标签： North America

On a Saturday night at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, a gathering of journalists, politicians, and public figures at the Washington Hilton was upended by sudden gunfire, turning what is normally a lighthearted annual tradition into a scene of chaos and fear that echoed the all-too-familiar trauma of political violence that has gripped modern America.

For many attendees, the moment of panic carried deeply personal echoes of past attacks. Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk who was killed in a shooting just seven months prior, was left sobbing amid the evacuation. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who survived a near-fatal shooting at a 2017 Republican congressional baseball practice, was immediately escorted out by security personnel. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who lost both his father and uncle to political assassinations, was also removed from the venue for his safety. Even many of the journalists present had covered or witnessed the 2024 rally shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, where an attacker shot former President and then-candidate Donald Trump, grazing his ear before being killed by a Secret Service sniper.

Saturday’s shooting marks the third direct assassination attempt targeting Trump, who is now serving as U.S. president. The first occurred at the Butler rally, the second at his Palm Beach golf resort in 2024, and a separate incident last year saw the Secret Service kill an armed man attempting to breach Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property while the president was out of state. For the United States, the incident has cemented a grim reality: political violence has become a persistent, omnipresent threat that can strike any gathering, no matter how high-profile or protected, at any time.

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, the familiar cycle of response to political violence played out rapidly. Speaking from the scene Saturday night, Trump called for national unity and a toning down of divisive political rhetoric, a moment that even some of his critics acknowledged struck the right tone. A Wall Street Journal editorial noted that Trump’s post-shooting comments hit the right notes of gratitude and mutual respect. But by Sunday evening, that call for unity quickly dissolved into familiar partisan friction during a primetime interview on CBS’s *60 Minutes*. In the sit-down, Trump blamed Democrats for cultivating a cultural atmosphere that he claimed enabled the attack, and went on to deride interviewer Norah O’Donnell as “a disgrace” and “horrible” after she pressed him on the alleged gunman’s published manifesto. On the left, unfounded conspiracy theories quickly circulated online claiming the attack had been staged to boost Trump’s political standing, fueled by fears of coming crackdowns on political activism and free speech.

Within days, the Trump administration and its congressional Republican allies had moved to tie the shooting directly to one of the president’s long-standing policy priorities: constructing a large, fortified new ballroom on the site of the White House’s former East Wing. In a social media post Sunday, Trump explicitly framed Saturday’s attack as direct justification for the project, writing that the incident was “exactly the reason” the new ballroom was needed. In a formal letter to the historic preservation group that has filed a lawsuit blocking the project, Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate argued that the current venue arrangements put the president, his family, and his staff at grave risk, writing that the preservation group’s legal challenge directly endangers those lives. Top congressional Republicans have already pledged to introduce new legislation that would explicitly authorize the construction, with House Speaker Mike Johnson telling Fox News Monday that the fortified ballroom would provide a safe, secure venue for events like the White House Correspondents’ Dinner itself.

But experts and observers note that a new, fortified White House ballroom alone cannot resolve the core security gaps exposed by Saturday’s shooting. Key unanswered questions remain: how was the suspected gunman able to bring weapons into a venue hosting the sitting president and dozens of top government officials? Was the Secret Service’s established security perimeter sufficient for the event? Should all guests in all areas of the hotel, not just the dinner ballroom, have been screened for weapons ahead of time? In response to these open questions, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has scheduled an early-week meeting with top Secret Service officials to review existing protocols and security practices for all major presidential events, including the upcoming 250th U.S. centennial celebrations scheduled for this summer.

The shooting has also reshaped Trump’s approach to public campaigning ahead of the looming midterm elections. Following the 2024 Butler rally shooting, Trump drastically scaled back his large outdoor public rallies, a signature staple of his political career. Since taking office, he has favored small, closed-door events at secure military bases and smaller indoor venues, moving all large public appearances to enclosed arenas that allow the Secret Service to more rigorously screen all attendees. But with midterms approaching, political strategists note that Trump will face mounting pressure to return to the campaign trail to energize his base, which historically sees lower turnout in non-presidential election years when Trump is not on the ballot. While a more cautious, closed-off approach to public appearances may reduce the president’s personal security risk, it could carry a significant political cost for his party in the upcoming elections.

More than 19 years have passed since the last British state visit to the United States, and on Monday, King Charles III and Queen Camilla touched down at Maryland’s Andrews Air Force Base to kick off a four-day diplomatic mission focused on mending strained transatlantic relations and reinforcing shared democratic values.

