How another shooter got so close to Trump

Summary

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Apple News Today – Episode Summary

Episode Title: How another shooter got so close to Trump
Date: April 27, 2026
Host: Cecilia Ley
Main Theme:
An in-depth account of the attempted shooting at President Trump during the White House Correspondents Dinner, exploring how the suspect breached security, reactions from those present, implications for security protocols, and the wider political context. Also, coverage of the UK state visit and historic marathon achievement.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Attempted Attack at the White House Correspondents Dinner

• Event Overview

  • The shooting occurred during the White House Correspondents Dinner at the Washington Hilton, attended by more than 2,000 journalists and dignitaries ([00:23]).
  • An armed man rushed past a security checkpoint toward the ballroom, was apprehended before reaching the President. One Secret Service agent was injured; no fatalities ([00:38]).

• President Trump's Experience

  • Trump described being hurried to the floor with the First Lady as gunfire erupted ([00:14], [03:04]).
  • In a 60 Minutes interview, he recalled resisting being moved at first, wanting “to see what was happening” ([03:04]).
  • Trump’s praise for law enforcement:

    “Incredibly acted upon by Secret Service and law enforcement... I saw a room that was just totally unified. It was in one way very beautiful... A man charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons and he was taken down by some very brave members of Secret Service and they acted very quickly.” — Donald Trump ([03:29])

• Eyewitness Testimony

  • White House correspondent Amer Madhani described initial confusion, thinking “something very heavy falling” before realizing it was gunfire ([02:10]).
  • Detailed the crowd quickly ducking under tables as Secret Service took action ([02:33]):

    “All of a sudden you see some Secret Service come and then very, very quickly he's sort of ducking down. Everybody then in order is ducking down on the stage and then everybody in the room...getting under the tables, close to the ground, trying to shield themselves with their chairs.” — Amer Madhani ([02:33])

The Suspect and Security Lapses

• Suspect Profile

  • Identified as Cole Thomas Allen, 31, from Los Angeles, a self-employed game designer and part-time teacher ([04:11]).
  • Traveled to DC by train, booked a hotel in advance (the same Hilton where the incident occurred) ([04:11], [05:11]).
  • Left behind a note referring to “crimes of the administration,” labeled himself “a friendly federal assassin”; did not mention Trump by name but prioritized administration figures ([04:44]).

• Details of the Breach

  • Entered easily as a registered guest — hotel was open to guests though closed to the public ([05:11]).
  • Security footage: Allen sprinted ~60ft past a magnetometer and guards, reaching a staircase directly to the ballroom ([05:11]).
  • Carried a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives ([05:30]).

• Suspect’s Complaint about Security

  “The security at the vent is all outside focused on protesters and current arrivals because apparently no one thought about what happens if someone checks in the day before.” — Allen, via text to family ([06:32])

• Law Enforcement & Administration Responses

  • Secret Service Director Sean Curran emphasized “multi-layered protection” but acknowledged the close call ([07:03]).
  • Acting AG Todd Blanche: “While this was extraordinarily dangerous ... the suspect didn't get very far. He barely broke the perimeter. ... The system worked.” ([07:51])
  • U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro: Allen will be charged with using a firearm and assault on a federal officer; more charges expected ([04:44]).

• Debates on Security Sufficiency

  • Former Homeland Security official Samantha Vinograd raised concerns about screening only those entering the ballroom, not all hotel guests ([08:40]).
  • Trump criticized the Hilton as “not a particularly secure building,” advocating for a new (still unbuilt) White House ballroom ([09:33]):

    “This is why we have to have all of the attributes of what we're planning at the White House. It's actually a larger room and ... a much more secure [space].” — Donald Trump ([09:33])

Venue and Event Implications

• History of Violence at the Hilton

  • Same hotel where President Reagan was shot in 1981 ([08:17]).
  • Security strengthened since then, but building’s configuration makes it difficult to fully control.

• Ongoing Security and Legal Debates

  • Trump administration’s push to finish the White House ballroom (delayed by lawsuits), using the attempted attack to argue for faster completion ([09:44]).

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The UK State Visit — Diplomatic Stakes Amid Turbulence

• Overview

  • King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive in the US for a state visit despite the shooting ([09:55]).
  • Purpose: commemoration of 250 years since US independence and bolstering UK-US ties ([11:31], [12:45]).

