Netflix is rolling out the red carpet for the latest entry in media navel-gazing: a documentary detailing the absolute &#8220;horror&#8221; of reporters being left on a plane with the window shades lowered.
The streaming giant announced Tuesday that &#8220;Instadocs: The Decoy Plane&#8221; will premiere Friday, September 4. The documentary examines the July incident where the Secret Service pulled off a slick maneuver in Ankara, Turkey. Facing credible assassination threats from Iran against President Donald Trump, security officials quietly shuttled the commander-in-chief off Air Force One via a catering truck and onto a secure military transport plane.
Left behind on the main 747 was the White House press pool, blissfully unaware that Trump wasn&#8217;t aboard, only to erupt in a collective panic upon realizing they’d played the role of unwitting decoys. <a href="https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/instadocs-the-decoy-plane-what-to-know">According</a> to Netflix, &#8220;a plane full of reporters and the public they answer to were left flying blind.&#8221;
The documentary promises &#8220;firsthand accounts&#8221; from shell-shocked journalists detailing their harrowing experience. One AP photographer dramatically recounted shooting &#8220;the sh*t out of&#8221; a catering truck before receiving the horrifying command to pull down his window shade, instantly triggering his &#8220;spidey sense.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This July, while flying back from a NATO summit in Turkey, President Trump slipped off Air Force One in a catering truck and secretly boarded a different aircraft — leaving traveling reporters to fly on, unaware the president was no longer with them.
Instadocs: The Decoy Plane,… <a href="https://t.co/iuADnXxMoV">pic.twitter.com/iuADnXxMoV</a>
&mdash; Netflix (@netflix) <a href="https://x.com/netflix/status/2094779811935715344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Other reporters have <a href="https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/trump-air-force-one-decoy-reporters-threat/#:~:text=The%20New%20York%20Times'%20Maggie%20Haberman%2C%20Eric,staff%20members%2C%20to%20serve%20as%20unknowing%20decoys.%E2%80%9D">openly whined</a> about being treated as &#8220;expendable,&#8221; while the White House Correspondents’ Association fired off private notes wringing their hands over &#8220;press safety&#8221; and reporting integrity.
Because if there’s one thing the White House press corps excels at, it’s making a life-saving military operation all about themselves.
Enter reality.
Former Clinton military aide Lt. Col. Robert &#8220;Buzz&#8221; Patterson <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/man-carried-clinton-nuclear-football-reveals-scares-hell-air-force-one-story">torched</a> the media’s melodramatic narrative, calling the Secret Service’s high-stakes shell game &#8220;brilliant&#8221; and routine.
Patterson pointed out that presidential decoys, stealth plane swaps, and catering-truck tactics are standard operating procedures administrations have used for decades, including Clinton’s, to protect the presidency in high-threat environments. He scoffed at the media&#8217;s safety outrage, noting the decoy jet carried senior Cabinet officials, full Air Force crews, and was escorted by U.S. fighter jets.
&#8220;We do it all the time,&#8221; Patterson said, warning that the media&#8217;s hyperventilating and dangerous leaks about classified security protocols actually put future presidents and military personnel in harm&#8217;s way. He stated, &#8220;I hope that they prosecute this to the fullest. Whoever leaked that, in my opinion, and having been involved in this, was highly placed in that process. There’s only a few people who actually know exactly what’s going down, and that’s by design. So if somebody leaked it, it was somebody involved in the process, and that scares the hell out of me.&#8221;
While the press corps treats a routine, successful counter-threat operation like a traumatic thriller, Netflix is more than happy to cash in on the drama.
Don&#8217;t forget to close your window shades.

CORRECTION / TURKEY-NATO-SUMMIT-DEFENCE

The Crying Game: Netflix Announces Doc On Reporters Left ‘Flying Blind’ Aboard Trump’s Decoy Plane

