DC-Shooting at White House Correspondents Dinner, April 25, 2026

[Arkay]

Does this country really need a White House Correspondents Dinner? Seems like a waste of money. Money that can be better used elsewhere.

It’s not a government funded event.

It’s an annual party paid for by the attendees. IMO they can spend their own money however they want.

The theme is that we have a free press, and that is worth celebrating by those who wish to attend.

IMO

Dinner | White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA)

The WHCA holds an annual dinner to raise money for WHCA scholarships and honor the professional recipients of the WHCA’s journalism awards. Proceeds from the White House Correspondents’ Association annual dinner go toward scholarships and awards that recognize aspiring and accomplished journalists.

whca.press

 

[SouthAussie]

Live updates: Correspondents' dinner shooting suspect charged with attempted assassination of Trump

Follow live coverage as the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting suspect Cole Tomas Allen is arraigned in court and President Donald Trump reacts.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Bodhi]

Does this country really need a White House Correspondents Dinner? Seems like a waste of money. Money that can be better used elsewhere.

It's not a government-sponsored event. Taxpayers are not paying for it. The White House Correspondents Association is an independent nonprofit professional association. Its annual dinner celebrates excellence in the profession. The WHCA raises funds privately, through dues and ticket sales. Proceeds support scholarships for journalism students.

I agree with you that the expense of attending the event should not be borne by taxpayers. Members of WHCA and guests pay for tickets or perhaps their employers do. Either way, no public money is involved. Likewise, I assumed legislators and their invitees did too. If the administration pays for the president, the president's spouse, and WH press staff to attend, that's fine with me. I think it's likely the WHCA extends the president free tickets as a courtesy.

This year, though, the president was accompanied by an unprecedented number of administration officials--the vice-president, the full cabinet, their spouses and invitees, their staff, their security teams. Your comment has me wondering: are taxpayers paying the expenses for such a large entourage to attend a social event?

 

[NuttMegg]

Usually when you make factual statements like that you are required to provide a link for it. <modsnip: No need for snark>
Did you think he fire buckshot from a pistol? I'm interested in your shotgun experience? LOL.

I never said anything about a "long gun". Nor did I refer to any reports of a long gun. It's not specific enough. So you must be thinking of someone else.

 

[Gemmie]

Weijia Jiang, White House Correspondents' Association president, shared on X that food from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was donated.

“The Hilton donated the ~2,600 dinners that went unserved at WHCD. They freeze-dried the steak and lobster for longer shelf life before giving them to two shelters for abused women and children. HUGE thank you to the staff that worked through the night under terrible circumstances,” Jiang wrote.

A Washington Hilton spokesperson told NBC News that the hotel donates unused food from events to support local organizations.

2,600 unserved dinners were donated, WHCA president says

Weijia Jiang, White House Correspondents' Association president, shared on X that food from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was donated. “The Hilton

www.nbcnews.com

Steak and lobster? Burrata salad? I wouldn't have left without a Doggie Bag. Just sayin'.

 

[Bodhi]

% in agreement. I've worked for several very large corporations over the years and they all had a rule that if all the high-ups needed to travel to attend something important... they were NOT all to take the same flights in the event a plane went down. And it's not like they were in the same sort of business to have that rule. They ran from financial to high tech. They didn't want to risk all the upper management, CEOs, CFOs, COOs, etc., to all be lost at the same time. And that's just the running of a company... not the entire country.

And in this day of Zoom? The line of succession and other cabinet members could have all attended from the safety of their homes via Zoom on a huge screen. JMO!

Or watch it on C-SPAN like we did.

 

[Gemmie]

Or watch it on C-SPAN like we did.

My post was about participating via Zoom, not watching the event.

 

[NuttMegg]

Or watch it on C-SPAN like we did.

The dinners aren't entertaining anymore, imo. I'm sure I will never again laugh as hard as I did at Obama's 2011 WHCD joke about the things that "keep him up at night". OMG. Once in a lifetime hilarious.

 

[SouthAussie]

• Prosecutors allege that Allen ran through a magnetometer holding a long gun at a security checkpoint in the hotel. They say a Secret Service agent identified as Officer V.G. was shot once in the chest, but that he was wearing a ballistic vest at the time. It is not yet clear who shot the officer

White House correspondents' dinner suspect charged with attempting to assassinate Trump

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from California, was also charged with weapon offences allegedly relating to Saturday’s shooting.

www.bbc.com

 

[SouthAussie]

Asked why the suspect was not charged with shooting an officer, Blanche says authorities are still looking into that.

