the suspect had any explosives on him.[26][34] One law enforcement officer was struck in his bullet-resistant vest and was admitted to a hospital but has was later released.[5] The New York Times reported evidence suggesting that the suspect did not fire that round. Prosecutors later disputed this, affirming that the suspect shot the officer.[35][36][37] The gunman sustained a single knee injury from the tackle, for which he was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.[38]

Evacuation

Trump, who had been seated at the head table on the stage as Oz Pearlman performed for him, his wife, and Karoline Leavitt, was surrounded by Secret Service agents about ten seconds after the shots were fired. Once armed guards in tactical gear with rifles appeared on the dais and some other attendees, including Vance, had been evacuated, Trump was escorted off the stage, briefly falling in the process. Many of the roughly 2,600 attendees took cover under their tables.[39][40][41][42]

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino[43][44] unsuccessfully attempted to start a "U-S-A!" chant as Trump was escorted out and others began filming inside the ballroom.[45] First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President Vance, White House press secretary Leavitt, and other cabinet members were also evacuated from the ballroom and moved to secure holding areas within the hotel.[46] Several members of Congress were seen departing the event on foot, including Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Representative Jared Moskowitz (D-FL).[47]

Trump remained inside the hotel in a secure area while officials assessed the situation. He departed the Washington Hilton for the White House at approximately 9:45 p.m. EDT after law enforcement requested that all attendees leave the venue.[48] Among the attendees, Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika, was escorted away in tears.[49]

Accused

Photograph of Allen taken by law enforcement shortly after the incident

A suspect was arrested near the screening area outside of the banquet hall.[48] The United States Secret Service confirmed the incident in a statement, saying it was investigating a shooting incident near the main magnetometer screening area in coordination with the Metropolitan Police Department.[47] The suspect was carrying a Maverick 12-gauge shotgun, an Armscor Precision .38 semiautomatic pistol, a Ka-Bar knife and three Smith & Wesson boot knives.[50][29][51][52] Interim Washington, D.C., police chief Jeffery Carroll said the suspect was taken to the hospital for a single knee injury despite not being hit by gunfire and that investigators believe he was staying at the hotel as a guest.[7]

Before the FBI had named the suspect, two law enforcement officials spoke to news agencies, and named him as Cole Tomas Allen (born April 11, 1995), an academic tutor, video game developer, and mechanical engineer from Torrance, California (a suburb of Los Angeles).[51][53][54][55][56][57] Trump posted images on Truth Social of Allen after his arrest, lying face down on the ground shirtless, with his hands cuffed behind his back, and surrounded by Secret Service agents.[53]

Allen was homeschooled throughout high school, however he played volleyball at Pacific Lutheran High School via a special program his junior year.[58] He graduated from the California Institute of Technology in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He obtained a Master of Science degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills in May 2025.[59] According to law enforcement, Allen worked for C2 Education, a tutoring firm in Torrance and received a "Teacher of the Month" award from the company in December 2024.[51][53] Wired reported that Allen has been employed part-time at C2 Education since March 2020.[60] According to Federal Election Commission records, Allen donated $25 to a Democratic Party PAC, ActBlue, for Kamala Harris's presidential campaign in October 2024.[54][51] Allen had lived in the Greater Los Angeles area since 2010.[61][62] Prior to the shooting, Allen lived with his parents, along with his two sisters and one brother.[63]

Family members were interviewed by investigators and Secret Service agents said that Allen "made radical statements and that he constantly referenced a plan to do 'something' to fix the issues with today's world", that he was part of a Connecticut-based group called "The Wide Awakes" based in Hartford, attended No Kings protests in California, and would regularly go to a shooting range to train with firearms.[51][64] Allen's sister told Secret Service agents and the Montgomery County Police Department that Allen had purchased two handguns and a shotgun, which he stored at their parents' home without their knowledge.[65]

In New London, Connecticut, Allen's brother notified the police department about the alleged manifesto that he sent to his family members.[66][67] New London police chief Brian Wright released a statement the following afternoon, confirming that the "individual wanted to share information they believed to be pertinent to the matter".[68] The official characterized the writing as displaying anti-Trump sentiment and describes his targets as administration officials, and not guests or hotel employees. According to the official, Allen apologized to family and friends in his writing, and said that he does not expect forgiveness. New London police immediately turned their case over to federal law enforcement afterward.[69]

The 12-gauge Maverick shotgun, Armscor Precision .38 semi-automatic pistol, and the multiple knives Allen allegedly had on him for the shooting

After the incident, FBI agents and the Torrance Police Department swarmed through Allen's house, using tactical gear and armored vehicles.[70] Acting US attorney general Todd Blanche said that Allen boarded Amtrak on April 21 and took two of their routes, the Southwest Chief from Los Angeles to Chicago and the Floridian from Chicago to Washington, before checking in as a guest at the hotel on April 24.[71]

A manifesto, purported to be the suspect's, read in part:[72][73]

I am a citizen of the United States of America. What my representatives do reflects on me. And I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes... Turning the other cheek when *someone else* is oppressed is not Christian behavior; it is complicity in the oppressor's crimes.

The manifesto does not name Trump, but lists among its grievances the federal government's strikes on what it claimed were drug boats in the Pacific early in 2026.[73] It expressed the author's astonishment regarding the seeming lack of security at the hotel: "What the hell is the Secret Service doing?… No damn security. Not in transport. Not in the hotel. Not in the event." CBS News noted that because the Washington Hilton was a "functioning hotel with numerous public spaces during the dinner", only the areas where the dinner took place were secured by the Secret Service.[74][75]

Acting US attorney general Todd Blanche, DC attorney general Jeanine Pirro, and FBI director Kash Patel announce that they are charging Allen with attempting to assassinate Trump on April 27.

