Cole Allen saw it. The alleged White House Correspondents’ Association dinner shooter checked into the Washington Hilton the night before the president was attending an event with a small armory. He was able to assemble his weapons, rush a checkpoint, and get off a shot before falling and being tackled by agents, reported the Times of India. A Washington Post report noted that Allen saw how lax the security was at the hotel the day before the president of the United States was arriving. He even stated that Iranian agents could have brought in far more dangerous weapons than he did.
Fox News’ Jimmy Failla saw it, “joking” about “two random chicks” who were checking people at the door. Senior Advisor to the United States Agency for Global Media, Kari Lake, saw it. She passed through security without anyone checking her credentials. Fox News’ Bill Melugin saw it. He flashed his ticket and was passed through. Nobody checked his ID against a list, he was never patted down, and he was never asked to go through a metal detector.
The alleged attacker and three guests all noticed how lax the security was at the event, yet the protection detail of the president did not see it. The protection detail of the vice president did not see it, nor did anyone else associated with law enforcement or Secret Service. It is the same lax attitude that nearly cost Trump his life in Butler, PA. And it is also a disturbing trend pointing to the fact that the current Secret Service appears incapable of protecting our president.
Jimmy Failla is a comedian, but his hot mic moment is no laughing matter.
Falia was chatting in the hotel lobby about an hour before the shooting took place, and it was as though he had a crystal ball. Here is a man with zero experience in this type of security operation, yet even he could see security was not up to snuff…
Yikes! Fox 5 caught on hot mic talking about the security at the Correspondents Dinner.
"They have like two random chicks holding the front door open. Like guys, they're not even trying anymore...they're not even secret service people. It's like the girls who work here are… pic.twitter.com/5IZCTYQfzs
— Christopher Webb (@cwebbonline) April 27, 2026
While President Trump and the media are all patting the Secret Service on the back, I took a bit of a different approach. I watched a video of someone running full speed toward a Secret Service checkpoint, with agents casually talking, leaning, and dawdling.
I watched him run what appeared to be about 10-15 yards with virtually no reaction by agents until he was at least five yards past them. I watched agents struggle to pull their weapons. I read the report of how only one agent returned fire, that being the agent who was shot by the alleged shooter, reported Sky News.
I counted the seconds from the time the shots were heard to the time Trump was covered by agents, to the time the president was removed from the situation and taken to a secure area.
Think about that… for 10 full seconds, Donald Trump and the First Lady were fully exposed while shots were heard outside the room. Had that been a distraction, Trump would be dead. If there had been multiple shooters. Trump would be dead.
The cover and move was also very sloppy, with Trump’s head again exposed during the maneuver.
In this instance, the president has no say, and I don’t really care what reasoning Trump offered the media about wanting to see what was taking place. I believe he was covering for the agents, and I understand why he is saying that. But what I saw was another horribly executed move that could have cost Trump his life… again. Agents are supposed to surround him, push him down as low as possible, and completely cover him to get him to safety. What the president wants in this situation is irrelevant because in that moment, he is not the person in charge.
But that is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of failures.
The lobby of the hotel was open to the public, which is unfathomable in my book. I can understand allowing registered guests in, but every one of them should have been fully vetted, and rooms checked. If you are staying where the president will be, that is to be expected.
The Associated Press reported that screening was closer to the ballroom itself rather than the entrance.
After the event, Lake posted to X:
"I can't believe how lax the security was at the White House correspondents dinner tonight. 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."
Melugin also posted on X, stating:
"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 through a metal detector."
It would be bad enough if this were a one-off event, but it is now an established pattern. What is supposed to be the most elite protection force in the world is nothing but a paper lion.
This started to become obvious after the attempt on Trump’s life in Butler, PA.
The shooter managed to do reconnaissance even after law enforcement spotted him. The perch where he set up should have been manned by law enforcement. Somehow, he managed to climb up on a roof, set up, and get several shots off before he was taken out by snipers.
Then there is the cover and move during this shooting. Agents were fumbling with their guns, and virtually Trump’s entire upper torso was left exposed during the maneuver to get him to safety. And while Trump's fist pump made for an iconic picture, it never should have happened. The first rule is to get the president down, completely, and fully covered by agents during the move.
One of the agents actually bent over during the maneuver to recover Trump’s shoe, leaving a clean shot to Trump’s head and torso. Again, had there been another shooter, Trump would have been dead.
The second attempt was at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course. A man was able to set up a hide along the perimeter of the golf course without being noticed. Had it not been for the agent spotting the barrel of his weapon through the fence, Trump likely would have been shot when he approached those holes. In this case, an alert agent saved Trump, but it never should have come to that.
The BBC reported that former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned after the Butler fiasco, and I think I have already made the argument that more heads need to roll after this latest incident.
That is three attempts on Trump’s life, and three epic failures by the Secret Service at even the most basic levels:
| Event | Date | What Failed | What Happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butler, PA Rally | July 2024 | Rooftop flagged as security concern. Shooter spotted with rangefinder. Local law enforcement warned Secret Service. Shooter on roof for minutes before firing. | Trump's ear grazed by bullet. Corey Comperatore killed shielding his family. Two others wounded. Director Cheatle resigned. |
| West Palm Beach | Sept 2024 | Armed suspect positioned in tree line at Trump International Golf Club while Trump was on the course. | Agent spotted rifle barrel and fired. Suspect fled. Arrested on I-95. |
| WHCD, Washington Hilton | April 2026 | Hotel lobby open to public. No ID checked at exterior checkpoint (Melugin). No ticket inspection (Lake). Hotel staff holding doors, not Secret Service (Failla hot mic). Shooter checked into the same hotel. | Allen charged magnetometer with shotgun, handgun, and knives. Officer struck in vest. President, VP, and Cabinet evacuated. |
| Three events. Three failures. One agency. One president.
In less than two years, the Secret Service has failed to prevent a shooting at a rally, a gunman in a tree line at a golf course, and a security breach at a dinner attended by the President, Vice President, FBI Director, and half the Cabinet. The rooftop in Butler was flagged beforehand. The hot mic at the WHCD captured visible security failures an hour before the shooting. The pattern is not bad luck. It is institutional failure. Sources: NY Post, Fox News, CNN, Axios, IBTimes, Secret Service statements, congressional reporting. |
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When asked about the shooting, Trump gushed over the agents, as well as taking blame for the delay in movement. Trump, during his “60 Minutes” interview, stated:
“Well, what happened is-- it was a little bit me. I wanted to see what was happening, and I wasn't making it that easy for 'em. I wanted to see what was going on. And by that time we started to realize maybe it was a bad problem, different kind of a problem, bad one. And different than what would be normal noise from a ballroom, which you hear all the time. And-- I was surrounded by great people. And I probably made them act a little bit more slowly. I said, ‘Wait a minute, wait a minute. Lemme see. Wait a minute.’ So, you know, I'm telling guys to—”
I watched the tape… There was no conversation going on. Trump was covering for the people responsible for protecting him in public, and while that is admirable, it does not do him or the country any good.
Over the last two years, these agents have proven they are incapable of protecting one of the most controversial presidents, a man who is absolutely hated by the left. They need to be on their “A” game all the time, and from what I have seen, we are not even getting their “C” game right now.
This is a systemic problem, largely grounded in training, which must be addressed. I hate coming down on these agents, who are literally willing to give up their lives for this man. But the fact of the matter is that, as much as I respect what they do, they are not doing it right.
Butler, PA. West Palm Beach, FL. Washington, DC. Three different attempts, three epic failures by the Secret Service.
If the Secret Service does not fix what is broken, they are not going to be protecting a president. They are going to be carrying one.