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A heavily armed intruder <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/armed-man-arrested-outside-trump-golf-course-ahead-of-presidents-visit">caught</a> lurking around President Donald Trump’s California golf resort earlier this month carried a handwritten blueprint detailing first lady Melania Trump&#8217;s private schedules and confidential Secret Service security routes, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/armed-man-arrested-trump-golf-course-allegedly-first-ladys-schedule-notes-secret-service">reports</a>.
Jeanine John Taele, 38, was arrested on August 2 by plainclothes federal agents while prowling the grounds of the Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes. The 38-year-old Marine veteran was caught snapping photos, filming, and tracking security preparations just before President Trump was supposed to appear at a <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-08-04/armed-suspect-arrested-at-trumps-rancho-palos-verdes-golf-course-in-advance-of-presidents-visit">Republican fundraising event</a>.
Deputies found a 16-round magazine stuffed with hollow-point bullets crammed into Taele’s pants pocket. A nearby search of his vehicle parked at the club uncovered a loaded pistol along with additional high-capacity ammunition. Taele told authorities he was a State Department employee assigned to a top-secret security detail.
Investigators revealed in Los Angeles County court on Wednesday that they had seized seven alarming notebooks crammed with 208 pages of hand-drawn sketches, maps of the golf club, survivalist manifestos, confidential profiles on individual Secret Service agents, and precise details of Melania Trump’s personal calendar, The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/08/26/us-news/gun-suspect-at-trump-golf-course-had-hundreds-of-secret-service-notes/">reported</a>.
Taele&#8217;s home yielded a well-stocked personal arsenal: an illegally modified, military-style AR-platform rifle, another handgun, body armor, stockpiles of bulk ammunition, radio signal devices, and notes containing sinister writings.
Just days prior to Taele’s arrest, the Secret Service launched a <a href="https://people.com/melania-and-barron-trump-targeted-for-assassination-in-iran-linked-video-12030305">full-scale probe</a> into a frightening assassination video produced by Iranian regime propagandists. The animated video, titled Where to Kill Melania, outlined Manhattan shopping areas frequented by the first lady and her 20-year-old son, Barron, even providing viewers step-by-step instructions on executing an attack.
L.A. County Judge John Lonergan Jr. suspended criminal proceedings against Taele, citing a pretrial evaluation that stated Taele was mentally unfit to stand trial. Lonergan stated, &#8220;This case itself is alarming in this day and age with the violence that is creeping into our everyday lives, especially with our partisanship in the political environment.”
The judge sent Taele to Hollywood Mental Health Court, ordering him held behind bars until a September 9 hearing.
Taele’s public defender told reporters that his client served his country in Iraq and Afghanistan and enjoys strong family support.
President Trump appeared unfazed by the incident.
&#8220;The only thing I get a little solace from is, they say only consequential presidents. And I am definitely consequential,&#8221; he said.

President Trump Attends The Inaugural Freedom 250 Grand Prix In Washington DC

Trump Golf Course Intruder Had Chilling Intel On Melania

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President Donald Trump responded to the latest potential threat against his life with a notably upbeat reaction during his first public comments on the incident.  
“Well the only thing I get a little solace from is they say only consequential presidents [are targeted for assassination] and I am definitely consequential,” Trump said when asked by Fox News&#8217;s Trace Gallagher about the ongoing concerns over assassination threats. The remarks were Trump&#8217;s first public comments on the incident and were notably briefer than his responses to previous threats.
The Secret Service is investigating whether the armed man arrested outside of Trump’s National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, on Sunday intended to harm the president. 
Jeanine John Taele, 38, was arrested after FBI agents allegedly <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/04/armed-man-arrested-before-trump-fundraising-dinner-california-01024955" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> him carrying a 16-round magazine in his pocket.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Taele was also seen taking photographs and videos near the property.
If investigators determine that Taele was targeting Trump, it would mark the third widely reported threat involving the president this year, following the Secret Service&#8217;s fatal shooting of an armed individual carrying a shotgun and gas canister near Mar-a-Lago and the arrest of a man who breached security at the White House Correspondents&#8217; Dinner.
Before 2026, President Trump survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024, when a gunman grazed his ear with a bullet. Weeks later, another armed suspect was discovered hiding with a rifle near Trump International Golf Club in Florida before authorities said he could carry out an attack.
Trump said he considers himself &#8220;consequential&#8221; because of his handling of the economy and Iran. 
Trump&#8217;s comments come after the Justice Department in 2024 <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-murder-hire-and-related-charges-against-irgc-asset-and-two">charged</a> Farhad Shakeri, whom prosecutors identified as an asset of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in connection with an alleged murder-for-hire plot that included plans to assassinate President Trump.

President Trump Hosts Cabinet Meeting At Camp David

Trump Says One Thing Sets Him Apart After Latest Security Scare

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Authorities arrested an armed man outside President Donald Trump&#8217;s Southern California golf course ahead of the president&#8217;s scheduled visit Tuesday, officials announced. 
Jeanine John Taele, 38, was arrested Sunday outside Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes after FBI agents allegedly <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/04/armed-man-arrested-before-trump-fundraising-dinner-california-01024955">found</a> him carrying a 16-round magazine in his pocket. 
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Taele was also seen taking photographs and videos near the property.
After executing a search warrant at his home in Downey on Monday, investigators said they discovered a notebook containing what they described as “concerning statements,&#8221; body armor, firearms, and ammunition. In a search of his car, authorities found a loaded pistol and loaded magazine. 
The Secret Service is <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/04/us/trump-golf-course-armed-man-arrested">reportedly</a> investigating whether Taele posed a threat to the president.  
White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said Trump traveled to California Tuesday to highlight what the administration views as the contrast between Republican and Democrat leadership. Trump is expected to attend a Republican National Committee dinner at the club Tuesday evening.
“The President will draw a sharp contrast between his commonsense agenda and the radical policies of Democrats like Gavin Newsom, who keep raising taxes, inviting rampant fraud in taxpayer-funded programs, and protecting illegal immigrant drug dealers, rapists, and murderers,” Wales said. 
The sheriff’s department emphasized that there is “no credible threat to our communities.”