On April 27, the US Department of Justice held a news conference to announce that Allen was being charged with the attempted assassination of Trump, transportation of a firearm and ammunition through interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.[76][1][8] He faces life in prison if convicted.[9] In a court filing April 29, the Department of Justice provided new information and photos, including a list of his possessions at the time of his arrest and items recovered from his parents' home in Los Angeles.[27]

Allen briefly appeared in federal court on April 27 for an initial hearing, flanked by US Marshals.[26] Appearing before federal judge Zia Faruqui on May 4, Allen alleged he had been put in five-point restraints, which prompted Faruqui to remark that Allen was being treated worse than the January 6 partisans.[77] On May 5, Allen was indicted on four charges, which included attempting to assassinate the president.[3] On May 11, he appeared before federal judge Trevor McFadden in Washington, D.C. and pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.[78] The next hearing was scheduled for June 29.

Aftermath

President Donald Trump holding a meeting inside the Oval Office with cabinet members, soon after the shooting

Shortly after 9:00 p.m. EDT, WHCA president Weijia Jiang addressed the ballroom from the stage, announcing that the program would continue momentarily.[79] At approximately 9:20 p.m. EDT, security personnel began clearing out the ballroom, effectively canceling the event for the evening. Jiang later announced from the stage that Trump planned to give a briefing from the White House and that the dinner would be rescheduled within 30 days.[47]

Sources told CBS News that the suspect had told law enforcement he was trying to shoot officials from the Trump administration.[51] The day after the shooting, the Department of Justice announced that "preliminary findings" suggested Trump was the intended target.[80]

Other media galas planned for the same night in Washington, D.C., continued unabated including events associated with Substack, MS NOW, and Time.[81] Oz Pearlman, who had been entertaining Trump at the Correspondents' Dinner in the moments before the shooting, arrived at the MS NOW event feeling "shook up" but glad that the parties were going on.[81]

A video game Allen created was removed from Steam by the Valve Corporation in response to negative reactions after Allen was arrested.[82]

King Charles III and Queen Camilla made a state visit to the United States from April 27 to 30, meeting both Donald Trump and the First Lady. After the shooting, Buckingham Palace announced that the state visit would go ahead as planned, but that the shooting incident resulted in increased security, though specifics have not been announced.[83][84] Charles referenced the attack during his address to Congress, stating that "such acts of violence will never succeed."[85]

Responses

Federal

President Trump addresses the press two hours after the shooting.

Shortly after the incident, Trump posted on Truth Social: "Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely. The shooter has been apprehended, and I have recommended that we 'LET THE SHOW GO ON' but will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement."[33] In a subsequent post, Trump wrote that law enforcement had requested all attendees leave and confirmed that the first lady, vice president, and all Cabinet members were "in perfect condition." He also stated the event would be rescheduled within 30 days and later held a press conference from the White House Briefing Room.[86][87]

During the briefing that evening, Trump said the venue "was not a particularly secure building" and used it as support for the existence of the White House Ballroom.[88] He also doubted any connection of the shooter with the 2026 Iran war and said it would not stop him from "winning the war in Iran".[89] Former president Barack Obama condemned the assassination attempt against President Trump.[90]

On April 27, Donald and Melania Trump both accused talk show host Jimmy Kimmel of inciting violence against them and of strengthening the political rift within America; they both called for him to be fired from ABC immediately. Three days before the shooting, Kimmel made a joke on his show while pretending to be the host of the upcoming White House Correspondents' Dinner, stating "Our first lady Melania is here...So beautiful, Mrs Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow." Kimmel responded to the accusations, stating that the joke was made days before the incident and that it has been based around their age difference and Melania's poker face during most events and reiterated that he was against any form of gun violence.[91] On April 28, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that it is accelerating the review of eight local broadcasting licenses used by ABC.[92] On April 30, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the order was not related to Trump’s call for Kimmel to be fired.[93]

US Secret Service

The US Secret Service issued an official statement confirming an investigation had begun and that all protectees were safe: "The U.S. Secret Service, in coordination with the Metropolitan Police Department, is investigating a shooting incident near the main magnetometer screening area at the White House Correspondents' dinner. The president and first lady are safe along [with] all protectees."[47]

Greater Los Angeles

A computer science professor at California State University, Dominguez Hills, told the Associated Press that Allen took a few of his classes before graduating with a master's degree in computer science in 2025. He described Allen as "a very good student indeed, always sitting in the first row of my class, paying attention, and frequently emailing me with coursework questions", adding that he was very shocked to hear that Allen was the suspect in the attack.[94]

A former Pacific Lutheran High School volleyball teammate from Gardena spoke to KNBC-TV that Allen attended Pacific Lutheran for all four years and was part of the school's volleyball team, describing him as "inquisitiveness and intellect", a “borderline genius” and “super stable”.[95]

Neighbors who spoke to the Los Angeles Times said that Allen had just moved to the Old Torrance area six months prior to the attack.[55] A pastor at Pasadena United Reformed Church told National Public Radio that Allen had attended his services while at California Institute of Technology from September 2013 until graduating in June 2017 with a Bachelor of Science degree, describing Allen as a "nice, gentle, smart young man", a "good guy" and "quiet".[61]

Torrance mayor George K. Chen condemned the violence in Washington.[55][61]

International

Many world leaders[c] condemned the shooting as an act of political violence, while also expressing relief that all attendees were safe.[102][103][104]

