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Secret Service in line of fire at WHCA shooting still unpaid due to Dem-led shutdown

Secret Service in line of fire at WHCA shooting still unpaid due to Dem-led shutdown

A shooting near President Donald Trump and several Cabinet members Saturday night is putting a spotlight on the Secret Service’s funding shortfall amid an ongoing standoff in Congress. A gunman opened fire outside the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., where celebrities, members of the press and administration officials had gathered, prompting a swift security response. The suspect is in custody and has not been identified. One Secret Service agent was reportedly shot in their protective vest but is uninjured. The incident unfolded near a security screening area, prompting a rapid response from Secret Service agents and law enforcement. The shooting comes amid a more than 60-day funding stalemate in Congress over the Department of Homeland Security — a lapse driven by Democrats blocking funding bills and rejecting multiple GOP-backed proposals to reopen the department. TRUMP RUSHED AWAY FROM WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER AS SHOTS FIRED The funding standoff centers on disputes over immigration enforcement policy and has raised concerns about resources for agencies including the Secret Service, FEMA and the U.S. Coast Guard. The Secret Service, which is responsible for protecting the president, vice president, their families and other senior U.S. officials, along with visiting heads of state, has faced growing demands in recent years. The incident adds to a growing list of threats against Trump, including two confirmed assassination attempts and a recent incident involving an armed intruder at Mar-a-Lago. DHS SHUTDOWN LOOMS OVER MAR-A-LAGO SHOOTING AS SECRET SERVICE AGENTS NEUTRALIZE ARMED SUSPECT Senate Democrats declined to fund DHS through regular appropriations earlier this year following a deadly January incident involving immigration officers, triggering a funding lapse that has now stretched beyond 60 days. Negotiations remain stalled. Democrats are seeking changes to DHS operations, while Republicans are relying on alternative funding to continue enforcement. Republicans are also considering funding the department for the remainder of Trump’s term through budget reconciliation, the same process used for immigration funding last year. The shooting also comes as the Secret Service faces increasing pressure during a high-threat election cycle. Last week, Secret Service Director Sean Curran warned lawmakers the agency is not adequately staffed to handle the demands of the upcoming FIFA World Cup, the 2028 Olympics and the 2028 presidential cycle, underscoring mounting concerns about staffing and resources. As more details emerge from the investigation into this latest shooting, questions continue to mount over whether the Secret Service has the resources needed to handle an increasingly complex threat environment.

Trump rushed from same hotel where Reagan assassination attempt unfolded in 1981

Trump rushed from same hotel where Reagan assassination attempt unfolded in 1981

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the Washington Hilton ballroom Saturday night at the start of the White House Correspondents Dinner as shots rang out.  Trump was swiftly whisked away amid the chaos and reported that he and the first lady, and his Cabinet members are safe on Truth Social. More than 40 years ago, the Washington Hilton was the site of the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981 — a striking historical parallel as Trump was rushed from the same hotel Saturday night after gunfire erupted. It remains unclear if Trump was targeted in the chaos on Saturday evening.  John Hinckley Jr. fired six shots at Reagan after he delivered remarks to members of the AFL-CIO. One of the bullets ricocheted off the presidential limousine and struck Reagan in the chest. Secret Service agents pushed Reagan into a car and was quickly rushed to the George Washington University Hospital. He was famously known for being in good humor when he was about to undergo treatment. TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: SECRET SERVICE KNEW AIRSPACE PROTECTION WOULD END WITH FORMER PRESIDENT ONSTAGE Three other people were also hit, including press secretary James Brady, a police officer and a Secret Service agent.  Brady was shot in the eye and suffered brain damage. He ultimately died in 2014, and law enforcement officials ruled his death a homicide due to its connection to the 1981 shooting. The hotel has since been dubbed by locals as the “Hinckley Hilton.” Hinckley was acquitted of attempting to assassinate the president as a result of an insanity defense. His attorneys pointed to his narcissistic personality disorder and referenced his obsession with the movie “Taxi Driver” and actress Jodie Foster as the inspiration for the attack. President Trump returned to the White House and is set to deliver a statement in the White House Briefing Room.