The royal couple was greeted on the tarmac by senior U.S. protocol official Monica Crowley, British Ambassador to the U.S. Sir Christian Turner, and other high-ranking dignitaries. Two local children presented the pair with bouquets, before a military band performed both the British and American national anthems to mark the formal start of the visit. From the airbase, the delegation traveled directly to the White House, where President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump welcomed the royals on the building’s iconic South Portico, where ongoing renovation work is currently underway.

Following the formal welcome, the visitors joined the Trumps for tea in the White House Green Room, before touring the grounds to view a newly expanded beehive shaped like a miniature White House. The customized installation was a deliberate nod to King Charles’ longstanding public advocacy for bee conservation and sustainable beekeeping, a small personal touch woven into official diplomatic programming.

This state visit, organized at the request of the UK government, comes as the United States prepares to mark its 250th anniversary of independence, and is framed as a deliberate soft power push to strengthen bilateral ties that have been tested in recent months. Tensions have flared between the Trump administration and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government over the UK’s refusal to deepen military involvement in the ongoing Iran conflict, creating a rocky backdrop for the diplomatic talks.

In a nod to shared transatlantic history, Queen Camilla wore a historic union jack-stars and stripes brooch originally gifted to Queen Elizabeth II by the Mayor of New York during a 1957 state visit. That 1957 trip was itself a mission to rebuild UK-U.S. relations after the 1956 Suez Crisis split the two allies over Middle East policy, making the brooch a quiet symbolic reference to past diplomatic reconciliations.

After their White House stop, the royal couple traveled to the British Embassy in Washington D.C. for a garden party hosting more than 600 guests with cross-Atlantic ties, drawn from political, scientific, charitable and military circles. Even the menu carried diplomatic weight: the beef served in traditional tea sandwiches came from the first batch of tariff-free British beef imported to the U.S. under a recently finalized bilateral trade agreement. Attendees included former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Ted Cruz, and UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.

Queen Camilla dedicated a significant portion of her time at the garden party to meeting with women’s advocacy leaders working to combat domestic abuse. Sandra Jackson, a representative of U.S.-based support organization House of Ruth, which aids survivors of domestic violence, spoke after the meeting about the Queen’s longstanding commitment to the cause. “It’s very important to have such advocates and it’s a cause very close to her heart,” Jackson said, adding that she respected the royal household’s decision not to arrange a meeting with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein, a choice made to avoid interfering with ongoing legal proceedings related to the case. Michelle DeLaune, another anti-domestic abuse campaigner in attendance, noted that high-profile royal engagement on the issue marked meaningful progress in elevating public awareness of the crisis.

Heading into the second day of the visit on Tuesday, King Charles is set to become the first British monarch to address a joint session of the U.S. Congress since Queen Elizabeth II spoke to lawmakers in 1991. The address comes just days after a shooting at a Washington D.C. event attended by President Trump, and royal sources confirm the King will open his remarks by expressing sympathy for the victims of the attack. Heavy security remains in place across the city following the Saturday incident.

In his prepared remarks, the King is expected to acknowledge current policy disagreements between the U.S. and UK, while emphasizing that the two allies have a long history of overcoming differences to work together. He will call for reconciliation and renewal of the bilateral partnership, and urge joint action to defend shared values of tolerance, liberty and equality. Royal sources say the King will frame the transatlantic alliance as rooted in a commitment to compassion, peace, interfaith understanding, and mutual respect, and will reaffirm British commitment to NATO collective defense and support for Ukraine in its war against Russian invasion.

After the congressional address, the visit will continue with a formal ceremonial military welcome at the White House, followed by a state dinner hosted by President Trump that will bring together political leaders and public figures from both nations.

A 31-year-old California man has been formally charged by the U.S. Department of Justice over an alleged plot to assassinate former President and current sitting U.S. President Donald Trump, an incident that has prompted an official full review of White House security protocols just as King Charles III begins a high-profile state visit to the country.

The suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, appeared before a federal court in Washington, D.C. on Monday to face three criminal counts: attempted assassination of the U.S. president, interstate transportation of a firearm to commit a felony, and discharging a firearm during a violent offense. Allen, who entered no plea during the initial hearing, appeared calm throughout the proceedings, responding politely to all of the judge’s questions with short, formal answers. Court records confirm Allen holds a master’s degree, and reporters in the courtroom noted he closely followed every step of the hearing, with four U.S. marshals positioned around him throughout the appearance. He is scheduled to return for a follow-up hearing on Thursday, and federal prosecutors have requested he remain in pre-trial detention, noting the attempt could be classified as an act of terrorism and that additional charges may be filed as the investigation progresses.