The condemnation from Ukraine was made by Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha,[105] and not President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This has been interpreted as a sign of the Ukrainian president's growing frustration with the U.S. approach to the Russia-Ukraine war under Trump's presidency.[106]

Analysis

El País's correspondent Iker Seisdedos characterized the shooting as "another sign of the increasingly tense atmosphere in the United States". Seisdedos placed the incident in the context of recent political violence in the United States, citing attacks or plots targeting figures including Steve Scalise, Gretchen Whitmer, Brett Kavanaugh, Paul Pelosi, and Charlie Kirk.[23]

Luke Broadwater, White House correspondent for The New York Times, discussed the shooting in the context of security concerns and recent threats against Trump.[107] David Smith, the Washington bureau chief for The Guardian, wrote that the incident reflected the prevalence of political violence in the United States[108] and noted that Trump himself had been criticized in the past for violent suggestions, such as purging the US of crime on "one really violent day".[109] After the shooting, Aaron Blake of CNN wrote about an emerging split reality in the US, explaining how the reaction to recent acts of political violence reflected increasingly warped views of the perpetrators from people from both the left and the right, as well as how both sides were overwhelmingly likely to blame the other for those acts.[110]

Misinformation and conspiracy theories

Media and fact checkers reported that conspiracy theories and unsupported claims rapidly circulated following the shooting at the Correspondents' Dinner.[111][112] This surge of conspiracy theories was described and commented on by national[113][114][115] and international media,[116][117][118] often attributing it to distrust in the institutions (the government, the media themselves) and mutual distrust by both sides of the political spectrum.

Donie O'Sullivan discussed how prominent former Trump's supporters like Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene have recently questioned the official narrative on the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, and quotes Keith Olbermann and Cenk Uygur blaming Trump's and his administration's mendacity for their own mistrust of their statements.[119] NBC News described and analyzed the fast spread of misinformation, stating that "Conspiracy theories and a knee-jerk skepticism of current events have become the default response for a growing number of Americans, deepened by the loss of trust in institutions and supercharged by starkly partisan politics."[120] White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the conspiracy theories "crazy nonsense";[121] Trump called them "sick".[122]

"Staged" allegations

One of the main reported false narratives was claims that the entire event was faked for political gain. On Bluesky, many users posted "STAGED", echoing the response to the Trump assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024, whereas on X, others claimed that the shooting was staged to increase support for Trump's plan to build a new ballroom in the White House.[123] Other reasons given for staging the shooting were Trump's low approval ratings, and his actions in the 2026 Iran war.[111][124] Comments from Leavitt and her husband Nicholas Riccio in particular were seen as them having prior knowledge of the shooting: Leavitt told Fox News shortly before "There will be some shots fired tonight in the room" in apparent reference to a planned speech of Trump.[125][126] Snopes notes that in English "[t]he phrase 'shots fired' is a common figure of speech that refers to someone making jokes or jabs at another person. There was no evidence that Leavitt's comment referenced the shooting before it happened."[127] Fox correspondent Aishah Hasnie reported that Riccio emphasized she "need[ed] to be very safe" at the event; while recounting this to the network, Hasnie's call cut out, causing speculation that Fox News was suppressing her account. Hasnie cited poor cell reception for the call dropping and clarified: "To finish the story, he was telling me to be careful with my own safety because the world is crazy."[112][119][128]

Social media users claimed that a picture allegedly showing Trump standing behind a curtain observing the commotion at the ballroom proved that the shooting had been staged; that claim was shared in posts that reached millions of users of Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and X. Snopes reported that even if the photo is authentic, the man in it is not Trump.[129]

False information about the suspect

An X user named True Promise claimed that information gleaned from Google Trends indicated that the suspect's name had been searched hundreds of times in Israel a day before the incident. According to the Free Press Journal, this idea was debunked. Another widely spread social media post asserted that he had been seen wearing a sweatshirt associated with the Israel Defense Force, but this claim could not be independently confirmed.[130][131][132] A viral image of a passport belonging to an Indian woman, who was supposedly married to the suspect, was in fact an AI-generated forgery.[133]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1 from gunfire, suspect sustained non-gunshot injuries
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ Including Anthony Albanese of Australia, Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan,[96] Lula da Silva of Brazil,[97] Mark Carney of Canada, Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic, Emmanuel Macron of France, Friedrich Merz of Germany, Viktor Orbán of Hungary, Narendra Modi of India, Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel,[98] Giorgia Meloni of Italy, Sanae Takaichi of Japan,[99] Joseph Aoun of Lebanon, Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine,[100] Pedro Sánchez of Spain, Ahmed al-Sharaa of Syria,[101] Lai Ching-te of Taiwan, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey, Charles III and Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom, Delcy Rodríguez of Venezuela, and Ursula von der Leyen of the European Union

