The Secret Service said security will be significantly increased for Friday night’s rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, nearly three months after prosecutors say an armed California man attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump and other administration officials during the annual event.
The dinner, which first took place on April 25 at the Washington Hilton, was interrupted after authorities say Cole Allen descended from the hotel’s 10th floor, attempted to breach security barriers, and fired a shotgun before he was taken down by a Secret Service agent and quickly detained. One Secret Service officer was struck by gunfire and suffered minor injuries.
Friday evening’s WHCD at the Waldorf Astoria on Pennsylvania Avenue marks the first time in decades that the event has not taken place at the Washington Hilton.
Friday night’s event, including Trump’s speech, will be streamed live on The Daily Wire.
As reported by Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan, the Secret Service said on Friday that it is committed to ensuring the safety and security of the dinner, sharing that “Secret Service personnel have been in collaboration with the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA), hotel security, and law enforcement partners at the federal and local level.”
Guests should expect to see a “visible police presence around the Waldorf Astoria hotel,” Anthony Guglielmi, U.S. Secret Service chief of communications said on Friday. Guglielmi added that there will be enhanced traffic closures due to the location of the event. All dinner guests will also have to go through “airport-style magnetometer screening.”
“We are confident that our robust security plan will ensure the safety of our protectees and attendees, just as our plan did in April,” Guglielmi said. “Our agency grows and adapts from every event we secure, and we have engaged with WHCA to ensure attendees are given timely information in the unlikely event on an emergency during the event.”
The heightened security comes as the Secret Service faces a surge in threats against the people it protects. Secret Service Director Sean Curran said this week that the agency investigated approximately 10,000 threats involving its protectees, including Trump, during the first half of 2026. Curran said the number was unlike anything he had seen in his 24 years with the agency. By comparison, the Secret Service opened roughly 7,000 threat cases during the first half of 2025.
According to the Secret Service, guests will enter the ballroom through a separate entrance rather than the hotel’s main lobby.
“Guests will see a visible police presence around the Waldorf Astoria hotel and there will be enhanced traffic closures due to proximity to major thoroughfares,” Guglielmi said. “All ticketed guests will go through airport-style magnetometer screening to enter the event.”
He added that roads immediately surrounding the hotel will be closed Friday evening and that ticket holders will receive specific arrival instructions before the event. Each ticket will also be screened by event staff before guests proceed through Secret Service security.
The move to the Waldorf Astoria will also result in a much smaller event than in previous years. The Washington Hilton, which has traditionally hosted the dinner, can accommodate more than 4,000 attendees in one of the District’s largest ballrooms. By comparison, the Waldorf Astoria ballroom has a maximum banquet capacity of about 1,300 guests.
The White House Correspondents’ Association will also honor Secret Service Police Officer Victor Gonzales during Friday night’s dinner for his actions during the April shooting. Gonzales was wounded while responding to the attack and will receive the association’s President’s Award for Exceptional Service.
“The WHCA is deeply grateful that law enforcement officials prevented the armed suspect from entering the ballroom,” WHCA President Weijia Jiang of CBS News said in a statement.
“Officer Gonzales played a significant role when he ran toward danger so that thousands of others could make it home safely. His courage stemmed from a dedication to service, which we are looking forward to honoring this week.”
Surveillance video released by the Department of Justice shows Allen walking through hallways inside the Washington Hilton before the shooting. Another video shows Allen allegedly charge a security barricade before shots were fired. Allen remains in federal custody in Washington, D.C. while awaiting trial on four charges.
.png)
.png)