President Trump Arrives At Los Angeles International Airport

Armed Man Arrested Outside Trump Golf Course Ahead Of President’s Visit

gavin newsom

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The Secret Service <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/secret-service-glimpse-whca-dinner-security-alleged-trump-assassination-attempt">said</a> security will be significantly increased for Friday night&#8217;s rescheduled White House Correspondents&#8217; 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&#8217;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&#8217;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&#8217;s event, including Trump&#8217;s speech, will be streamed live on The Daily Wire.
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-promises-unifying-yet-vicious-trump-speech-at-rescheduled-whcd?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=White+House+Promises+%E2%80%98Unifying+Yet+Vicious%E2%80%99+Trump+Speech+At+Rescheduled+WHCD">reported</a> 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.&#8221;
“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 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/10000-secret-service-threats-prove-lefts-violent-rhetoric-has-consequences">threats</a> 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&#8217;s main lobby. 
&#8220;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,&#8221; Guglielmi said. &#8220;All ticketed guests will go through airport-style magnetometer screening to enter the event.&#8221;
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&#8217;s largest ballrooms. By comparison, the Waldorf Astoria ballroom has a maximum banquet capacity of about 1,300 guests.
The White House Correspondents&#8217; Association will also honor Secret Service Police Officer Victor Gonzales during Friday night&#8217;s dinner for his actions during the April shooting. Gonzales was wounded while responding to the attack and will receive the association&#8217;s President&#8217;s Award for Exceptional Service.
&#8220;The WHCA is deeply grateful that law enforcement officials prevented the armed suspect from entering the ballroom,&#8221; WHCA President Weijia Jiang of CBS News said in a statement.
&#8220;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.&#8221;
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.

Secret Service

Inside The Secret Service’s New Security Plan For WHCD

Security

White House Correspondents’ Dinner

WASHINGTON — The rescheduled White House Correspondents Dinner will take place Friday evening in Washington, D.C., months after an assassin tried to barge into the event and target the president and top conservatives.
Friday&#8217;s White House Correspondents Dinner will take place at the Waldorf Astoria, formerly Trump Hotel, in downtown D.C. — &#8220;a Building and Ballroom that I built,&#8221; as the president said in a Truth Social post earlier this summer.
&#8220;I was asked to be there, and speak, by Weijia Jiang, President of The White House Correspondents’ Association, and have accepted,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;I don’t know whether or not I will give the same rather nasty statements, at least as it concerns certain people, but we will soon find out.&#8221;
Friday night&#8217;s event, including Trump&#8217;s speech, will be streamed live on The Daily Wire.
The previous dinner was held at the Washington Hilton, where, on April 25, a shooter named Cole Tomas Allen attempted to charge into the event and open fire on multiple top Trump administration officials, according to federal prosecutors.
Karoline Leavitt promised from the briefing room podium on Thursday that Trump &#8220;looks forward to finishing what he started&#8221; before the assassination attempt, encouraging Americans to &#8220;tune in, for what promises to be a very entertaining and memorable evening.&#8221;
“The president’s speech will be a combination of unifying yet vicious, and serious yet hilarious, all at the same time, if you can imagine that,&#8221; Leavitt added on Friday. &#8220;One thing I can assure you, it will be entertaining.”
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1143005" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-promises-unifying-yet-vicious-trump-speech-at-rescheduled-whcd/mentalist-oz-pearlman-hosts-the-white-house-correspondents-dinner-3" rel="attachment wp-att-1143005"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1143005" class="wp-image-1143005 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2273150972-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2273150972-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2273150972-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2273150972-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2273150972.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>Karoline Leavitt, Melania Trump, Donald Trump, and Weijia Jiang attend The White House Correspondents Dinner at Washington Hilton on April 25, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for OP)</div>
The Secret Service told The Daily Wire on Friday that it is committed to ensuring the safety and security of the dinner, sharing that &#8220;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.&#8221;
Guests should expect to see a &#8220;visible police presence around the Waldorf Astoria hotel,&#8221; Anthony Guglielmi, U.S. Secret Service chief of communications, shared on Friday, noting that there will be enhanced traffic closures due to the location of the event.
All guests of the dinner will have to go through &#8220;airport-style magnetometer screening,&#8221; and the roads around the Waldorf will be closed on Friday.
&#8220;We are confident that our robust security plan will ensure the safety of our protectees and attendees, just as our plan did in April,&#8221; Guglielmi said. &#8220;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.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1142985" style="width: 972px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-promises-unifying-yet-vicious-trump-speech-at-rescheduled-whcd/gunshots-fired-in-lobby-of-hotel-hosting-the-white-house-correspondents-dinner-with-president-trump-2" rel="attachment wp-att-1142985"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1142985" class="wp-image-1142985 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2273134809-962x576.jpg" alt="" width="962" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2273134809-962x576.jpg 962w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2273134809-300x180.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2273134809-768x460.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2273134809.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 962px) 100vw, 962px" /></a>This image shows Cole Tomas Allen, the suspect in the shooting incident in Washington at the annual White House Correspondents&#8217; Association Dinner, while in his hotel room at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC, on April 25, 2026. (Photo by U.S. Department of Justice/Getty Images)</div>
Weijia Jiang, the outgoing president of the White House Correspondents Association, said Friday night&#8217;s dinner will not only be an opportunity to actually hold the dinner, but it will also be &#8220;a statement that violence has no place in American life and a free press will not be intimidated into silence.&#8221;
&#8220;As you have all demonstrated, courage and community can and should rise above,&#8221; Jiang told the White House press in an emailed statement.
Authorities indicted accused assassin Allen on four charges: attempting to assassinate the president, assault on an officer of the United States with a deadly weapon, transporting a firearm, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
He is the fourth known person to attempt to assassinate Trump in the past two years. Thomas Matthew Crooks shot at Trump during his Butler, Pennsylvania rally in July 2024, Ryan Wesley Routh attempted to shoot Trump on September 15, 2024, and Austin Tucker Martin was shot and killed by authorities as he attempted to breach Mar-a-Lago in February 2026. Crooks was also killed by authorities, and Routh is serving a life sentence in prison.