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Suspect in White House correspondents' dinner shooting faces three charges in first court appearance". NBC News. April 27, 2026. Archived from the original on April 27, 2026. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  2. ↑ Rosenm, Jacob; Linton, Caroline (April 27, 2026). "Suspect in White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting charged with assassination attempt". CBS News. Archived from the original on April 27, 2026. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Indictment Charges Cole Tomas Allen with Attempt to Assassinate the President and Assault on a Federal Officer with a Deadly Weapon". United States Department of Justice. May 5, 2026. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
  4. 1 2 Erickson, Bo; Hunnicutt, Trevor (April 26, 2026). "Suspect in White House press dinner shooting wrote anti-Christian manifesto, Trump says". Reuters. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  5. 1 2 James, Jessica. "Secret Service officer shot at White House dinner released from hospital". ABC 7 News. Archived from the original on April 27, 2026. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  6. 1 2 Tucker, Eric; Durkin Richer, Alanna; Balsamo, Michael (April 26, 2026). "DC gala shooting suspect aired grievances against Trump in writings to family". Associated Press. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  7. 1 2 Yee, Curtis, ed. (April 25, 2026). "Live updates: Trump unharmed after shooting incident outside the White House correspondents' dinner". Associated Press. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Suspect in White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting charged with assassination attempt". NBC News. Archived from the original on April 27, 2026. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  9. 1 2 Bagchi, Aysha, ed. (April 29, 2026). "DOJ says Cole Tomas Allen must stay jailed: 'Calculated to cause death'". USA Today. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  10. ↑ Montague, Zach (May 11, 2026). "Man Charged With Assassination Attempt at Correspondents' Dinner Pleads Not Guilty". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  11. ↑ Heer, Jeet (April 27, 2026). "Trump Can't Stop Lying About the Attempts on His Life". The Nation. Archived from the original on April 27, 2026. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  12. ↑ Leary, Alex; Dawsey, Josh; McGraw, Meridith; LeVine, Marianne (April 27, 2026). "Pushing Past Third Assassination Attempt, Trump Forges Ahead With His Ballroom". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  13. ↑ Hawley, Josh (April 27, 2026). "Hawley Calls for Congressional Hearing Following Third Assassination Attempt on President Trum p". Josh Hawley: U.S. Senator for Missouri. Archived from the original on April 28, 2026. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  14. ↑ Wingrove, Josh; Miller, Myles; Lowenkron, Hadriana (April 27, 2026). "Another attack at 'Hinckley Hilton' raises new security concerns". Fortune. Archived from the original on April 27, 2026. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  15. ↑ McCreesh, Shawn (April 25, 2026). "Trump to Dine With Reporters He's Been Roasting All Week". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 Broadwater, Luke; McCreesh, Shawn; Pager, Tyler; Haberman, Maggie (April 26, 2026). "'Shots Fired!': Inside the Pandemonium at the Washington Hilton". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  17. ↑ Bogage, Jacob (April 26, 2026). "Thuds, an eerie silence, then chaos at Trump dinner with White House journalists". Reuters. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  18. 1 2 Treisman, Rachel (April 26, 2026). "A chaotic White House Correspondents' Dinner, as told by NPR reporters in the room". NPR. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  19. ↑ Sottile, Zoe (April 25, 2026). "Security at the dinner is "almost on the level of a national security event"". CNN. Archived from the original on April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  20. ↑ Davies, Emily; Arnsdorf, Isaac; Roebuck, Jeremy; Heim, Joe (April 26, 2026). "Correspondents' dinner lacked highest security level despite presence of top officials". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  21. 1 2 Kim, Seung Min; Madhani, Aamer; Binkley, Collin; Richer, Alanna Durkin; Bauder, David (April 25, 2026). "Trump unharmed after shooting incident at White House correspondents' dinner". Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  22. ↑ Garrett, Major (April 26, 2025). "The Washington Hilton's decades-long history with D.C. politics". CBS News. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  23. 1 2 Seisdedos, Iker (April 26, 2026). "From Kennedy to Reagan and now, for a third time, Trump: A history of political violence in the United States". El País. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  24. ↑ Bogage, Jacob (April 27, 2026). "Designated survivor discussions took place prior to press dinner, White House says". Reuters.
  25. 1 2 Sherman, Amy (April 27, 2026). "Fact-checking misinformation about the Correspondents' Dinner shooting". PBS News. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 Jacobs, Jennifer; Milton, Pat; Sganga, Nicole; Schecter, Anna (April 28, 2026). "Gunshot at correspondents' dinner may have struck cellphone in pocket of officer's bulletproof vest, sources say - CBS News". CBS News. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  27. 1 2 Lloyd, Jonathan (April 29, 2026). "Torrance man charged with attempt to assassinate President Trump in Correspondents' Dinner attack". NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  28. ↑ Schecter, Anna (April 29, 2026). "A train ride. A selfie. A search of Trump's schedule. Here's what DOJ says happened in the minutes and days before the press gala shooting". CBS News. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
  29. 1 2 Barrett, Devlin; Haberman, Maggie (April 26, 2026). "Gunman Was Tackled by Law Enforcement Near Correspondents' Dinner Security Checkpoint". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  30. ↑ Matza, Max (April 28, 2026). "New footage shows how Trump dinner gunman charged through security in four seconds". BBC News. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  31. ↑ Iyer, Kaanita (April 26, 2026). "Trump rushed off stage after possible shots fired at White House Correspondents' Dinner". CNN. Archived from the original on April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  32. ↑ Schiciano, Logan; Blitzer, Wolf; Symons, Todd (April 26, 2026). "CNN's Wolf Blitzer witnesses 'terrifying' ordeal as gunman opens fire a few feet away at White House Correspondents' Dinner". CNN. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  33. 1 2 Hall, Richard (April 26, 2026). "Trump Rushed Off Stage After Shots Fired at White House Correspondents Dinner". Time. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  34. ↑ Yeung, Tinshui; Bosotti, Rorey (April 26, 2026). "Trump unhurt and suspect in custody after shots fired at White House correspondents' dinner – follow live". BBC News. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  35. ↑ Barrett, Devlin. "Investigators Offer More Details of Gunman of Gala Dinner Attack". The New York Times. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