• Tensions Between US and UK

  • Recent strains over UK’s slow military support for US operations in Iran ([12:02]).
  • Trump has publicly criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer, making comparisons to Churchill and voicing displeasure at UK policies ([11:31], [11:45]).

• Diplomatic Risks

  • Visit put together at a time of better relations; now overshadowed by military conflicts and US-UK disagreements ([12:45]).
  • King’s Congressional address could contain subtle political signals about multilateralism and alliances ([13:50]).

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Making Marathon History

• London Marathon Milestone
  • Kenyan runner Sebastian Sawhe breaks the two-hour barrier in a legal marathon race, finishing in 1:59:24 ([16:22]).
  • Second place: Ethiopia’s Yomif Khajelcha, also under two hours ([16:22]).
  • Notable detail: Sawhe’s pre-race meal — “two slices of bread, ham and tea” ([16:22]).

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Notable Quotes & Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Highlight | |-----------|---------|-----------------| | 00:14 | Trump | “I was walking out... they said please go down to the floor, please go down to the floor. So I dropped to the floor. So did the first Lady.” | | 02:33 | Amer Madhani | “...very, very quickly... he's sort of ducking down. Everybody then in order is ducking down on the stage... getting under the tables... ” | | 03:29 | Trump | “...an event dedicated to freedom of speech... a room that was just totally unified. It was in one way very beautiful... ” | | 06:19 | Trump | “He was fast. When you look at it on tape, it's almost like a blur...” | | 07:28 | Curran (Secret Service) | “Tonight we saw exactly what our brave men and women do... They performed admirably.” | | 07:51 | Blanche (AG) | “...the suspect didn't get very far. He barely broke the perimeter. ... The system worked.” | | 08:40 | Vinograd | “...whether in this threat environment it is appropriate and sufficient to only have physical screening of individuals coming into the actual ballroom itself versus...all entering the hotel...” | | 09:33 | Trump | “This is why we have to have all of the attributes of what we're planning at the White House. It's actually a larger room and ... a much more secure [space].” | | 11:45 | Trump | “UK said that oh no, we'll send ships as soon as the war is over and that's not good, that's not good. We just can't have that.” | | 13:50 | David Charter | “It'll be interesting to see if there are some reminders or gentle nudges about some of the important political issues on the agenda...” |

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Timeline Timestamps for Key Segments

• Trump’s personal account: [00:14], [03:04], [03:29], [06:19], [09:33]
• Eyewitness perspective (Amer Madhani): [01:50]–[02:56]
• Suspect background and note: [04:11]–[04:44]
• Security breach details: [05:11]–[05:30], [06:32]
• Security/law enforcement assessment: [07:03], [07:51], [08:17]
• Venue security debate & White House ballroom discussion: [08:40], [09:33]
• UK state visit segment: [09:55]–[14:10]
• Marathon record: [16:22]

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Tone and Takeaways

• Tone: Urgent, reflective, and fact-driven, with direct voices from those present (notably President Trump and Amer Madhani). The episode balances the recounting of chaotic, frightening moments with sober analysis of what allowed the breach and what must change.
• Takeaway: The attempted shooting underscored vulnerabilities in event security for gatherings of political leaders and may catalyze changes in screening policy and venue selection for high-profile political events. The ensuing unity at the event was poignant, but deeper questions remain about security planning and political tensions both domestic and international.

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Transcript

[Cecilia Ley]

Good morning. Authorities suggest President Trump and his officials were the likely targets for Saturday's attempted attack as Trump recounts his memories of the night.

[Donald Trump]

I was walking out, it was pretty about halfway there and they said please go down to the floor, please go down to the floor. So I dropped to the floor. So did the first Lady.

[Cecilia Ley]

We'll hear from one reporter who was in the room. Look at what's known about the suspect and of the security operation that was in place at the hotel. Also the the UK's king and queen arrive in the US today for a rare state visit. The Times in London explains why there could be a lot riding on its success. And marathon history is made as one man breaks the two hour barrier. It's Monday, April 27th. I'm Cecilia Ley and this is Apple News Today. Saturday's White House Correspondents Dinner was a highly anticipated event, the first to be attended by Trump as president. More than 2,000 journalists and dignitaries were at the Washington Hilton gathered together to celebrate the First Amendment. But what unfolded on the night was chaos and confusion as the country's capitol bore witness to another act of political violence. That's the sound of gunfire heard at around 8:30pm Eastern time. A man had rushed past a security checkpoint and towards the ballroom. He was apprehended before he could make it and no one was killed. The though one Secret Service agent was shot and injured. When the gunfire ran out, the music stopped and guests were urged to get down to the ground.