President Trump Attends The White House Correspondents’ Dinner

White House Promises ‘Unifying Yet Vicious’ Trump Speech At Rescheduled WHCD

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The threats to President Donald Trump and his administration are growing rapidly.
The Secret Service has investigated approximately 10,000 threats against its protectees, including President Trump, in the first half of this year, the head of the agency revealed Wednesday, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/07/23/us-news/threats-to-us-officials-reach-unprecedented-numbers-ahead-of-rescheduled-white-house-correspondents-dinner-secret-service-boss-says/">according</a> to The New York Post.
“The numbers are numbers that this agency and certainly I have never seen in my 24-year career,” Secret Service Director Sean Curran told reporters, painting a chilling picture of an increasingly hostile political environment. In the first half of 2025, the agency opened roughly 7,000 cases.
The alarming surge comes ahead of Friday night’s rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C., which was forced to move after suspect Cole Allen stormed an April checkpoint packed with guns and knives, allegedly hellbent on killing Trump and other administration officials.
Curran defended the security apparatus, insisting “the system worked” when agents stopped Allen before he could make it in the ballroom. Yet, the relentless barrage of target-painting on the president’s back raises urgent questions about the toxic political atmosphere.
The Secret Service’s massive threat log arrives after years of terrifying, real-world attempts on Trump’s life. From a 2016 gun-grab attempt in Las Vegas and a 2017 forklift ramming attack in North Dakota, to the horrific July 2024 Butler, Pennsylvania, rally shooting, and Ryan Routh’s Florida golf course ambush, the dangers have hit unprecedented highs. Add in thwarted international assassination schemes from Iran and ISIS, and the target on Trump remains massive.
In the meantime, Left-wing rhetoric is pouring gasoline on the fire.
Democrat leaders have repeatedly branded Trump an &#8220;existential threat,&#8221; a &#8220;fascist,&#8221; and an &#8220;authoritarian.&#8221; Former President Joe Biden once boasted he’d take Trump &#8220;behind the gym and beat the hell out of him,&#8221; and infamously <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/biden-says-it-was-mistake-to-say-he-wanted-to-put-bulls-eye-on-trump-during-donor-phone-call">declared</a> &#8220;it’s time to put Trump in a bullseye&#8221; in a phone call with donors right before the Butler shooting. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) publicly egged on mobs to harass administration officials, telling crowds, &#8220;You push back on them &#8230; tell them they&#8217;re not welcome.&#8221;
The hostile drumbeat from top Democrats has only grown louder:
<ul>
<li>House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) <a href="https://floridapolitics.com/archives/792200-maximum-warfare-hakeem-jeffries-promises-dems-will-target-8-gop-incumbents-in-florida-if-redistricting-happens/#:~:text=House%20Minority%20Leader%20Hakeem%20Jeffries%20is%20threatening,statement%20shared%20by%20Punchbowl%20News'%20Jake%20Sherman.">called</a> for “maximum warfare” just days before the April WHCD attack.</li>
<li>Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) <a href="https://iqconnect.house.gov/iqextranet/view_newsletter.aspx?id=172352&amp;c=FL13VB#:~:text=Schumer%20claimed%20in%20his%20interview%20with%20MSNBC's,do.%20That's%20what%20tyranny%20is%20all%20about.%22">urged</a> supporters to &#8220;be forcefully rising up against&#8221; the president.</li>
<li>California Governor Gavin Newsom bluntly <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/24/no-holds-barred-fight-californias-governor-takes-off-his-gloves-to-punch-back-at-trump#:~:text=But%20then%20Trump%20came%20for%20California%2C%20and,Newsom%20said%20on%20a%20podcast%20last%20week.">told his base</a> to “punch these sons of b*tches in the mouth.”</li>
<li>Illinois Governor JB Pritzker <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/28/jb-pritzker-speech#:~:text=Joseph%20Gedeon%20in%20Washington.%20Mon%2028%20Apr,filled%20with%20Democratic%20activists%2C%20officials%20and%20donors.">proclaimed</a> that “Republicans cannot know a moment of peace.”</li>
<li>Minnesota Governor Tim Walz went so far as to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/tim-walz-trump-administration-ice-enforcement-republicans/">declare</a> his state is “at war with our federal government.”</li>
</ul>
Most threats originate online, but as the 10,000-case milestone proves, the leap from online hate to real-world violence is closer than ever.

BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA – July 13: Former president Donald Trump r

10,000 Secret Service Threats Prove Left’s Violent Rhetoric Has Consequences

Death Threats

Democrats

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A barrage of gunfire erupted steps from the White House on Saturday after a suspect pulled a weapon and opened fire on Secret Service officers at a nearby checkpoint. Agents returned fire, killing the suspect.
“A preliminary investigation indicates that as the individual approached, he removed a weapon from his bag and began firing at posted officers,” the U.S. Secret Service said in a <a href="https://x.com/SecretSvcSpox/status/2058341552234115202?s=20">statement.</a> “Secret Service police officers returned fire, hitting the suspect, who was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died.”
The New York Post is reporting the guy who started shooting is 21-year-old Nasire Best.
<div class="nyp-slideshow-modal-image__wrapper"><a title="Open a slideshow of all 11 article images." href="https://nypost.com/2026/05/23/us-news/white-house-on-lockdown-after-dozens-of-shots-fired/#" aria-controls="nyp-slideshow-modal" data-slideshow-modal="trigger" aria-label="Open a slideshow of all 11 article images." data-slideshow-slide-number="1" data-slideshow-slides-total="11"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-39470813" src="https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?w=809" sizes=" (max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" srcset="https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1070w, https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?resize=237,300&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 237w, https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?resize=768,973&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 768w, https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?resize=809,1024&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 809w, https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?resize=474,600&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 474w, https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?resize=465,589&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 465w, https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?resize=392,496&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 392w, https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?resize=509,644&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 509w, https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?resize=388,491&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 388w, https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?resize=223,282&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 223w, https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?resize=163,206&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 163w, https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?resize=56,71&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 56w, https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?resize=32,40&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 32w, https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?resize=55,70&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 55w, https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?resize=43,54&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 43w, https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?resize=158,200&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 158w, https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?resize=231,293&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 231w, https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?resize=322,408&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 322w, https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?resize=300,380&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 300w, https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?resize=348,441&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 348w, https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?resize=47,60&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 47w, https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?resize=63,80&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 63w, https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?resize=46,58&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 46w, https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?resize=123,156&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 123w, https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/superior-court-district-columbia-criminal-128614615.jpg?resize=39,50&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 39w" alt="Obtained by the NY Post Nasir Best, 21, opened fire on a White House checkpoint on Saturday evening." width="466" height="590" /></a></div>
He used a revolver and only got off a few shots before he was quickly shot and killed in a hail of bullets from federal officers.
While authorities have not confirmed a motive, sources told The New York Post that Best is believed to be mentally troubled, allegedly claimed to be Jesus Christ, and was already known to the Secret Service. Sources also said he had previously violated a court order requiring him to stay away from the White House.
A bystander was also hit during the shooting, though investigators say it remains unclear whether the person was hit by the suspect’s gunfire or during the “subsequent exchange of gunfire.”
<div id="attachment_1101169" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1101169" class="wp-image-1101169 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2277366955-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2277366955-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2277366955-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2277366955-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2277366955-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2277366955-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2277366955-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2277366955-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />(Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images)</div>
Around 6 p.m., reporters gathered on the White House North Lawn were suddenly rushed into the briefing room after hearing what sounded like nearly 30 gunshots nearby.
“I was in the middle of taping on my iPhone for a social video from the White House North Lawn when we heard the shots. It sounded like dozens of gunshots. We were told to sprint to the press briefing room where we are holding now,” <a href="https://x.com/selinawangtv/status/2058312115098697760">ABC reporter Selina Wang</a> posted on X.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="LISTEN: Reporter hides as barrage of gunshots erupts outside White House" width="422" height="750" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4KblC3jmce0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The Secret Service said none of its officers were injured during the shooting and confirmed that President Donald Trump “was at the White House during the incident but was not impacted.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said federal agents are assisting with the investigation.
<a href="https://x.com/OpenSourceZone/status/2058317467391255004?s=20">More dramatic video</a> showed U.S. Secret Service agents shouting at reporters to evacuate their camera positions.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Secret Service orders members of the press to abandon their reporting pods on the north lawn of the White House and go toward the briefing room after dozens of shots were heard nearby
Via <a href="https://twitter.com/NewsNation?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NewsNation</a> <a href="https://t.co/XDPJhCybVP">https://t.co/XDPJhCybVP</a> <a href="https://t.co/rPTGsgCGZz">pic.twitter.com/rPTGsgCGZz</a>
— OSZ (@OpenSourceZone) <a href="https://twitter.com/OpenSourceZone/status/2058317467391255004?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2026</a>
<div id="attachment_1101167" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1101167" class="wp-image-1101167 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2277366620-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2277366620-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2277366620-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2277366620-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2277366620-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2277366620-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2277366620.jpg 1621w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />(Photo by Ulysse BELLIER / AFP via Getty Images)</div></blockquote>
The shooting came roughly an hour after Trump announced that a deal aimed at ending the conflict with Iran was close to being finalized.
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US-POLITICS-CRIME-WHITE HOUSE

