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EXCERPT:
He dashed past those checkpoints: Cole Allen, 31, sprinted as if he were running the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, nearly breaching the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. If he had gained access to the ballroom, he planned to kill Trump officials and the president himself—it was all in his manifesto. He also admitted his targets to the police. Cole was apprehended by police before he was able to enter the venue, which led to top government officials and President Trump being evacuated from the event.
How did this happen? Another close call is nearly as bad as the assassination attempt itself, so what’s going on? First, Allen was already a hotel guest, traveling from Torrance, California, to D.C. by train. He checked in on Friday. Second, as Fox News’ Bill Melugin pointed out, the security wasn’t as tight as one might expect, considering that key members of the presidential line of succession were in the room:
My thoughts on the security at the WHCD last night.
The first exterior security for me was on the street outside of the hotel. I flashed my ticket and was waved through in one second. My name was not checked against any list, I showed no ID, I was not patted down and did not go…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) April 26, 2026