[Amer Madhani]

I was sitting, I want to say about four or five tables back from the stage, pretty center to where the President's was sitting.

[Cecilia Ley]

Amer Madhani is a White House correspondent for the Associated Press. He was deep in conversation with a Danish diplomat discussing the fate of Greenland when the shots were heard.

[Amer Madhani]

There's noise in the back of the room and to me, when I heard the noise before even we saw the reaction, I took it for something very heavy falling and there were multiple, I thought I heard three or four heavy things dropping.

[Cecilia Ley]

Trump was speaking in close quarters to the evening's entertainer on stage just before authorities jumped into action.

[Amer Madhani]

All of a sudden you see some Secret Service come and then very, very quickly he's sort of ducking down. Everybody then in order is ducking down on the stage and then everybody in the room for the most part noticing this starts to do exactly the same thing and getting under the tables, close to the ground, trying to shield themselves with their chairs, the best they can do.

[Cecilia Ley]

In an interview on 60 Minutes Sunday night, Trump recounted the moment Secret Service agents moved to evacuate him and the First Lady.

[Donald Trump]

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 him. I wanted to see what was going on and by that time we started to realize maybe it was a bad problem.

[Cecilia Ley]

Just a couple of hours after the shooting, Trump, still wearing his tuxedo, gave a press conference that was very unexpected

[Donald Trump]

but incredibly acted upon by Secret Service and law enforcement. And this was an event dedicated to freedom of speech that was supposed to bring together members of both parties with members of the press. And in a certain way it did because the, the fact that they just unified. I saw a room that was just totally unified. It was in one way very beautiful, a very beautiful thing to see. A man charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons and he was taken down by some very brave members of Secret Service and they acted very quickly.

[Cecilia Ley]

The suspect has been identified as Cole Thomas Allen, a 31 year old man from Los Angeles. Social media accounts linked to him suggest he's a self employed game designer and part time teacher. Allen traveled to D.C. by train and booked his hotel in advance. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told NBC that investigators believed it was a targeted attack by Allen.

[Todd Blanche]

It does appear that he, he did in fact have set out to target folks that work in the administration, likely including the President, but, but I want to wait and not get ahead of us on that.

[Cecilia Ley]

Allen reportedly left behind a roughly 1,000 word long note. In it he doesn't mention Trump by name, but wrote that administration figures was his quote targets prioritized from highest ranking to lowest. The note refers to what he calls crimes of the administration and calls himself a quote, friendly federal assassin. The letter was sent to family members and the Washington Post reports that Allen's family contacted police after receiving it. U.S. attorney for Washington D.C. jeanine Pirro said the suspect would be charged with two counts of using a firearm and an assault on a federal officer. She added that many more charges were expected to be filed. How a shooter got so close to the President will now be the subject of intense scrutiny over the coming days. The dinner was held in the subterranean ballroom of the Washington Hilton. The hotel was closed to the public from Saturday afternoon, but it was still in operation for guests. D.C. police confirmed that the suspect had booked a room, giving him the ability to easily enter and exit the building. In footage Trump posted online, the suspect appears to sprint past a security checkpoint. Footage analyzed by the Washington Post suggests he ran about 60ft past a magnetometer and several guards. Its analysts Concluded that he reached the top of a staircase that led directly down to the ballroom. That's where he was photographed pinned to the ground. Officials told the Associated Press he was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives. Trump addressed that moment in his 60 Minutes interview.

[Donald Trump]

He was fast. When you look at it on tape, it's almost like a blur. But it was amazing because as soon as they saw that you could see them draw their guns, they were so professional, aimed their guns, and then they took them down immediately.