Secret Service Recounts White House Firefight After Suspect Started Shooting

News

President Trump

white house

Chinese officials have made life difficult for White House staffers, American journalists, and Secret Service agents as several chaotic scenes played out on Thursday in Beijing during President Trump&#8217;s visit to the communist nation.
In one incident, a Secret Service agent accompanying the White House press pool was denied entry into a secure area because he was carrying a firearm, which is standard protocol for Secret Service agents providing protection in foreign countries, The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/05/14/world-news/us-chinese-officials-in-shouting-and-shoving-matches-behind-scenes-of-trump-xi-summit/">reported</a>. Chinese officials would only allow the agent to move into the secure area if he handed over his firearm, resulting in a standoff and heated argument.
The standoff reportedly delayed the press pool for 30 minutes as they tried to reach Trump&#8217;s motorcade. A second agent who had already been allowed into the secure area came back to escort the journalists. The chaos was captured on the BBC&#8217;s live feed from the press pool.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Secret Service agent, Chinese security get into standoff during Trump visit" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3AVw69F2Flk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
As reporters were held back, multiple people expressed their frustration with the Chinese official, telling him, &#8220;We have to go!&#8221;
&#8220;U.S. press, we are going!&#8221; one woman said as the reporters finally pushed through.
One person was heard calling the incident a &#8220;sh*t show.&#8221;
As they moved toward the motorcade, more Chinese officials ran toward them to try to stop them, according to the Post. The American journalists, however, made it to the president&#8217;s convoy.
In a separate incident on Thursday, a female White House staffer was trampled by Chinese reporters as the reporters attempted to get into the room where Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping were set to meet. The White House aide was reportedly bruised in the incident, but she didn&#8217;t sustain any major injuries.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-set-to-land-in-china-for-high-stakes-talks-with-xi?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Daily+Wire&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=LIVE+UPDATES%3A+Trump+And+Xi+Agree+Key+Oil+Chokepoint+Must+Remain+Open">FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES</a>
The messy scenes took place shortly after China rolled out the red carpet for President Trump with a showy welcome as Trump stepped off Air Force One on Wednesday night. Trump and Xi engaged in bilateral talks for much of Thursday before the U.S. President accompanied Xi to a banquet at the Great Hall of the People.
&#8220;It was a fantastic day,&#8221; Trump said during a speech at the banquet. &#8220;And in particular, I want to thank President Xi, my friend, for this magnificent welcome.&#8221;
&#8220;We had extremely positive and productive conversations and meetings today with the Chinese delegation earlier,&#8221; Trump added.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Trump and Xi celebrate at banquet following private talks on trade and Iran" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kmedEQMyfHQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Xi Holds Welcoming Ceremony For Trump