  36. ↑ "JUST IN: Officer shot in bullet-resistant vest at correspondents' dinner but is expected to be OK, law enforcement official says". Associated Press. April 25, 2026. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  37. ↑ "Secret Service agent hit by buckshot from the gun of man charged in correspondents' dinner attack, prosecutor says". PBS. May 3, 2026.
  38. ↑ "White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting updates". KFSN-TV. April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  39. ↑ "Trump holds press conference after shooting at White House Correspondents' Dinner". PBS. Archived from the original on April 26, 2026.
  40. ↑ Grynbaum, Michael M. (April 26, 2026). "Confusion and Fright Inside the Washington Hilton Ballroom". The New York Times.
  41. ↑ "WATCH LIVE: Trump attends White House Correspondents' Dinner for the 1st time as president". PBS on Youtube. April 25, 2026. Archived from the original on April 26, 2026.
  42. ↑ Naugle, Wendy (April 26, 2026). "Oz Pearlman reveals what was on that notepad at White House press event". USA Today.
  43. ↑ Rumpf, Sarah (April 26, 2026). "Trump Adviser Dan Scavino Tries and Fails to Start 'USA! USA!' Chant Right After WHCA Dinner Shooting — Gets Shushed by Attendees". Mediaite. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  44. ↑ Blanchet, Ben (April 26, 2026). "Trump Adviser Tries — And Fails — To Hype Up Crowd In Awkward Post-Shooting Move". HuffPost. Retrieved April 26, 2026 – via Yahoo News.
  45. ↑ McLaughlin, Aidan (April 25, 2026). "Donald Trump Rushed Out of White House Correspondents' Dinner After Shots Fired". Vanity Fair. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  46. ↑ Patten, Dominic (April 26, 2026). "Shots Fired At White House Correspondents Dinner, Trump Evacuated, Guests On The Floor". Deadline. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  47. 1 2 3 4 McDaniel, Eric. "Trump rushed from White House Correspondents' Dinner after shooting incident". NPR. Archived from the original on April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  48. 1 2 "Suspect Detained After Gunfire at Dinner Attended by Trump". The New York Times. April 25, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  49. ↑ "White House Correspondents' Association board member describes scene". BBC News. April 25, 2026. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  50. ↑ "Suspect in White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting wrote of targeting Trump administration". NBC News. April 27, 2026. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  51. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sganga, Nicole; Jacobs, Jennifer; Milton, Pat; Schecter, Anna; Tanyos, Faris; Czachor, Emily Mae (April 26, 2026). "Suspect in shooting at White House Correspondents' Dinner identified as 31-year-old California man". CBS News. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  52. ↑ "Suspect in White House Correspondents' Dinner Shooting Charged with Attempt to Assassinate the President". U.S. Department of Justice. Office of Public Affairs. April 27, 2026. Archived from the original on May 9, 2026. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  53. 1 2 3 Lukiv, Jaroslav (April 26, 2026). "Cole Tomas Allen: Suspected gunman at Washington press dinner identified as 31-year-old Californian". BBC News. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  54. 1 2 Tolan, Casey; Holmes, Kristen; Lybrand, Holmes; Lah, Kyung (April 26, 2026). "White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting suspect worked as California teacher". CNN. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  55. 1 2 3 Winton, Richard (April 26, 2026). "What we know about Cole Tomas Allen, Torrance teacher suspected in D.C. shooting". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 27, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  56. ↑ Confusion and panic at Washington gala. AFP News Agency. April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026 – via YouTube. The alleged gunman, identified by US media as 31-year-old Cole Tomas [...] The FBI have not confirmed he was the shooter
  57. ↑ Alanna Durkin, Richer; Tucker, Eric (April 26, 2026). "As it happened: When shots were fired outside the White House correspondents' dinner § Shooting suspect identified". Associated Press. Retrieved April 27, 2026. The shooting suspect was identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, two law enforcement officials told the AP.
  58. ↑ "Cole Allen's journey from young athlete and Caltech grad to accused gunman in D.C. attack". Los Angeles Times. May 3, 2026. Archived from the original on May 3, 2026. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  59. ↑ "Suspect in White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting wrote of targeting Trump administration". NBC News. April 26, 2026. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  60. ↑ Aragon, Rachel (April 26, 2026). "Parents shocked after Torrance tutor named WHCD shooting suspect". KTTV. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  61. 1 2 3 "Caltech Graduate Charged in White House Correspondents' Dinner Shooting". PasadenaNow. April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  62. ↑ "What we know about the suspect in shooting at White House Correspondents' Dinner". CBS News. April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  63. ↑ "Parents shocked by arrest of Torrance tutor after shooting outside Correspondents' Dinner". ABC7 Los Angeles. April 28, 2026. Archived from the original on April 30, 2026. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  64. ↑ "New London man helped investigators after brother allegedly attempted to assassinate Trump". WFSB-TV. April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  65. ↑ "Family warnings, weapons details emerge in White House dinner shooting". WTTG. April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  66. ↑ Haake, Garrett (April 26, 2026). "Suspect's brother notified New London police after White House Correspondents' Dinner gunfire". WVIT. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  67. ↑ Miller, Heather (April 26, 2026). "Live updates: Cole Allen, accused WHCA gunman, had manifesto targeting Trump, top officials". KTTV. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  68. ↑ "Brother of White House dinner shooting suspect reported alleged manifesto to Connecticut police". WTNH-TV. April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  69. ↑ Zbierski, Dalton; Paddyfote, Kaye (April 26, 2026). "How Connecticut is connected to the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting". WTIC-TV. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  70. ↑ "What we know about the SoCal man ID'd as suspect in White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting". KABC-TV. April 26, 2026. Archived from the original on April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  71. ↑ "Neighbor of suspected White House Correspondents' Dinner shooter says his parents are 'very solid'". KTLA. April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  72. ↑ Bagby, Sarah (April 26, 2026). "Read Here: The full manifesto by accused shooter at White House Correspondents' Dinner". KATU. Archived from the original on April 27, 2026.
  73. 1 2 Braun, Sam (April 26, 2026). "Anti-Trump sentiment being examined as motive for White House press dinner shooting". The Guardian.
  74. ↑ Jacobs, Jennifer; Schecter, Anna; Sganga, Nicole (April 26, 2026). "The White House Correspondents' Dinner suspect sent a "manifesto" to his family. CBS News reviewed what's in it". CBS News. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  75. ↑ "Trump says shooting suspect wrote anti-Christian manifesto". RTÉ. April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  76. ↑ Blackburn, Gavin (April 27, 2026). "Accused media gala shooter charged with attempt to assassinate Trump". Euronews. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  77. ↑ https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/04/politics/cole-allen-gunman-jail-conditions-january-6
  78. ↑ Lybrand, Holmes (May 11, 2026). "Press dinner gunman pleads not guilty to attempting to assassinate Trump". CNN. Archived from the original on May 11, 2026. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  79. ↑ Svirnovskiy, Gregory; Pellish, Aaron (April 25, 2026). "Trump evacuated from White House Correspondents' Association Dinner". Politico. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  80. ↑ "Trump and his officials 'likely' targets of suspected gunman, acting attorney general says". BBC News. April 26, 2026.
  81. 1 2 Holtermann, Callie (April 26, 2026). "D.C. media parties go on, despite news of gunfire". The New York Times. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  82. ↑ Hernandez, Patricia (April 27, 2026). "Steam pulls game made by White House Correspondent's Dinner shooting suspect". Polygon. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  83. ↑ "King's US visit will go ahead as planned, Buckingham Palace says". BBC News. April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  84. ↑ Ship, Chris (April 26, 2026). "Review of security underway ahead of King's already high-stakes visit to USA". ITV News. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  85. ↑ Coughlan, Sean (April 28, 2026). "King gets ovation for Congress speech warning of volatile world". BBC News. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  86. ↑ Breuninger, Kevin (April 25, 2026). "Trump to hold press conference after shooting at White House Correspondents' Dinner". CNBC. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  87. ↑ Binkley, Collin; Durkin Richer, Alana; Bauder, David (April 25, 2026). "WATCH: Trump holds press conference after shooting at White House Correspondents' Dinner". PBS News. Washington. Archived from the original on April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  88. ↑ "Live Updates: Trump Speaks After Gunfire Near Correspondents' Dinner". The New York Times. April 26, 2026. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  89. ↑ "Trump says shooting won't 'deter' him from Iran war". The Daily Star. Agence France-Presse. April 26, 2026. Archived from the original on April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  90. ↑ "Obama denounces shooting at Trump gala dinner". Gulf News. Agence France Presse. April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  91. ↑ Stein, Chris (April 28, 2026). "Jimmy Kimmel defends Melania 'widow' joke after the Trumps call for him to be fired". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  92. ↑ Barr, Jeremy (April 28, 2026). "FCC orders review of ABC licenses after Jimmy Kimmel's Melania Trump joke". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
  93. ↑ Weprin, Alex (April 30, 2026). "FCC Chairman Says ABC License Move "Unrelated" to Jimmy Kimmel: "They Were Playing Rope a Dope"". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
  94. ↑ Taxin, Amy; Biesecker, Michael; Tucker, Eric (April 27, 2026). "Accused attacker at Washington media dinner is a tutor and computer engineer from California". Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  95. ↑ Medina, Mekahlo; Chang, Hetty; Jeong, Helen (April 27, 2026). "What people who knew Cole Tomas Allen are saying about DC shooting suspect". KNBC-TV. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  96. ↑ "President Ilham Aliyev: I am deeply disturbed by the shooting in Washington, D.C." azertag.az. April 26, 2026. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  97. ↑ "Lula manifesta solidariedade a Trump após tiros em jantar em Washington: 'Violência política afronta a democracia'". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  98. ↑ "Israel, world leaders voice support for Trump after White House dinner shooting". The Jerusalem Post. April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  99. ↑ "PM Takaichi Slams Shooting at White House Correspondents' Dinner". nippon.com. April 26, 2026. Archived from the original on April 28, 2026. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  100. ↑ "President Abbas congratulates US President on safety after assassination attempt". Wafa. Ramallah. April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  101. ↑ "Syria condemns armed attack targeting White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington". April 26, 2026. Archived from the original on April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  102. ↑ Smee, Ben (April 26, 2026). "'Violence must never be the way': world leaders react to Washington shooting at Trump event". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  103. ↑ "World leaders react to Washington press gala shooting". Le Monde. Agence France-Presse. April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  104. ↑ "World reacts to shooting at White House correspondents' dinner". Al Jazeera. Associated Press. April 26, 2026. Archived from the original on April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  105. ↑ "Ukraine's MFA condemns shooting during White House Correspondents Dinner". www.ukrinform.net. April 27, 2026. Archived from the original on April 28, 2026. