Donald Trump returned Friday to the Washington hotel where, only months earlier, an alleged assassination attempt against the President unfolded during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Trump was scheduled to deliver remarks at the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s “Road to Majority” conference at the Washington Hilton.
“We’re going to have a more pleasant experience” this time, Trump told the crowd, adding that he knew the room well in a reference to his previous visit to the hotel.
On that occasion, Trump was hurried out by Secret Service agents after a gunman allegedly forced his way through a security checkpoint with a shotgun and exchanged fire with authorities.
The Secret Service said in a statement that protective measures for Friday’s event would be “sophisticated and layered,” but the scene inside and around the venue appeared far less robust.
People arriving for the Road to Majority event were not required to present identification or a ticket to enter the hotel, and there was no obvious surge in law enforcement personnel visible on the property.
During the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25, loud gunfire rang out near the large banquet hall where the President, senior Cabinet members and numerous lawmakers were gathered. The chaos prompted thousands of attendees to scramble beneath tables for safety.
Trump was swiftly removed from the stage by his security team, taken to a secure holding area and later driven by motorcade back to his residence.
‘It’s not a particularly secure building,’ Trump said at a White House press conference while still wearing his tuxedo on the evening of the April 25 shooting.
The Department of Justice charged Cole Thomas Allen, a 31-year-old resident of Torrance, California, with attempting to assassinate the President, assaulting a federal officer, and firearm charges. Allen later pleaded not guilty, though he remains in federal custody. He faces up to life in prison.
‘While the existing security plan at the April 2026 White House Correspondents Dinner was effective in interdicting an identified threat, the agency continually reviews our security posture and will make adjustments, as necessary,’ a Secret Service official told Daily Mail.
Trump is delivering remarks at the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s ‘Road to Majority’ event at the Washington Hilton
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25 as gunshots rang out
Cole Thomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, took this selfie before rushing a security checkpoint with a shotgun, a handgun and knives
Allen can be seen here rushing through a magnemometer with a shotgun as a law enforcement officer opens return fire. Allen allegedly shot the agent with a shotgun, though the agent survived with minor injuries
Trump previously survived two attempts on his life during his 2024 presidential campaign.
In July 2024, he was grazed with a bullet during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania and in September 2024, a gunman stalked the Republican as he golfed at one of his resorts in Florida.
The Washington Hilton has hosted the annual journalist dinner dozens of times and frequently hosts events involving the President, including the National Prayer Breakfast.
It is also the site where former President Ronald Reagan survived an assassination attempt in 1981.
The Faith and Freedom Coalition is an evangelical Christian group that has supported Trump and Republican lawmakers.
The President has championed many causes supported by the group, including attempted bans on transgender athletes playing in women’s sports and advocating for large families.
Still, Trump has drawn criticism from his Christian supporters after the President posted an AI-generated image showing him as a Jesus-like figure healing the sick and posting ‘praise be to Allah’ on Easter when penning a furious post about the Iran war.
These critics have also slammed the President for being lax on anti-abortion positions and for his ceasefire deal with Iran, which some have argued does not support Israel’s larger goal of taking on Iran.
The exterior of the Washington Hilton the day after the WHCD shooting
Agents draw their guns after loud bangs were heard during the White House Correspondents’ dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC, on April 25, 2026
Attendees at the WHCD were put on lockdown after the shots rang out
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner has since been rescheduled for the end of July after the President said shortly after the shooting that he wants a redo of the event.
The rescheduled event will not occur at the Washington Hilton but instead will be hosted at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in DC.
The White House Correspondents’ Association has said that the rescheduled event will feature heightened security protocols and a smaller guest list.