Secret Service Agent, Chinese Security Get Into Standoff During Trump Visit

china

xi jinping

A police K9 followed would-be Trump assassin Cole Allen into a side room just seconds before he charged through a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents&#8217; Dinner last weekend, newly released Justice Department footage shows.
The <a href="https://x.com/USAttyPirro/status/2049975353976688653">video</a>, posted Thursday by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, captures the Secret Service dog trailing Allen into the room, where investigators say the gunman removed a large black jacket concealing his shotgun. The K9 briefly entered the doorway before the handler paused, looked inside for roughly 10 seconds, and appeared to speak to someone in the room.  It remains unclear whether the handler was a Secret Service agent or with another law enforcement agency.
Immediately after the officer and K9 walked away, Allen charged through the security checkpoint armed with his fully loaded Mossberg 12-gauge pump-action shotgun.  <iframe style="aspect-ratio: 9/16; max-width: 220px; display: flex; justify-content: center; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/Fe025Ts8W96EnwZO5YcmvdFQqUrErVL52?metadata-video-content-type=short&amp;metadata-video-id=b8207dd7-b178-4c04-90ec-321eb07961cd&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=Police%20K9%20zeroes%20in%20on%20gunman%20seconds%20before%20attack&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fshorts%2Fa23fdf61-a7c8-4917-8aad-c9f8da47926f.jpg&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The Daily Wire reached out to the Secret Service seeking clarification on the interaction captured in the footage.
Allen sprinted down the hallway at approximately 8:36 p.m. ET, just as agents began dismantling one of the metal detectors at the checkpoint. Minutes before he made his way downstairs from his hotel room, Allen had been monitoring news updates on the White House Correspondents&#8217; Dinner and President Donald Trump&#8217;s travel to the event at the Washington Hilton, according to court documents. The dinner began at 8:00 p.m., and Trump arrived at the hotel at 8:27 p.m.
Authorities say Allen fired one round from his shotgun as he attempted to storm the ballroom, striking one Secret Service agent who was protected by a bulletproof vest.
An agent returned fire, discharging rounds, though none struck Allen. He was ultimately subdued after falling shortly after breaching the security checkpoint.
The Secret Service has faced criticism in the aftermath, though President Trump and administration officials have praised agents for stopping Allen before he reached the ballroom.
Retired Secret Service agent Scot Bryan told The Daily Wire that the response appeared consistent with training based on the footage released.
&#8220;When you consider the point of possibility perception and the cognitive recognition of what was occurring, the officer’s reaction time was elite,&#8221; Bryan added. &#8220;The response inside the ballroom, from what video I had access to see, was excellent.&#8221;
Bryan also pushed back on claims that the agency should have secured the entire 10-floor hotel.
&#8220;In the after-action evaluation, will the service discuss policy protocols for off-site venues? I expect they will,&#8221; Bryan said. &#8220;But completely controlling a private business (a hotel or any other venue location) where a protectee visits has broad consequences that have to be examined and are not likely accepted. Critics speak of things they know very little about and espouse ideas without considering context or consequences.&#8221;
Additional footage released by the Justice Department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-brand-new-video-shows-trump-would-be-assassin-shooting-secret-service-agent?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=WATCH%3A+Brand+New+Video+Shows+Trump+Would-Be+Assassin+Shooting+Secret+Service+Agent">shows</a> Allen scouting the hotel the day before the dinner. He traveled from California to Washington, D.C., by train, arriving around 1:00 p.m. ET last Friday, according to the Justice Department.
A manifesto posted minutes before the attack said Allen intended to target top Trump administration officials and was prepared to shoot any of the attendees or law enforcement officers who stood in his way.

Cole Allen/WHCD

WATCH: Police Dog Appeared To Flag Wannabe Trump Assassin Seconds Before Attack

The man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at Saturday&#8217;s White House Correspondents&#8217; Dinner also shot a Secret Service agent&#8217;s bulletproof vest, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/correspondents-dinner-secret-service-cole-allen-rcna342788">according to NBC News</a>.
Cole Thomas Allen, 31, was armed with a shotgun, handgun, and knives when he charged through a security checkpoint inside the Washington Hilton Hotel, where the event was being held.
One floor above the ballroom packed with government officials and reporters, Allen discharged one of his weapons, hitting a Secret Service agent in the vest, NBC reported on Wednesday. Some early reports indicated the agent may have been hit by friendly fire. The Secret Service agent was released from the hospital over the weekend.
Federal authorities have charged Allen with discharging a weapon, but he has not been separately charged with assaulting a federal officer.
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Investigators are continuing to review digital evidence, including computers from Allen&#8217;s California home and devices recovered from his hotel room, a law enforcement source told NBC.
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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chilling-hotel-selfie-shows-suspect-minutes-before-he-attempted-to-murder-trump">The Daily Wire reported Wednesday</a> that Allen tracked Trump’s movements online and arming himself for the occasion, according to documents filed by the Justice Department.
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A photo included in the filings shows items laid out in Allen&#8217;s hotel room at the Washington Hilton, including what prosecutors identified as an ammunition bag, shoulder holster, sheathed knife, and tools.

