US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the press room of the White House on April 25, 2026, after shots were fired outside the Washington Hilton ballroom where the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was held in Washington, DC.Image: keystone
April 26, 2026, 3:37 p.mApril 26, 2026, 5:26 p.m
The shooting incident at the US capital correspondents’ gala dinner with the government raises questions about the security concept. Several participants criticized the arrangements.
As seen in security camera footage, a man stormed through the Secret Service security gate shortly after the event began. Several officers pulled out their weapons and pointed them at the alleged attacker. US President Donald Trump posted the short clip himself on his Truth Social platform.
But the fact that the heavily armed man, who according to authorities had checked into the hotel, was even able to get that far raised doubts about the security concept. According to investigators, the alleged attacker was carrying a shotgun, a handgun and several knives.
The hotel entrance was apparently not secured
Attendees at the gala dinner said that presenting an invitation was enough to be allowed into the building. No identification was required. MAGA activist Kari Lake confirmed this in a post on
According to the New York Times, the entrance to the Washington Hilton itself was not secured with metal detectors. The lock to the security zone was only set up closer to the ballroom.
“Not fast enough”
Donald Trump, for his part, took advantage of the security concerns in favor of his planned ballroom in the White House. On Truth Social, the 79-year-old wrote on Sunday afternoon (CEST): “What happened last night is exactly why our great military, Secret Service, law enforcement and every president of the last 150 years have insisted that a large, safe and secure ballroom be built on the White House grounds.” This will have the “highest possible security precautions” and cannot be completed “quickly enough”.
Donald Trump’s post.Image: screenshot truth social
After a lawsuit from monument preservationists, a judge temporarily stopped construction a few weeks ago. Even then, Trump said that the hall also served for the president’s security. Following a decision by an appeals court in mid-April, construction work can continue for the time being while the legal dispute continues.
The 45th and 47th Presidents of the United States have been the target of several failed assassination attempts. In front of the Washington Hilton, where the dinner was now taking place, an attacker shot and injured then US President Ronald Reagan in 1981. (val/sda/dpa)