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  106. ↑ Zadorozhnyy, Tim (April 30, 2026). "How Zelensky ran out of patience with Trump — and what it means for US-Ukraine relations". The Kyiv Independent. Archived from the original on May 3, 2026. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  107. ↑ Broadwater, Luke (April 26, 2026). "Again, a Gunman Got Perilously Close to Trump". The New York Times. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  108. ↑ Smith, David (April 26, 2026). "I've covered Trump for a decade. At the White House correspondents' dinner, darkness came viscerally close". The Guardian. Washington. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  109. ↑ Smith, David (April 26, 2026). "Washington in shock after White House press dinner shooting: 'an angry, polarized nation'". The Guardian. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  110. ↑ Blake, Aaron (April 27, 2026). "Trump's hypocritical crusade on violent rhetoric — and the country's emerging split reality". CNN. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  111. 1 2 Gilbert, David (April 26, 2026). "'STAGED': Conspiracy Theories Are Everywhere Following White House Correspondents' Dinner Shooting". Wired. Retrieved April 26, 2026. In the immediate aftermath of the attack on the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night, influencers, pundits, and random posters lit up social media platforms like X, Bluesky, and Instagram with conspiracy theories about the attack and the alleged shooter.
    Both left and right-wing accounts claimed, without evidence, that the attack was staged.
  112. 1 2 Sherman, Amy (April 26, 2026). "Fact-checking falsehoods after shooting in hotel hosting correspondents' dinner Trump attended". PolitiFact. Retrieved April 26, 2026. [Contents:] Karoline Leavitt's remarks about "shots fired" referred to Trump's planned speech / Suspect was tackled, not shot / Fox News reporter's clipped call isn't evidence the shooting was staged / Man holding up a card was an entertainer, not signaling a shooting.
  113. ↑ Melissa Goldin (April 27, 2026). "Reporters covered the correspondents' dinner shooting in real time. Conspiracy theories still spread". Associated Press. Retrieved May 1, 2026. (...) Jen Golbeck, a professor at the University of Maryland who studies conspiracy theories, said a lack of trust in institutions and an inability to sort fact from fiction create a "textbook recipe" for such rumors. But, she said, even when an abundance of information is available the entertainment value of conspiracy theories can still prevail. (...) Emily Vraga, a professor at the University of Minnesota who studies political misinformation, said that sometimes more information is not necessarily better, especially in such a polarized time when people can pick and choose the facts they like and assemble their own narrative puzzles. (...)
  114. ↑ Dominick Mastrangelo (April 27, 2026). "Trump assassination attempt sparks new wave of unfounded conspiracy theories". The Hill. Retrieved May 1, 2026. (...) "We're in an information environment where people are just not believing anything they see because they've become so exhausted by the steady tide of information everyone is sharing that later turns out to be not true," Katie Sanders, editor in chief of the fact checking website PolitiFact, told The Hill. "People might want to tune all of it out, but that means they're not in a good position to separate what's true when breaking news happens." (...) "Shootings or reports of shootings are chaotic environments, and the chaos is what attracts the conspiratorial thinker," said Geoff Dancy, a political scientist at the University of Toronto. "People who seek out conspiracies are often looking for comfort or order among disorder. It could be a comforting thought to think this is all planned. It sort of allays your fears to think this isn't just some person who had access to weapons and snapped … that's scary."
  115. ↑ Scott Detrow, Molly Olmstead (April 27, 2026). "Correspondents dinner shooting unleashes conspiracy theories". Consider This (Podcast). NPR. Event occurs at 2:28 min. Archived from the original on April 28, 2026. Retrieved May 1, 2026. [Molly Olmstead, staff writer with Slate:] (...) I don't see any way for it to get better. It just seems that this is the America we live in now. This is the reality we live in now. It seems to me that for the foreseeable future, the different political factions are going to be operating not just on different views but entirely different realities. (...) [Total running time, 8:31 min.]
  116. ↑ Anuj Chopra (April 27, 2026). "Trump Shooting Scare Renews 'Staged' Conspiracy Theory". Barron's. Archived from the original on April 28, 2026. Retrieved May 1, 2026. [From Agence France-Presse/AFP News ] (...) The trend underscores how Americans on both sides of the political divide are prone to outlandish conspiracy theories, as many turn to partisan influencers for information amid mistrust of mainstream media, researchers say. (...)
  117. ↑ James Thomas, Tamsin Paternoster (April 29, 2026). "Conspiracy theories abound after White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting". Euronews. Archived from the original on April 30, 2026. Retrieved May 1, 2026. (...) In the aftermath of the incident, influencers and social media users flooded X, Bluesky and Instagram with allegations that the attack was staged, despite multiple journalists reporting first-hand on the incident. (...) [Includes video. Total running time, 1:56 min.]
  118. ↑ David Common, Carmen Celestini (April 30, 2026). Conspiracy theories flood internet after White House correspondents' dinner shooting (Internet video). CBC News. Event occurs at 0:24 min. Archived from the original on April 30, 2026. Retrieved May 1, 2026. [Video description:] On social media — and across the political spectrum — conspiracies theories are spreading about the shooting at the White House correspondents' dinner. Carmen Celestini, who studies disinformation, extremism and conspiracy theories at the University of Waterloo, says it's a symptom of low trust in institutions.
  119. 1 2 O'Sullivan, Donie (April 27, 2026). "Facts compete with conspiracy theories after WHCD attack". CNN. Retrieved April 27, 2026. Some of the best-known journalists in the country were gathered in the Hilton ballroom on Saturday night and immediately got to work establishing the facts of what had happened. But immediately — before anything was known about the suspect and his motives — the word 'staged' started to emerge as a trend across social media platforms. ... [The article also describes and debunks the claims that circulated about Karoline Leavitt and Aishah Hasnie.]
