{"id":2595988,"date":"2026-04-28T07:46:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T11:46:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/secret-service-faces-blowback-this-time-for-whcd-security\/"},"modified":"2026-04-28T07:51:49","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T11:51:49","slug":"secret-service-faces-blowback-this-time-for-whcd-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/secret-service-faces-blowback-this-time-for-whcd-security\/","title":{"rendered":"Secret Service faces blowback, this time for WHCD security"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsecret-service-faces-blowback-this-time-for-whcd-security%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2595988&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Secret Service and other federal officials are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dr-fauci-faces-renewed-criticism-over-past-remarks-about-new-york-serving-as-a-model-for-fighting-pandemic\/\" title=\"Dr. Fauci faces renewed criticism over past remarks about New York serving as a model for fighting pandemic\">facing renewed scrutiny<\/a> after a shooting attempt at the Washington Hilton on April 25 during the White House Correspondents\u2019 association dinner. Even though the suspect, 31-year-old Cole Tomas allen, failed too reach President Donald Trump or carry out the attack he intended, lawmakers and security experts say the incident exposed vulnerabilities in how the event was planned and secured.<\/p>\n<p>Federal leaders, including Secret Service Director Sean Curran and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, argue the agency\u2019s \u201cmultilayered\u201d security prevented Allen from breaching the ballroom, were about 2,600 guests were gathered. They also point to the rapid response of armed agents and federal police, including an agent who was shot in the chest but protected by a ballistic vest, while returning fire helped stop Allen.<\/p>\n<p>Critics argue that security was too relaxed across the hotel-ticket checks at the door came too late, associated areas like entrances, elevators, and escalators lacked screening, and hotel guests\u2019 bags were not searched during check-in. Conservative commentators also said the venue was effectively easy to access, raising concerns about how someone with multiple guns could get that close before the magnetometers.<\/p>\n<p>The article notes that some officials and former agents recommend changes for future high-profile events,such as mandatory bag checks and moving perimeter screening farther from where protectees are located. It also highlights that while debates continue about preparedness and crowd management, several statements emphasize that the protective response once the shooting began limited casualties among attendees and helped move Trump and Vice President JD Vance to safety.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p>The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/secret-service\">Secret Service <\/a>once again finds itself playing defense, this time over how it planned and carried out security measures for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lawmakers-probe-biden-admin-bid-to-nix-sanctions-on-iran\/\" title=\"Lawmakers Probe Biden Admin Bid To Nix Sanctions on Iran\">senior government officials<\/a> who attended the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/White-House-Correspondents-Association\" type=\"link\" id=\"washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/White-House-Correspondents-Association\">White House Correspondents\u2019 Association<\/a> dinner on Saturday following a shooting that targeted President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n<p>The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-homeland-security\">Department of Homeland Security<\/a> agency faced criticism from lawmakers and national security experts Monday in the aftermath of the incident at the Washington Hilton on April 25. <\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4544533\/whca-suspect-tied-left-wing-activist-group-wide-awakes\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>WHCA dinner suspect tied to <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >left-wing activist group<\/a> the Wide Awakes<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4544370\/florida-chatgpt-usf-murder-investigation-suspect-asked-body-disposal\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Florida adds ChatGPT to USF murder investigation after suspect asked it about body disposal<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4543635\/correspondents-dinner-shooter-manifesto-trump\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Correspondents\u2019 dinner shooter manifesto rips Trump as \u2018pedophile, rapist, and traitor\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>Although the alleged gunman, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, failed to carry out his attack against Trump, his ability to breach the security checkpoint inside the hotel has renewed concerns about the Secret Service\u2019s ability to adequately secure campaign, private, and government events.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>However, Secret Service Director Sean Curran and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche have each maintained that the agency\u2019s multilayered security approach did result in the alleged gunman not being able to breach the ballroom, where approximately 2,600 guests were gathered inside.<\/p>\n<p>Lawmakers have chimed in over the past 48 hours to question how the hotel handled preparations and overnight guests, if invitations were checked, whether security was adequate, and if too many guests were allowed at the event, among other concerns.<\/p>\n<p>Trump has admitted that the Washington Hilton was \u201cnot particularly secure\u201d and cheered on the construction of the White House ballroom for these types of events in the future.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) suggested that the Washington hotel \u201cwasn\u2019t built to accommodate an event\u201d of that size, particularly in a secure enough manner given the number of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ghislaine-maxwell-accuser-breaks-down-in-court-as-she-describes-sexual-abuse-when-she-was-14\/\" title=\"Ghislaine Maxwell Accuser Breaks Down In Court As She Describes Sexual Abuse When She Was 14\">high-profile guests<\/a> from the U.S. government\u2019s line of succession.