According to official accountings of Saturday night’s incident at the Washington Hilton, the venue for the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, Allen breached a security checkpoint one floor above the ballroom where Trump, Vice President JD Vance, multiple cabinet secretaries and senior White House officials had gathered. Prosecutors confirmed Allen was armed with a semi-automatic handgun, a loaded pump-action shotgun, and three bladed weapons when he rushed past security barriers. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters Monday that during the confrontation, a Secret Service agent was struck in the chest, but was protected by a ballistic vest that stopped the bullet. The injured agent returned fire, striking Allen five times without causing life-threatening injury, and the suspect was taken into custody immediately. Blanche confirmed Allen discharged his shotgun at least once during the incident, though investigators have not yet confirmed whether the agent was hit by gunfire from Allen or by accidental crossfire from other responding law enforcement officers. The agent has since been released from hospital, and is being treated for a non-life-threatening knee injury sustained during the encounter.

Court documents outline that Allen traveled cross-country from his Los Angeles-area home specifically to carry out the attack. He left his residence on April 21, took a train to Chicago, and arrived in Washington D.C. three days later, checking into the same Hilton hotel where the dinner was being held. Prosecutors say pre-attack writings Allen sent to his family confirm his intent was not only to kill Trump, but to target as many high-ranking administration officials as possible. Public records also show Allen donated $25 to a Democratic PAC supporting Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign, he previously studied at the prestigious California Institute of Technology, and was a member of a local Reformed church in Pasadena.

This incident marks the third alleged assassination attempt against Trump in just two years, and it has triggered intense scrutiny of the security arrangements for the event. Questions are being raised about gaps in screening: multiple observers have asked why no attendee ID checks were conducted at the venue, why the entire presidential line of succession was gathered in a single location, and whether the security perimeter around the Washington Hilton was sufficiently robust. Notably, the same hotel was the site of John Hinckley Jr.’s 1981 assassination attempt on then-President Ronald Reagan. In a public statement, hotel management said it strictly followed all security directives issued by the Secret Service, which had lead responsibility for event security, and collaborated fully with local law enforcement and federal security teams.

Defending the response, Blanche pushed back on criticism Monday, saying “law enforcement did not fail” in protecting the president. He emphasized that Allen was stopped one floor away from the dinner venue, with hundreds of armed federal agents already positioned between the suspect and Trump. Senior White House officials say Trump retains full confidence in the Secret Service, the Department of Homeland Security agency tasked with protecting sitting presidents and senior officials. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has called a high-level meeting this week to review existing security protocols and practices for major public events with presidential attendance. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that Trump believes existing protocols worked as intended to contain the threat, and blamed the rising tide of political violence on inflammatory rhetoric from Democratic political leaders.

The incident has not disrupted the planned state visit of King Charles III, which began Monday at the White House. Trump has publicly assured the British monarch that all necessary security measures are in place and he will be completely safe during his four-day trip. The annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, which was cut short by the security incident, will be rescheduled for a date within the next 30 days, with a completely overhauled security posture. FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Monday that investigators and security teams are already preparing for the rescheduled event, and that the agency will be “so ready” for Trump’s attendance. No new date has been announced, as event organizers note planning for the high-profile annual dinner typically takes months of preparation.

Nearly two decades after the late Queen Elizabeth II’s last state visit to the United States, Britain’s reigning monarch King Charles III and his wife Queen Camilla have touched down on American soil to launch a four-day diplomatic tour, a gathering timed to coincide with the U.S.’s upcoming 250th anniversary of its independence from British rule. The core mission of this landmark trip, the first state visit to the U.S. by King Charles since he ascended to the throne, is to honor and strengthen the centuries-long special relationship that binds the United Kingdom and the United States.

Upon their aircraft’s landing at the Maryland airbase, a full red carpet welcome was laid out in line with diplomatic protocol. Dressed in formal ceremonial attire, the royal pair descended the aircraft steps to officially commence their official visit, greeted on the tarmac by two senior diplomatic representatives: White House Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley and the United Kingdom’s Ambassador to the U.S. Sir Christian Turner. Following the initial welcome, local children presented the King and Queen with bouquets of flowers, a warm traditional gesture that added a soft, approachable touch to the formal proceedings.

After the couple processed through a full military guard of honor, a joint service military band performed both the U.S. and UK national anthems, a traditional ritual marking the formal start of a state visit. Following the opening welcoming ceremonies, the royal couple traveled directly to the White House, where they met with U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a formal afternoon tea. During their time at the executive residence, the couple was also shown a one-of-a-kind beehive crafted in the shape of the White House. The unique beehive is part of an ongoing sustainable honey production initiative hosted on the White House grounds, a project that aligns with King Charles’s longstanding public advocacy for environmental conservation and sustainable farming practices.