White House correspondents' dinner suspect charged with attempting to assassinate Trump

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from California, was also charged with weapon offences allegedly relating to Saturday’s shooting.

www.bbc.com

 

[airportwoman]

Does this country really need a White House Correspondents Dinner? Seems like a waste of money. Money that can be better used elsewhere.

I heard that it's privately funded, by the attendees, and any "profits" are used for college scholarships.

Kind of like the Met Gala, which in addition for a way for famous people to see and be seen does actually raise money for the Metropolitan Opera.

 

[NuttMegg]

• Prosecutors allege that Allen ran through a magnetometer holding a long gun at a security checkpoint in the hotel. They say a Secret Service agent identified as Officer V.G. was shot once in the chest, but that he was wearing a ballistic vest at the time. It is not yet clear who shot the officer

White House correspondents' dinner suspect charged with attempting to assassinate Trump

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from California, was also charged with weapon offences allegedly relating to Saturday’s shooting.

www.bbc.com

They claim a cell phone & vest stopped a bullet fired at close range. Trump said it was a "very powerful gun". A very powerful gun fired at close range, "the round", "a bullet" ie singular. MSN

 

[Yellowbelly]

Who said the officer wasn't hit by buck shot? Who said what the shooter fired?

"The officer took bullets to his protective gear during the exchange but survived due to his vest."

Secret Service officer shot at White House dinner released from hospital

The Secret Service officer who got shot while trying to stop the armed suspect at the White House Correspondents' Dinner has been released from the hospital.

wjla.com

"At approximately 8:40 p.m., Allen approached a security checkpoint on the Terrace Level of the hotel leading to the hotel’s ballroom. Allen ran through the magnetometer holding a long gun."

Suspect in White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting Charged with Attempt to Assassinate the President

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was arraigned today in U.S. District Court on charges stemming from the April 25, 2026, shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, announced the Department of Justice.

www.justice.gov

I'm British. All I know about guns I know from watching Kentucky Ballistics videos. Even I know that pump action shotguns don't fire bullets. It could just be bad reporting, but in his press conference Todd Blanche was very cagey about why Cole Allen hadn't been charged with shooting the officer.

White House correspondents' dinner suspect charged with attempting to assassinate Trump

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from California, was also charged with weapon offences allegedly relating to Saturday’s shooting.

www.bbc.co.uk

White House correspondents' dinner suspect charged with attempting to assassinate Trump

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from California, was also charged with weapon offences allegedly relating to Saturday’s shooting.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[NuttMegg]

"The officer took bullets to his protective gear during the exchange but survived due to his vest."

Secret Service officer shot at White House dinner released from hospital

The Secret Service officer who got shot while trying to stop the armed suspect at the White House Correspondents' Dinner has been released from the hospital.

wjla.com

"At approximately 8:40 p.m., Allen approached a security checkpoint on the Terrace Level of the hotel leading to the hotel’s ballroom. Allen ran through the magnetometer holding a long gun."

Suspect in White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting Charged with Attempt to Assassinate the President

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was arraigned today in U.S. District Court on charges stemming from the April 25, 2026, shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, announced the Department of Justice.

www.justice.gov

I'm British. All I know about guns I know from watching Kentucky Ballistics videos. Even I know that pump action shotguns don't fire bullets. It could just be bad reporting, but in his press conference Todd Blanche was very cagey about why Cole Allen hadn't been charged with shooting the officer.

White House correspondents' dinner suspect charged with attempting to assassinate Trump

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from California, was also charged with weapon offences allegedly relating to Saturday’s shooting.

www.bbc.co.uk

White House correspondents' dinner suspect charged with attempting to assassinate Trump

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from California, was also charged with weapon offences allegedly relating to Saturday’s shooting.

www.bbc.co.uk

The only way I can imagine Allen hitting the officer with a bullet would be if he switched guns, ie started out with buckshot or a slug fired from the shotgun but switched to a pistol to fire bullets. Imo

 

[Bodhi]

My post was about participating via Zoom, not watching the event.

