The 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, held on Saturday, April 25, 2026, was disrupted and effectively canceled following an assassination attempt. The event, which took place at the Washington Hilton, was the first the sitting president, Donald Trump, had attended in years.
Incident and EvacuationShooting Details: At approximately 8:36 p.m. EDT, a lone gunman identified as Cole Tomas Allen fired shots near the main security screening area outside the banquet hall.
Security Response: Secret Service agents immediately evacuated President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and Vice President JD Vance. One law enforcement officer was struck in his bullet-resistant vest but survived.
Suspect: Allen, a 31-year-old from California, was apprehended at the scene and later charged with attempted assassination and firearm offenses. A manifesto found later indicated he intended to target administration officials.
Event Details
Host and Entertainer: Instead of a traditional comedian, the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) selected renowned mentalist Oz Pearlman to headline the event.
WHCA President: The dinner was chaired by CBS News reporter Weijia Jiang, who later announced that the program would be rescheduled.
Venue Security: The event drew approximately 2,600 attendees, including senior Cabinet members like Marco Rubio and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.. Security has since been a major point of discussion, especially as the Hilton’s public lobby remained open to other guests during the gala.
Current Status
President Trump and the WHCA have indicated that the dinner will be rescheduled within 30 days of the original date, though a specific new date has not yet been finalized as of May 2, 2026.
The DOJ has released HIGH QUALITY security camera footage of attempted Trump assassin Cole Allen SPRINTING through the security checkpoint at WHCA’s dinner This is NOT AI generated, like much of the footage posted this week Secret Service is adamant their agent was NOT struck by friendly fire, but was shot by Cole Allen with a 12-gauge shotgun.
Friendly Fire or Not ? Prosecutors Say Suspect Shot Secret Service Agent http://SubX.News® Crime Report – April 30, 2026 The DOJ has released HIGH QUALITY security camera footage of attempted Trump assassin Cole Allen SPRINTING through the security checkpoint at WHCA’s dinner This is NOT AI generated, like much of the footage posted this week Secret Service is adamant their agent was NOT struck by friendly fire, but was shot by Cole Allen with a 12-gauge shotgun. —— US Attorney Pirro
@USAttyPirro Today, we are releasing video already provided to U.S. District Court showing Cole Allen shoot a U.S. Secret Service officer during his attempt to assassinate the President at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. There is no evidence the shooting was the result of friendly fire. The video also shows Allen casing the area in the Hilton Hotel the day before the attack. My office along with the
@FBI will continue this extensive investigation to bring Cole Allen to justice. 5:13 PM · Apr 30, 2026
