Sen. Hawley Calls for Hearing After Third Trump Assassination Attempt
Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley demands congressional hearings after gunman Cole Tomas Allen breached White House Correspondents’ Dinner security in the third attempt on Trump’s life since 2024.
WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA — U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley is calling for congressional hearings on presidential security after a weekend shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, marking the third assassination attempt on President Donald Trump since July 2024.
The Missouri Republican sent a letter Monday to Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Rand Paul of Kentucky, urging the panel to investigate Trump’s security arrangements and whether previous congressional reforms have been implemented.
Gunman Charged in Saturday Attack
Cole Tomas Allen, the gunman who breached security at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, was charged Monday with attempted assassination of the president. Allen was apprehended one floor above the ballroom where Trump and senior administration officials were dining.
“I believe it is necessary for the Committee to convene a hearing to assess the adequacy of presidential security arrangements and resources in the current threat environment,” Hawley wrote in his letter to Paul.
Details of Security Breach
According to a criminal complaint, Allen ran through a security checkpoint while carrying a long gun at approximately 8:40 p.m. Saturday. One Secret Service agent was shot in the chest but was protected by a ballistic vest and returned fire multiple times.
The wounded agent was hospitalized but has since been released. Allen sustained minor injuries but was not shot, falling to the ground where he was apprehended by security personnel.
Law enforcement discovered an email and file that Allen sent to his family and a former employer just before the incident. The file, labeled “Apology and Explanation,” indicated that administration officials were Allen’s targets, though it specified “not including Mr. Patel.”
Third Attempt Since 2024
This incident represents the third attempt on Trump’s life since July 2024. During his presidential campaign, a gunman grazed Trump’s ear with a bullet at a rally. Weeks later, Trump was rushed off his Florida golf course after another gunman fired shots in his direction.
Committee Chairman Paul said he is waiting for more information about Saturday’s incident before deciding on hearings, but acknowledged that action is needed either by Congress or the Secret Service.
“I’m also of two minds in the sense that it’s very difficult to protect the president, and in that sense it was successful,” Paul said. “Did he get farther than people wanted? Yeah. But I think he got about 10 feet past the security step, so he didn’t get very far.”
Hawley serves on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which has jurisdiction over Secret Service operations and presidential security matters. His letter calls for examining both current security resources and the implementation of previous congressional recommendations for protecting high-profile officials.