<\/p>\n<p>Across 260 tables of 10 people each, the ballroom was brimming with people, as well as the halls throughout the hotel that led two levels down to where the main event took place.<\/p>\n<p>Conservative media figure Kari Lake criticized security as \u201clax\u201d and \u201cterrible,\u201d given that guests only had to present their paper ticket at the door and immediately before the security checkpoints, which were run by Transportation Security Administration officers. Lake added that it was the \u201ceasiest event I\u2019ve ever gained access\u201d to Trump.<\/p>\n<p>Entry points to the building, as well as elevators and escalators, did not include security, allowing virtually anyone to enter the crowded halls of the building. Guests who stayed at the hotel did not have their personal belongings searched prior to check-in, which was how Allen was allegedly able to bring multiple guns into the hotel.<\/p>\n<p>Retired Secret Service supervisory agent Bobby McDonald proposed that a mandatory bag check policy for presidential and vice presidential events at similar venues may be a good change moving forward, in addition to pushing out security screening checkpoints.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cScreening and perimeter will probably be looked to be moved out farther away from the actual location where the protectees will be,\u201d said McDonald, a criminal justice lecturer at the University of New Haven in Connecticut. \u201cThis is sometimes hindered by the physicality of a particular location that will need to be protected.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Once the dinner got underway, the armed suspect charged through the magnetometers at the security checkpoint and opened fire, shooting a nearby Secret Service agent in the chest. The agent was protected by a ballistic vest.<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) said the problem was that the ballroom was secured and behind a security checkpoint, but the many parties and gatherings across the hotel ahead of the dinner were not and the gunman could have inflicted \u201cmass casualties.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[Allen] ran through a magnetometer holding a long gun. As he did so, U.S. Secret Service personnel assigned to the checkpoint heard a loud gunshot,\u201d Blanche said during a press conference in Washington on Monday afternoon. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne Secret Service officer was shot in the chest but was wearing a ballistic vest that worked,\u201d Blanche said. \u201cThis heroic officer who was hit fired five times at Allen, who was not shot but fell to the ground and was promptly arrested.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The unnamed agent who shot back five times did not strike Allen, leading to some criticism of his shooting capabilities. McDonald defended the agent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen incidents happen and chaos is erupting, things don\u2019t always go according to script,\u201d said McDonald. \u201cThe bad actor was moving quickly, and oftentimes rounds that are discharged miss the target.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Curran, who Trump put atop the agency following the first assassination attempt on his life in July 2024, has insisted that the agency\u2019s security approach was effective because it did prevent Allen from breaching the ballroom.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt shows that our multilayered protection works,\u201d Curran said.<\/p>\n<p>Anthony Cangelosi, a former Secret Service agent\u00a0and criminal investigator at the Department of Homeland Security, said despite the Secret Service\u2019s involvement in the event, their job is to protect specific individuals, not attendees at large. <\/p>\n<p>Cangelosi, a lecturer at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, added that preventing attacks is key, but preparing to respond to them is also part of the equation.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4542726\/texas-defeats-houstons-play-to-stop-helping-ice-align-with-sanctuary-cities\/\">TEXAS DEFEATS HOUSTONS PLAY TO STOP HELPING ICE, ALIGN WITH \u2018SANCTUARY\u2019 CITIES<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>White House Correspondents\u2019 Association President Weijia Jiang, of CBS News, said the actions of federal police saved the lives of the couple thousand guests inside the room.<\/p>\n<p>McDonald added that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/20-migrants-stopped-from-crossing-border-river-into-texas\/\" title=\"20 Migrants Stopped from Crossing Border River into Texas\">agents quickly responded<\/a> to Trump and Vice President JD Vance behind the dais and moved them to safety.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Secret Service faces scrutiny over security at WHCA dinner after Trump shooting<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2655,"featured_media":2595989,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2272598504.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[5045,67408,74802,3646,71977],"class_list":["post-2595988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-government","tag-public-safety-2","tag-secret-service-2","tag-security","tag-white-house-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2272598504.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2595988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2655"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2595988"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2595988\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2595992,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2595988\/revisions\/2595992"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2595989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2595988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2595988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2595988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}