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Trump Praises Officers After Dinner Shooting Injures One

4/28/2026

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Left

Trump Praises Officers

President Donald Trump praised the officers who rushed to his aid, calling their appearance commendable.
An officer was struck in a vest at the Washington Correspondents’ Dinner and is expected to recover, other attendees unharmed.
Karoline Leavitt and Katie Miller posted photos, condemned the shooting as political violence.
Spouses Erin Elmore and Kieghan Nagle praised officers’ bravery and vowed not to be silenced.

Right

Kimmel Mocks Trump

Jimmy Kimmel mocked President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump in a parody sketch before the dinner turned violent.
A law-enforcement officer was hit in a ballistic vest at the Washington Hilton, while all other attendees remained unharmed.
Police identified 31-year-old Cole Allen of Torrance, California, as the armed shooter.
President Donald Trump, Melania Trump, and senior officials were evacuated by Secret Service agents.

History

Historical Context

The March 30 1981 shooting of President Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley Jr. at the Washington Hilton, in which six rounds wounded Reagan, James Brady and others, exposed gaps in Secret Service protocols. Decades later, the April 2024 Washington Correspondents’ Dinner gunfire by 31-year-old Cole Allen repeated that breach, prompting renewed agency reforms and congressional hearings on venue security.

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Trump Praises Officers

President Donald Trump praised the officers who rushed to his aid, calling their appearance commendable.
An officer was struck in a vest at the Washington Correspondents’ Dinner and is expected to recover, other attendees unharmed.
Karoline Leavitt and Katie Miller posted photos, condemned the shooting as political violence.
Spouses Erin Elmore and Kieghan Nagle praised officers’ bravery and vowed not to be silenced.

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