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<div id="attachment_1086249" style="width: 319px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1086249" class=" wp-image-1086249" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Untitled-design-2026-04-29T094114.136-300x171.jpg" alt="" width="309" height="176" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Untitled-design-2026-04-29T094114.136-300x171.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Untitled-design-2026-04-29T094114.136-1012x576.jpg 1012w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Untitled-design-2026-04-29T094114.136-768x437.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Untitled-design-2026-04-29T094114.136.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 309px) 100vw, 309px" />Credit: DOJ</div>
According to the documents, Allen monitored live coverage of Trump&#8217;s arrival at the event shortly before the attack.
At about 8:30 p.m., Allen left his hotel room and made his way toward the event. As he approached a security checkpoint, he threw off a long black coat that concealed his shotgun, then charged through the checkpoint and headed toward a staircase leading to the ballroom.
“Had the defendant achieved his intended outcome, he would have brought about one of the darkest days in American history,&#8221; prosecutors wrote.
Allen faces charges of attempting to assassinate the president of the United States, transporting a firearm and ammunition across state lines with intent to commit a felony, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. If convicted, he faces life in prison.

Cole Allen

Bullet That Struck Secret Service Agent’s Vest Now Traced To Would-Be Assassin

Bullet That Struck Agent’s Vest Now Traced To

Cole Thomas Allen

A security camera captured video of the alleged would-be assassin charging through a magnetometer at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Saturday night. Some saw the ease with which he breached the security perimeter as a failure. It wasn’t. The perimeter allowed Secret Service and other security officers to immediately identify and take down a deadly threat. That’s a successful exercise in prevention and protection, and it required careful preparation.
The partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) didn’t have any direct impact on the effectiveness of the response on Saturday. But with the shutdown now in its 11th week, Congress is playing with fire. The vital government function of prevention — the department’s most important mission — is challenging enough when DHS is running at full capacity. Congress should restore funding to end the shutdown now, before its cumulative effect leads to a catastrophic failure.
The establishment of DHS in 2003 was a massive effort to improve the federal government’s ability to prevent harm to Americans. The immediate context was the 9/11 attack and the lack of coordination among government agencies that allowed the al-Qaeda plot to go forward undetected. By the broadest measure — the non-recurrence of a 9/11-scale attack or anything close — the DHS consolidation of agencies, breakdown of silos, and the addition of preventive legal authorities have been a success.
Beyond examples like the Secret Service, whose importance in protecting the president and other VIPs is obvious, government preventive activities have always been a tough sell. One problem is that it’s not easy to prove you have successfully prevented something. Some will always argue that the bad thing in question would never have happened anyway. Foiled plots to kill the president end up in federal court, and a conviction requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt, so there’s some possibility of vindication there. But provable cases of prevention are relatively rare, not least because much of the preventive activity is necessarily secret.
The failure of prevention, however, is easy to spot. The United States does not lack foreign enemies or domestic threats, and the expenditure of public resources to anticipate and identify them with the goal of disrupting them is money well spent. Much of the activity of prevention consists of informed speculation about what might happen. The idea is to map out plausible sequences of events leading to a bad outcome, then to derail the sequence. A lot of planning and war-gaming is essential to getting ahead of potential threats.
Yet the partial shutdown at DHS has forced much of this activity to close shop as “non-essential.” The ability to respond, which DHS can mostly still do, is indeed “essential.” But a shutdown that shuts down anything but reactive activity is doing serious damage. The active-duty Coast Guard kept patrolling, but its civilian employees mostly faced furloughs. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is likewise operating mostly in a reactive mode. The government has managed to find other resources it can legally divert to meet payroll for some employees — mainly from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which also funded Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But the ability to work around the absence of congressional funding is limited and won’t last forever.
The threat profile the United States faces is diverse. The most recent DHS unclassified Homeland Threat Assessment identified terrorism and illegal drugs as threats to “public safety and security,” as well as migration and transnational crime in the area of border and immigration security. It warned of disruptive cyber and physical attacks on critical infrastructure. And it pointed to threats in the form of “economic manipulation and coercion” as well as espionage.
Any catalog of potential dangers would have to note that the war in Iran has increased risks — but has also raised awareness of them. There can be little doubt that if hostile actors have the means to do so, they will direct drone attacks on the United States. It’s a preventive challenge of the first magnitude for DHS and U.S. intelligence agencies.
The United States (along with Mexico and Canada) will host the World Cup this year. In addition to the 16 stadium venues, each of the 48 national teams has its own hotel and training center, and the 16 main venues have dedicated facilities for teams before they play there. The world will indeed be watching — as it was in Munich in 1972 when the Palestinian “Black September” organization took Israeli athletes hostage, ultimately murdering 12. In contrast, the world was simply enjoying the Paris Olympics in 2024 because French officials foiled several planned terror attacks before they could take place.
Our situation is hardly hopeless. We have competent people working hard to meet these and other threats. Now we need to get them the resources they need to do so.
The Secret Service and the Transportation Security Administration were both on the scene Saturday to perform essential functions, and they did their jobs. Because Democrats loathe the Trump administration’s immigration policies, it falls to the GOP to find a way to fund DHS. Never has “non-essential” been so essential.
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Tod Lindberg is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute.

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