Video Former FBI criticizes security following Correspondents' Dinner shooting Former Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino assesses security protocols after the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting.
Former deputy FBI director and ex-Secret Service agent Dan Bongino said the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner will likely trigger a close review of security, arguing investigators will need to examine whether the event perimeter was wide enough.
Bongino framed the incident as both a case study in the limits of event security and a reason for renewed concern about threats against President Donald Trump.
He explained on "Fox & Friends Weekend" on Sunday that presidential protection works through increasingly tight layers of vetting and control. He said security teams will now have to assess whether the outer perimeter at the dinner venue was too close to the innermost protected area.
TRUMP PRAISES PRESS AFTER WHCD SHOOTING, SAYS UNITY AT DINNER WAS 'BEAUTIFUL'
Agents stand guard after an incident at the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington, D.C., on April 25, 2026. President Donald Trump and other government officials were evacuated from the Washington Hilton following reports of gunfire. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
"In an event like this with an open hotel doing business, where it's resource-constrained, and it's very difficult to shut down the whole hotel, was the security perimeter compressed too far inside?" Bongino asked. "They're going to have to go over that and see in the future how much farther they want to push [the perimeter] out."
Bongino added that, even with strong protection, agents are inherently reacting to threats rather than acting first, which he argued leaves Trump in a dangerous position, as evidenced by what is being called the alleged third public assassination attempt against the president.
TRUMP RUSHED FROM SAME HOTEL WHERE REAGAN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT UNFOLDED IN 1981
Armed agents climb over chairs moving toward the stage after loud bangs were heard during the White House Correspondents' Dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., on April 25, 2026. (Danny Kemp/AFP)
"This has to be the luckiest man on Earth. I mean, you can have the greatest Secret Service in the world, guys, but the hard reality is they're always reacting. And reacting is always slower than acting."
The White House Correspondents' Dinner began at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night before it was interrupted by gunfire. Cole Allen, a 31-year-old computer scientist from Torrance, California, has been identified by authorities as the suspected shooter.
He was apprehended and has been charged with multiple felonies. The incident led to the evacuation of Trump and several Cabinet members present at the event, and the dinner is set to be rescheduled.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News Digital's Lindsay Kornick, Peter D'Abrosca and Asra Q. Nomani contributed to this report.
Max Bacall is an Associate Editor for the Flash/Media/Culture team at Fox News Digital.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.
You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!