[Cecilia Ley]

In his note to family, the suspect reportedly expressed surprise at what he regarded as lax security. According to Bloomberg, which has seen the text, he wrote, quote, the security at the vent is all outside focused on protesters and current arrivals because apparently no one thought about what happens if someone checks in the day before. At Saturday night's press conference, Secret Service Director Sean Curran defended the agency's response and paid tribute to the service member injured in the operation to contain the suspect.

[Donald Trump]

Tonight we saw exactly what our brave men and women do each and every day to protect our protectees. It's not easy, and I will tell you that they performed admirably. We got to see what they do. And that individual, when he charged a checkpoint, was apprehended. It shows that our multi layered protection works and I'm grateful to our partners that help assist us with building these sites and protecting these sites.

[Cecilia Ley]

The event was unusual in having so many high ranking officials in one place. The Vice President was there and so was the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and the speaker of the house, Mike Johnson. NBC's Kristen Welker was also there. And the following morning, she asked Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche if it was safe to have so many leading members of the administration attending the event.

[Todd Blanche]

Yes, of course, we're not going to stop living. We're not going to start doing our jobs. We're not going to start stop all the work that we're doing every day. And let's not forget that the suspect didn't get very far. He barely broke the perimeter. And by barely, I mean by a few feet. And so while this was extraordinarily dangerous and put a lot of lives at risk, and there's no doubt that, that that's something that we're gonna have to learn from over the next couple weeks. The system worked.

[Cecilia Ley]

The hotel carries a grim history of political violence. It was outside the doors of the Washington Hilton that President Reagan was shot in 1981. After that, security for the hotel was strengthened to accommodate presidents. But the nature of the building makes it difficult to completely seal off from danger. Samantha Vinograd was a Homeland Security official under President Biden and a contributor to cbs. She was also at the dinner and said the shooting raises about managing so many VIPs in a relatively public setting, especially for a president who has already faced two assassination attempts in 2024. I certainly think they will be looking at whether in this threat environment it is appropriate and sufficient to only have physical screening of individuals coming into the actual ballroom itself versus a different model whereby individuals actually entering the hotel have to go through some sort of physical screening to ensure that they don't have firearms or other potential instruments on them that could inflict harm. The White House Correspondents Dinner has been held at the Hilton for years, and there's no indication that security was different this time around. During a press conference after the shooting, Trump suggested the hotel was, quote, not a particularly secure building and the attempted attack showcased the need for his White House ballroom.

[Donald Trump]

I didn't want to say this, but this is why we have to have all of the attributes of what we're planning at the White House. It's actually a larger room and it's

[Cecilia Ley]

a much more secure Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate has now written a letter to the National Trust for Historic Preservation urging them to end their lawsuit of the $400 million project which has held up construction. The letter reads, quote, I hope yesterday's narrow miss will help you finally realize the folly of the suit. A judge ruled recently that Trump needed congressional approval for such a dramatic overhaul of the White House. Recently, a federal appeals court allowed Trump to continue some of the construction work, but the legal battle ongoing. It's worth noting Saturday's event is hosted by the White House Correspondents association, not the White House, so it's not at all clear that moving forward, the gala would even be held at the proposed ballroom. Regardless, Saturday's incident might become a critical part of the administration's argument to continue building as they seek an exemption on safety grounds. The UK's King Charles and Queen Camilla will arrive in the US as planned today. Despite Saturday's attempted attack, British officials told Reuters that only minor adjustments were made to the four day schedule, which includes an address to Congress commemorating 250 years since US independence. The state visit comes at a crucial time for UK and US relations. Speaking to the BBC, one royal source described it as high risk, high stakes, and high opportunity. Just under a year ago, President Trump was offering the UK a preferential tariff deal. Joking with Prime Minister Keir Starmer about their differences.

[Donald Trump]

We've become friends in a short period of time. He's slightly more liberal than I am, to put it my slightly on the left for some reason. We get along, we make it work.

[Cecilia Ley]

Now Trump is openly critical of Starmer, comparing him unfavorably to Winston Churchill. On Sunday, Trump repeated his complaint that the UK hadn't offered more military support in the Middle East. In an interview with Fox, as you

[Donald Trump]

know, UK said that oh no, we'll send ships as soon as the war is over and that's not good, that's not good. We just can't have that.

[Cecilia Ley]

Starmer has consistently replied that he was acting in the UK's national interest. David Charter is a senior editor with the Times of London based in D.C.