A security breach at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner Saturday has triggered a full review of presidential protection protocols, after an armed suspect managed to approach a crowded ballroom housing former President Donald Trump, top U.S. officials and more than 2,000 attendees. A senior White House official confirmed to the BBC that senior leadership will convene a high-level meeting this week to examine the incident and refine security practices ahead of a packed schedule of high-stakes public events for the president this year.

The suspect, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, breached security perimeters and engaged in a brief shootout with law enforcement before being subdued by officers. A federal agent wearing a ballistic vest was shot during the exchange, but no fatalities or critical injuries to attendees were reported. The incident has sparked intense scrutiny of the U.S. Secret Service, the federal agency tasked with protecting the sitting president and other high-ranking government officials, after multiple security gaps were reported: attendees entering the Washington Hilton venue were not required to show valid photo identification, event tickets only listed table numbers without attendee names, and a single metal detector checkpoint was placed one level above the main ballroom entrances. Allen was stopped just near the top of the stairs leading directly to the ballroom doors.

Despite widespread questions about the agency’s performance, President Trump has repeatedly voiced full confidence in the Secret Service’s actions. A senior White House official told the BBC that the president personally believes agents did an excellent job of neutralizing the threat and moving him and his inner circle to safety quickly. Even with that public backing, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles will lead the upcoming review meeting, which will include senior operations staff, Secret Service representatives, and officials from the Department of Homeland Security. The gathering will focus on dissecting which existing protocols successfully stopped the attack, while evaluating additional improvements to strengthen security for the large number of high-profile presidential events scheduled for the coming months.

Among the upcoming major events are public gatherings tied to the 250th anniversary of the United States this July, a planned UFC fight hosted on the White House South Lawn, and official appearances tied to the 2026 World Cup. Separately, Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley, who was in attendance at the dinner alongside Trump, Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson, has announced plans to hold a separate closed-door briefing with Secret Service leadership to examine the incident and existing security protocols. Grassley, 92, is fourth in the presidential line of succession.

In an on-site briefing roughly two hours after the shooting was contained, Trump acknowledged the inherent risks of open public events for sitting presidents. “I can’t imagine that there’s any profession that is more dangerous,” he said of the work of Secret Service agents, reiterating his support for the agency despite the coming review.

A fresh controversy has erupted around late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel, after former first lady Melania Trump publicly lambasted a hateful joke he made ahead of the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner – where a would-be attacker later opened fire in an incident authorities suspect targeted senior Trump administration figures.

The incendiary quip, delivered during Kimmel’s pre-dinner monologue on ABC on Thursday, targeted the former first lady directly. “Our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow,” Kimmel joked. Just two days after the segment aired, 31-year-old suspect Cole Tomas Allen was tackled by Secret Service agents near a staircase leading to the dinner ballroom, which was packed with hundreds of journalists, government officials and high-profile public figures. No attendees were harmed in the incident, and Allen is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Monday.

In the wake of the shooting, a clip of Kimmel’s joke resurfaced online and ignited widespread backlash across social media platforms, with many critics arguing that the comedian’s harsh rhetoric crossed a line and emboldened political violence. On Monday, Melania Trump broke her silence on the incident with a scathing public post on X, denouncing Kimmel’s comment as dangerous and unfunny.

The former first lady called Kimmel’s remark “hateful and violent”, describing the joke about herself and her family as corrosive commentary that amplifies the deep political polarization dividing the United States. “His monologue about my family isn’t comedy – his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America,” she wrote. Melania Trump went on to call on network executives at ABC, Kimmel’s long-time broadcaster, to take disciplinary action against the host for what she labeled his “atrocious behavior”. She questioned why network leadership has repeatedly enabled Kimmel’s inflammatory rhetoric, writing: “How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community.” She added that commentators like Kimmel should not be given a national platform to “spread hate” into American households each night.

This is not the first time Kimmel’s controversial political commentary has gotten him pulled from air. Last September, the host was temporarily suspended after drawing outrage for remarks he made following the fatal shooting of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. During that monologue, Kimmel claimed that Trump’s Make America Great Again movement – commonly nicknamed “Maga” – was attempting to exploit Kirk’s murder for political gain. After a week off the air, Kimmel returned to the show and acknowledged that his comments had been poorly received. “I accept that some people felt my remarks about Kirk’s death had been ‘ill-timed or unclear or maybe both’,” he said at the time, adding “I get why you’re upset.”

As of Monday, the BBC has reached out to ABC News for a response to Melania Trump’s latest demands, and the network has not yet issued a public comment on the controversy.