White House Correspondents’ Dinner returns with airport-style security checks
(NewsNation) — The White House Correspondents’ Dinner returns Friday night at a new venue with beefed-up security, three months after a gunman opened fire outside the original event and forced Secret Service agents to rush President Donald Trump and other officials to safety.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran says the agency built its security plan around the current threat landscape.
“We are in a heightened level of a threat environment right now,” Curran said. “It’s no secret. There are things happening around the globe that are always going to impact how we move. And that’s how we evaluate what our security plan is going to be.”
What are the biggest security upgrades for Friday’s dinner?
That plan includes enhanced screening, airport-style magnetometers and a single controlled entry point. Tickets are also digital instead of paper.
However, the biggest change is the location. Friday’s dinner has moved from the Washington Hilton to the Waldorf Astoria, with the guest list also cut from 2,600 to 680.
The first lady, vice president, and secretary of state are expected to skip the event due to scheduling conflicts, though other cabinet members are set to attend.
Cole Thomas Allen charged in April WHCD shooting
The April 25 dinner was cut short after a gunman rushed past a security checkpoint at the Hilton. He was later identified as Cole Thomas Allen, 31, of Torrence, California, who was later charged with attempting to assassinate the president.
WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES – APRIL 25: (—-EDITORIAL USE ONLY – MANDATORY CREDIT – âUS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP VIA TRUTH SOCIAL / HANDOUT’ – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS—-) US President Trump posted to social media a photo of law enforcement detaining a suspect following a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C., United States, on the night of April 25, 2026. The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen, was taken into custody immediately following the disturbance at the high-profile event. (Photo by US President Trump via Truth Social/Anadolu via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES – APRIL 25: (—-EDITORIAL USE ONLY – MANDATORY CREDIT – âUS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP VIA TRUTH SOCIAL / HANDOUT’ – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS—-) US President Trump posted to social media a photo of law enforcement detaining a suspect following a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C., United States, on the night of April 25, 2026. The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen, was taken into custody immediately following the disturbance at the high-profile event. (Photo by US President Trump via Truth Social/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Friday’s dinner is also expected to honor the Secret Service agent injured in that shooting.
Curran says a smaller crowd does not change how his agency approaches the event, saying the Secret Service prepares for threats at every event it covers. The agency announced it has opened more than 10,000 investigations into threats against those they protect so far this year, a 40% increase over the same period last year.
Curran also noted a string of recent threats, including multiple assassination attempt against Trump and an alleged terrorist plot targeting a UFC event that was thwarted last month.
“The president looks forward to finishing what he started before a despicable assassination attempt derailed the original event back in April, as we all know,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “And I encourage everyone watching tomorrow night to tune in for what promises to be a very entertaining and memorable evening.”