  120. ↑ Abbruzzese, Jason; Boyce, Gibran Caroline; Tsirkin, Julie (April 27, 2026). "False flag conspiracy theories swirl around White House Correspondents' Dinner attack. Baseless claims that the incident was staged swirled almost immediately. By the next day, the idea had spread across social media. Even Trump noted the speed". NBC News. Retrieved April 27, 2026. Even as the events were unfolding, some had already anticipated the reaction. 'You know right-wing media is filled with all kinds of conspiracy theories lately about how President Trump's first assassination attempt was phony and fake?' Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., told NBC News as he left the dinner. 'This is going to fuel all of that stuff, I'm sure.'
  121. ↑ Aishah Hasnie, Karoline Leavitt (April 27, 2026). White House says conspiracy theories about shooting are 'crazy nonsense' (Internet video). NBC News. Retrieved April 27, 2026. [Video description:] White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked about how the administration plans to combat the conspiracy theories about the White House Correspondents' Association dinner shooting from spreading. Leavitt dismissed the rumors as "crazy nonsense" and planned to dispel any misinformation by assuring transparency. [Total running time, 1:15 min.]
  122. ↑ Mark Owen, Vedika Bahl, Donald Trump (April 27, 2026). 'Staged': Conspiracy theories surge after shooting at White House Correspondents' Dinner (Internet video). France 24. Event occurs at 1:38 min. Retrieved April 27, 2026. [Includes an excerpt of April 27 Trump's CBS interview, in which he discusses the conspiracy theories about the shooting. Total running time, 5:11 min.]
  123. ↑ Scott, Liam (April 27, 2026). "First came the shooting. Then, the conspiracy theories. The shooting at the White House correspondents' dinner has sparked conspiracy theories on the left and the right that it was staged to drum up support for Trump and his ballroom". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 27, 2026. The theory has bounded the political spectrum, from the pro-Trump right to staunch critics of the president, such as Crockett. ... About a fifth of the left-wing and liberal influencers and politicians who posted about the shooting used conspiratorial language, according to a Post analysis of social media posts and podcasts. ... Some, like former MAGA influencer Ashley St. Clair, have pointed to other moments in the aftermath of the shooting to suggest a different kind of coordination. After dozens of conservative influencers and Trump supporters made similar posts on X saying the incident showed the need for a new White House ballroom, as Trump has requested, St. Clair argued that many of them had probably shared the talking point in private groups, so as to boost its appeal. 'Everything in MAGA is fake, staged and coordinated,' she said in a TikTok video.
  124. ↑ Thompson, Stuart A.; Hsu, Tiffany; Myers, Steven Lee (April 26, 2026). "Rumors and Speculation Swirl Online After Shooting at Washington Dinner". The New York Times. Retrieved April 27, 2026. This time, users from across the political spectrum were participating in the chaos on platforms like X, Facebook and TikTok. Some users claimed that the attack was 'staged,' suggesting without evidence that it was part of an apparent plot by Mr. Trump or others to distract from bad polling numbers or the war with Iran. The term 'staged' surged to more than 300,000 posts on X by midday Sunday, according to data by TweetBinder, a social media analytics company owned by Audiense. (At least some of those posts refuted the notion that the attack was planned.)
  125. ↑ Esposito, Laura (April 26, 2026). "Karoline Leavitt Made Bizarre 'Shots Fired' Brag Minutes Before Shooting". The Daily Beast. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  126. ↑ Tolliver, Jazmin (April 26, 2026). "Karoline Leavitt's Eerily Prescient Words Go Viral After Correspondents' Dinner Shooting". HuffPost. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  127. ↑ Loe, Megan (April 26, 2026). "Did Leavitt say there would be 'shots fired' before White House correspondents' dinner shooting?". Snopes. Archived from the original on April 29, 2026. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  128. ↑ Sanyal, Shounak (April 27, 2026). "Mysterious call drop as Fox News reporter recounts warning by Karoline Leavitt's husband". India Today. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  129. ↑ Jordan Liles (April 30, 2026). "Does photo show Trump standing behind curtain after White House correspondents' dinner shooting?". Snopes. Archived from the original on May 2, 2026. Retrieved May 1, 2026. (...) However, the image showed another man — not Trump — as revealed in a video recorded in the same moments by Pancho Bernasconi, Getty Images' vice president of global news. (...)
  130. ↑ Mishra, Vinay (April 26, 2026). "Was Trump Shooting Staged? Viral Posts Claim Name Of Accused Was Searched Hundreds Of Times In Israel Before Incident". The Free Press Journal (published April 26, 2025). Retrieved April 26, 2026. However, verification efforts found that the suspect's name began trending in Israel only after the shooting took place, contradicting the claim. ... Another viral post alleged that the suspect was seen wearing a sweatshirt associated with the Israel Defense Forces. This claim, however, could not be independently verified.
  131. ↑ White House Dinner Shooter Cole Allen In 'IDF Sweatshirt'? Viral Photo Fuels Israel Speculation (Internet video). The Times of India. April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026. [The video describes how the rumors about the suspect's connection to Israel (and him being a Democrat assassin according to Laura Loomer) were spread, debunking them. Total running time: 7:14 min.]
  132. ↑ Emery Winter (April 26, 2026). "Does image show White House correspondents' dinner shooting suspect wearing IDF sweatshirt? What we know". Snopes. Archived from the original on April 29, 2026. Retrieved May 1, 2026. (...) There was no primary source evidence confirming the veracity of the image, and Snopes could not find credible evidence of an Instagram account directly linked to Allen. A LinkedIn account that appeared to be Allen's did not post the image purported to be from his Instagram account.
    While not definitive enough to conclusively rate the image's veracity, some details within the image suggested someone generated it using artificial intelligence tools. (...)
  133. ↑ Biswas, Shuvrajit Das (April 27, 2026). "Cole Tomas Allen: Fact-checking claims about White House correspondents' dinner shooting suspect's wife and marriage". Hindustan Times. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2026_White_House_Correspondents%27_Dinner_shooting&oldid=1355786442"