Trump shares details on ‘very sick person’ who fired shots at White House Correspondents’ Dinner

Trump shares details on ‘very sick person’ who fired shots at White House Correspondents’ Dinner

President Donald Trump held a press conference from the White House late on Saturday evening after he was rushed from the stage of the White House Correspondents Dinner during a shooting incident.  Trump said the incident was “incredibly acted upon by Secret Service and law enforcement.” He said one Secret Service officer was shot at a “very close distance” but was wearing a “very good bulletproof vest.” The agent is in good condition. “He has very high spirits. And we told him we love him,” Trump said.   FLASHBACK: OBAMA TRIED TO MAKE TRUMP A PUNCHLINE AT 2011 DINNER BEFORE RISE STUNNED WASHINGTON  Trump added that the Washington Hilton, which hosted the dinner, is “not a particularly secure building” and said it underscored the need for a White House ballroom.  “It’s much more secure. It’s got, it’s drone proof. It’s bulletproof glass. We need the ballroom. That’s why Secret Service, that’s why the military are demanding it.” Trump added that the ballroom where the dinner was held, however, was “very, very secure.” “The ballroom was sealed.”  “[The suspect] charged from 50 yards away, so he was very far away from the room,” he told reporters.  “He was really moving. And the reaction time was great. Boy, those guys, they had their guns drawn literally. By the time he was there, they were shooting.” Trump went on: “He had a long way to go. That was really a first line of defense. And they got him. And they really, you know, they acted incredibly.” He said the shooter is in custody and law enforcement is “asking him a lot of questions.” “My impression is that he was a lone wolf, a whack job.” He also called to mind the past two attempts on his life.  “As you know, this is not the first time in the past couple of years that our republic has been attacked by a would-be assassin who sought to kill and Butler, Pennsylvania, less than two years ago. You know, although that story and in Palm Beach, Florida, a few months after that, we came close.” Trump said the gunman, who opened fire on the Secret Service after passing through the magnetometers near the Hilton ballroom with a weapon, is a “very sick person.”  “I guess he lives in California, and he’s a sick person, a very sick person.”  Trump earlier said he would leave the event, which would be rescheduled in 30 days. He said he “fought like hell to stay” but law enforcement insisted he leave as a security precaution.  “Law Enforcement has requested that we leave the premises, consistent with protocol, which we will do, immediately. I will be giving a press conference in 30 minutes from the White House Press Briefing Room. The First Lady, plus the Vice President, and all Cabinet members, are in perfect condition. We will be speaking to you in a half an hour. I have spoken with all the representatives in charge of the event, and we will be rescheduling within 30 days,” Trump posted on Truth Social earlier on Saturday evening.  “The president will be having a press briefing at the White House in 30 minutes. That is not a joke,” White House Correspondents’ Association President Weijia Jiang said after the incident. She confirmed the dinner would be rescheduled.  The FBI told Fox News that a gunman stormed through the main magnetometer near the entrance of the Washington Hilton ballroom and opened fire. A Secret Service agent was hit in the vest but is in stable condition. The counter-assault team neutralized the threat. Secret Service worked to determine whether there were any other threats and determined there were not, Fox News learned.  The suspect is in custody, the Secret Service confirmed. Attendees reported hearing shouting, shots fired and several people took cover under tables as Secret Service agents escorted the president, the first lady, Cabinet secretaries and others at the head table out of the room. Secret Service agents moved into position at the head table with weapons drawn as they scanned the room. Protesters had gathered outside the Washington Hilton earlier in the evening, though it is unclear whether the two events are connected. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., provided his own account of the incident on X: “Was just at the White House Correspondents Dinner. I was walking down the escalators from the lobby when, at the bottom of the escalators, 2 security people with guns were running through and yelling “watch out for crossfire.” I got behind a pillar with another person then slowly snuck out a back exit while hearing more commotion and police. Thank you to Secret Service, Capitol Police, DC Metropolitan Police and all law enforcement for their quick response.” Secret Service chief spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement: “The U.S. Secret Service, in coordination with the Metropolitan Police Department, is investigating a shooting incident near the main magnetometer screening area at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The president and the first lady are safe along all protectees. One individual is in custody. The condition of those involved is not yet known, and law enforcement is actively assessing the situation.” KING CHARLES TO MEET MAMDANI IN NEW YORK DURING US STATE VISIT NEXT WEEK “I was really concerned. I heard shots and everyone jumped down,” Fox News’ Bret Baier, who attended the dinner, said. “Within seconds the place was filled with Secret Service agents, guns drawn. Trump was seen being quickly escorted out of the room by security and White House officials tell Fox News Digital both he, the First Lady and Karoline Leavitt are safe at this time. The incident marked the first violent disruption of the dinner that dates back more than a century.  Rep. Jared Moskowitz, R-Fla., credited House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who was shot and seriously wounded during a baseball game in 2017, with ushering him into a secure room. “I am at the #WHCD. I want to thank law enforcement, Capital police. I personally