Yes. I agree. I just wanted to note that for this type of event, C-SPAN offers the same experience as Zoom. It's not a meeting where attendees can participate fully. It's a dinner and a show. People on the program are active participants. Everyone not on the dais is the audience. In person, of course, the audience members aren't completely passive. They react to the speakers, and the speakers react to the audience. For events like this on Zoom, people in the audience would be passive. Their mics would be muted. They'd only be watching, just like with C-SPAN, which is still fun.

I can't imagine anyone with a major speaking role in the program Zoom'ing in. What makes the event interesting and fun is that it's live in person. I love seeing the spontaneity and camaraderie between competitors, those with different views or approaches, and especially people who are usually on different sides of newsgathering in their day-to-day jobs (officials and public relations staff / journalists). A few speakers participating remotely would be OK, but I hope the spirit of a live, in-person dinner continues. Freedom of the press is the bedrock of democratic self-government. We need to understand and celebrate it in the current climate. All my opinion.

 

[Gemmie]

Yes. I agree. I just wanted to note that for this type of event, C-SPAN offers the same experience as Zoom. It's not a meeting where attendees can participate fully. It's a dinner and a show. People on the program are active participants. Everyone not on the dais is the audience. In person, of course, the audience members aren't completely passive. They react to the speakers, and the speakers react to the audience. For events like this on Zoom, people in the audience would be passive. Their mics would be muted. They'd only be watching, just like with C-SPAN, which is still fun.

Oh I see. I wasn't aware of that ability. Thanks for educating me on that.

I can't imagine anyone with a major speaking role in the program Zoom'ing in. What makes the event interesting and fun is that it's live in person. I love seeing the spontaneity and camaraderie between competitors, those with different views or approaches, and especially people who are usually on different sides of newsgathering in their day-to-day jobs (officials and public relations staff / journalists). A few speakers participating remotely would be OK, but I hope the spirit of a live, in-person dinner continues. Freedom of the press is the bedrock of democratic self-government. We need to understand and celebrate it in the current climate. All my opinion.

I'd be fine with all the journalists to be there live, but the Presidential succession? Best if they aren't all there in person IMO. Others had brought up 'what if there was a bomb?' I can't even image if we lost the the entire succession. What then?

 

[MissPie]

3 problems with correspondents’ dinner security, say officials: The checkpoint, the evacuation and the venue itself

The Secret Service faces unique security risks at the Washington Hilton, which boasts one of the largest ballrooms in the city but is a functioning hotel that is difficult to secure.

www.ms.now

 

[Bodhi]

The dinners aren't entertaining anymore, imo. I'm sure I will never again laugh as hard as I did at Obama's 2011 WHCD joke about the things that "keep him up at night". OMG. Once in a lifetime hilarious!

I agree. Some of the funniest evenings I remember. I used to be a political news junkie. Now it's overload for me. The Fourth Estate ushered in this era, IMO. So I don't watch the WHCA any more either.

 

[SouthAussie]

I still disagree that MSM had anything to do with inspiring Cole Allen. The problem lies in social media, not MSM, IMO. I also think we should differentiate between MSM and opinion shows as they have a different purpose. The major change that we all recognize is the rise of editorial content and opinion shows, not necessarily in the standards of MSM.

MOO.

Jumping off your post ..... I think Cole's own way of thinking is stated pretty well, by him. He wanted to fix problems of the world. And this was his perceived way of doing that.

The only part MSM likely played was in delivering the facts of what is going on in the world today. It has been a full year of massive changes. imo


Allen’s sister, Avriana, told investigators that he had frequently spoken about doing “something” to fix problems in the world. Link

"According to these students, Mr. Allen was knowledgeable across a broad range of subjects and generally very intelligent," the statement read. "They regarded him as entirely normal and friendly in their interactions. Additionally, they expressed profound shock upon learning he may be connected to the events of April 25." Link

Allen .... did not have a criminal record prior to Saturday’s shooting. Link

 

[SouthAussie]

"King Charles will address the US Congress on Tuesday and is expected to express sympathy over the shooting incident in Washington DC over the weekend.

Security is extremely tight after shots were fired at the White House Correspondents' Dinner which the president attended on Saturday evening.

The King's speech is also expected to say that in times of great international challenges, it is more necessary than ever to stand together to defend democratic values."

King Charles and Queen Camilla meet Trump at White House

The royals have officially started the first US state visit by a reigning UK monarch in nearly 20 years.

www.bbc.com