White House Correspondents’ Dinner Attendees Pinpoint Troubling Security Lapse: ‘We Are Lucky This Wasn’t Far Worse’
People who attended the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in washington, D.C., said security was unexpectedly lax.The article argues that even though the suspected shooter, Cole Tomas Allen (after being tackled and arrested), did not kill anyone, an attack still got through basic safeguards-something that several attendees and commentators say should not have been possible.
It claims Allen was able to check in at the Washington Hilton in a way that allowed him to move from his room to areas near the ballroom lobby, close to where other guests were staying, including a nearby writer who said the situation became clearer after the incident. The piece also includes claims from officials and attendees that entry procedures were minimal-tickets were allegedly shown rather than thoroughly verified, identification checks and scanning were limited or absent, and checks may have occurred only later near the main dinner room.
The wall Street Journal is cited as confirming that guests could enter via nearby checkpoints by simply showing a dinner ticket or invite copy, without ID verification or ticket scanning. Former FBI official Jason Pack and others are quoted saying the perimeter and screening were ineffective until too late-suggesting the “day-of” security plan could have been bypassed with access obtained earlier (e.g., via a room key). The article notes President Donald Trump said he is “standing by” the Secret Service and reportedly ordered a security review, and it says Allen was not cooperating with authorities.
Numerous attendees of the White House Correspondents Dinner this Saturday in D.C. all agreed that security at the event was deeply underwhelming.
So much so, in fact, that some attendees have even argued, as conservative radio show host Clay Travis did online, that the American people “are lucky this wasn’t far worse.”
As previously reported, nobody died despite a leftist shooter opening fire in the lobby of the connecting Hilton Hotel building, though a Secret Service agent was hit in his vest.
After being tackled, the shooter, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, was taken into custody without any further complications.
BREAKING: Shooting suspect Cole Tomas Allen was a guest of the Washington Hilton and assembled his weapons on site and was not — NOT — struck by Secret Service gunfire, even though he shot a SS agent pic.twitter.com/xx1hcjEMRB
— Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) April 26, 2026
Prior to the dinner and shooting, Allen stayed in a Hilton hotel room right next to the room of Hugh Dougherty, a writer for The Daily Beast. Dougherty was shocked once he realized this.
“And it was then that I began to piece together the security fiasco that had taken place in the room next door,” he wrote. “Quite simply, a man who wanted to kill people — many people, maybe me, maybe my colleagues — had checked into the Washington Hilton, just like I had.”
“He had used his access to move from floor 10 to the ballroom lobby, just like I had. And he had left a room which police had closed off, but which for all they feared could now be filled with explosives,” Dougherty added.
He wasn’t the only one to take note of the lack of security at an event featuring the president and his Cabinet.
“We noticed security was nearly nonexistent,” U.S. Agency for Global Media leader Kari Lake wrote in a post to social media:
Started as a great night—though we noticed security was nearly nonexistent.
Secretary Of State Marco Rubio hit the red carpet and spoke to the Media as did most members of the cabinet and administration.
Everyone was eagerly awaiting President Trump’s incredible and hilarious… pic.twitter.com/20WfmPKHiW
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) April 27, 2026
“I can’t believe how lax the security was at the White House correspondents dinner tonight,” she added in an additional post. “Upon entering nobody asked to visibly INSPECT my ticket nor asked for my photo identification. All one had to do was flash what appeared to be a ticket and they were fine with that.”
The Wall Street Journal has confirmed Lake’s narrative.
“Despite a visible security perimeter and warnings of tight security, guests said they could enter the hotel through checkpoints on the surrounding streets by simply showing a dinner ticket or a copy of an invite to one of several predinner receptions,” the outlet said.
“The tickets were reviewed by staff but weren’t scanned and there were no identification checks, attendees said,” the report continued.
Jason Pack, a former FBI official, was stunned.
“[Allen] didn’t beat the security plan the night of the dinner,” Pack told The Wall Street Journal. “He beat it the day he made the reservation. They built that perimeter to stop an army. Turns out all he needed was a room key.”
Bill Melugin of Fox News made a similar point on social media.
“Hypothetically, If I had hidden an explosive in my shoe or my jacket, I would have had no problem getting into one of those ballrooms,” he wrote. “Only once it was time to get into the main ballroom for the dinner did we pass through magnetometers, empty our pockets, and get a pat down. And even that checkpoint was just outside of the dinner room.”
My thoughts on the security at the WHCD last night.
The first exterior security for me was on the street outside of the hotel. I flashed my ticket and was waved through in one second. My name was not checked against any list, I showed no ID, I was not patted down and did not go…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) April 26, 2026
President Donald Trump has for his part said he’s “standing by” the Secret Service, though he’s reportedly ordered a security review.
As for Allen, he’s reportedly not cooperating with authorities.
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