[David Charter]

there has been tension over the U. S Israel war in Iran because President Trump was not happy that the British were rather slow to give access to bases that were required for US planes to make bombing runs over Iran. That was resolved, but it left a bad taste and it has fueled some long running criticism from President Trump just about British policy.

[Cecilia Ley]

As Charter says, Trump has widened his attacks in recent weeks, taking aim at the country's migration policies and its investment in green energy. That animosity has changed the tenor of the royals visit, which was conceived in very different times, really.

[David Charter]

This was envisaged as a celebration to join in with the 250th anniversary party, if you like, for American independence this year, repeating Queen Elizabeth's visit in 1976, which was a tremendous success. And of course the Iran war and a couple of other matters have put some clouds on the horizon.

[Cecilia Ley]

Trump is known to be very fond of the British monarchy and speaks warmly of the King. But the visit puts Charles in a tricky position as he attempts to charm the President while avoiding any of the issues currently dividing the two countries. Some UK politicians even called for it to be delayed until the war with Iran ends in case the monarch is publicly embarrassed. Charles is the head of state, not the government, so formal politics is off the agenda and the schedule has been carefully designed to minimize the risk of any awkward moments so there won't be any Oval Office sit downs with the press. But Charter told us that the King's speech to Congress will still be worth keeping an eye on for any message he might want to deliver.

[David Charter]

It'll be interesting to see if there are some reminders or gentle nudges about some of the important political issues on the agenda, such as the British support for multilateral institutions like the United nations and NATO, which seem to be out of favor with the current administration.

[Cecilia Ley]

Charles speech will only be the second time that a British monarch has addressed Congress. The last time was by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1991. Before we let you go, a few other stories we're following. Peace prospects between the US And Iran hit another roadblock this past weekend. On Saturday, Trump canceled a trip to Pakistan by his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, posting on Truth Social that it was too much work and time wasted on traveling and pointed to Iran's fractured leadership. Trump's remarks follow last week's cancellation of Vice President Vance's trip to Islamabad. The White House says the Iran ceasefire has been extended indefinitely until officials in Tehran present a proposal to end the war. Meanwhile, competing blockades in the Strait of Hormuz are still in place. Hundreds of ships remain stranded inside the Gulf. Republicans now have a clear path to advance Kevin Warsh, Trump's pick to be the next Federal Reserve chair. Republican Senator Thom Tillis has been blocking Warsh's confirmation over his opposition to the Justice Department's criminal investigation of the current Fed chair, Jerome Powell, and the costs associated with the Fed's headquarters renovations. But on Sunday, he said he was satisfied that investigation had now been dropped. Powell had faced heavy pressure from Trump to lower interest rates, and critics said the investigation was just another means of exerting influence. The government's own prosecutor admitted they had no evidence of wrongdoing. U.S. attorney Jeanine Pirro said she was closing the investigation, but that an inquiry could resume if the Fed's internal watchdog found evidence of criminal wrongdoing. And finally, a Kenyan athlete has broken the men's marathon world record. At the London Marathon on Sunday, Sebastian Sawhe became the first person to run the distance 26.2 miles in under two hours in a legal race. It's Sawe versus the clock. He's gonna do it. We are gonna see a legal sub two hour marathon to Sebastian Sarwe. It's the world record by nearly a minute.

[Donald Trump]

Wow.

[Cecilia Ley]

Coming in second place was Ethiopia's Yomif Khajelcha, who also dipped under two hours, finishing in one hour, 59 minutes and 41 seconds. Running under two hours has been done before, but in unofficial races. According to the Associated Press, the London Marathon remains a staple world class running and achieving a sub two hour marathon has been in the sights of the world's greatest runners for about the last two decades. The AP credits the lowering of marathon times to improvements in training, nutrition and technique and running shoe designs and in case you're wondering what the breakfast was for this champion, Sawhe said that morning he had two slices of bread, ham and tea. You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app. And if you're already listening in the news app right now, we've got a narrated article coming up next. New York magazine explores the tragedy at Camp mystic in Texas where dozens of children died and why parents are split over whether the deaths could have been prevented. If you're listening in the podcast app, follow Apple News Narrated to find that story. And I'll be back with the news tomorrow.

[Donald Trump]

Sam.