The White House Correspondents’ Dinner wasn’t the only Washington event under threat this past weekend, as the Daily Mail has discovered.
Just a day before an armed individual disrupted the prestigious dinner at the Hilton, a different political gathering elsewhere in the city faced its own series of alarming threats. These threats forced organizers to discreetly enhance security measures in anticipation of potential trouble.
A lively rooftop gathering in Georgetown, hosted by Vanessa Santos of Renegade DC, along with Meghan McCain and Substack writer Jessica Reed Kraus, became a target of hostility after the venue’s location was inadvertently leaked online.
Initially, the situation involved the typical online hostility but it soon escalated into a far more dangerous situation.
The Renegade Women’s Cocktail Party site received death threats that were so concerning that the organizers contacted the police, increased security presence, and stationed undercover personnel throughout the venue.
The event was attended by Cheryl Hines, the wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Health and Human Services Secretary.
The next night, she was rushed to safety by Secret Service agents after shots rang out just outside the Hilton ballroom.
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, was brought down by federal agents after he stormed the perimeter outside the ballroom where the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was being held. He was charged on Wednesday with attempted assassination, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and illegally transporting guns and ammunition across state lines.
The latest revelation leads to more questions about the level of security across the nation’s capital over one of its biggest weekends of the year.
Renegade DC boss Vanessa Santos, actress Cheryl Hines and House Inhabit writer Allison Reed Kraus attending the PR firm’s cocktail party last Friday. Security was ramped up after threats were made against the event online
The Renegade Women’s cocktail party happened the day before the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, which was targeted by a gunman
Security officials evacuate Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and his wife, Hines, after a shooter opened fire during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner
‘That we must worry for our safety at a cocktail reception celebrating free speech is a grim symptom of the times,’ Kraus told the Daily Mail after the shooting.
Guests arriving at the Grand Hotel rooftop on Friday sipped cocktails and took in Georgetown views as Washington’s political class gathered for one of the most anticipated weekends of the year.
The guest list spanned media heavyweights, political insiders and high-profile personalities, including actress Hines, broadcaster Clay Travis, commentator Scott Jennings and former White House press secretary Sean Spicer.
But behind the scenes, organizers were on edge.
Kraus was even asked to provide a list of known stalkers ahead of the event so security could block them from entering – an extraordinary step for what was billed as a celebration of free speech.
Despite the heightened precautions, the party went ahead without incident.
‘At every step of the way we were taken care of,’ Santos said. ‘At no point was I scared because event organizers took every threat seriously.’
RFK Jr and Hines pose for photographers before the event began at the Washington Hilton
Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele and Outkick founder and radio host Clay Travis attend the Renegade party
Podcaster Meghan McCain chats with guests at the Renegade event
But just hours later, the mood in Washington would turn from uneasy to outright fear.
As news broke that an armed man had stormed the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, panic rippled across the city.
Santos, who had skipped the dinner and was heading to another after-party, said events across DC were suddenly thrown into lockdown.
‘Everybody was scared and stunned,’ she said. ‘Nobody really knew what the streets of DC were bringing that night.’
The Substack party she had planned to attend was locked down as a precaution. Instead, she went home.
Others made similar decisions. Kraus cut her weekend short and flew out of Washington early, abandoning plans to attend further events.
For many attendees, the threats of the previous evening now felt like a blaring warning.
The weekend’s events – from online threats to real-world violence – have left political insiders shaken, with many warning that security concerns are now impossible to ignore.
‘I think everyone feels really uneasy right now,’ Santos said. ‘Nobody is doing anything without taking security extremely seriously.’
In the wake of the chaos, she admitted future events may be far more secretive – with locations and details kept under wraps to avoid becoming targets.
What was meant to be a celebratory weekend for Washington’s media and political elite instead became a stark reminder of how quickly the mood can shift – and how vulnerable even the most high-profile gatherings have become.
