Security Failures Lead to Trump Assassination Attempt at WHCD, and Melania Calls For Kimmel To Be FIRED, with RCP and Pat Brosnan | Ep. 1304

April 27, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Megyn Kelly dissects the latest assassination attempt on President Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, highlighting security lapses that allowed a gunman to breach outer perimeters and probing the assailant's clear anti-Trump motives amid broader concerns over Secret Service protocols and inflammatory rhetoric.

The Attempt at the Hinckley Hilton

On Saturday night at the Washington Hilton—site of Ronald Reagan's 1981 assassination attempt—31-year-old Cole Allen, a Caltech graduate, self-employed video game developer, and part-time teacher from Los Angeles, tried to reach President Trump during his first WHCD attendance. Allen checked into the hotel Friday, traveled by train with a shotgun, handgun, and knives (bypassing airport checks), then ran down 10 flights of stairs from his room dressed in black, bag in hand. Surveillance showed him dashing through the final magnetometer checkpoint on the terrace level above the ballroom at 8:36 p.m., as the event started at 8 p.m. and Trump was seated by 8:15. Secret Service agents drew weapons and fired; one uniformed officer was shot (saved by vest, released from hospital), but Allen wasn't hit and was tackled on the terrace without reaching the escalator to the ballroom. Trump, Melania (to his right), pregnant press secretary Karoline Leavitt (due soon, next to Melania), Stephen and pregnant Katie Miller, widow Erica

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What you'll learn

1 (01:16) **Assassination Attempt Overview** - Megyn Kelly recaps fourth attempt on Trump at White House Correspondents' Dinner (WHCD) at Washington Hilton.
2 (03:13) **Shooter Profile and Travel** - Details on Cole Allen: Caltech grad, video game developer, part-time teacher; travels by train from LA with weapons.
3 (04:44) **Timeline of Breach** - Surveillance shows Allen dashing past mags at 8:36pm as event starts; Secret Service fires, misses him but possibly hits agent.
4 (07:52) **Security Failures Highlighted** - Questions raised on inadequate preemptive measures like guest vetting, bag checks; layered defense failed early.
5 (09:39) **Vulnerable Attendees Inside** - Ballroom held pregnant Caroline Levitt, Katie Miller, widow Erica Kirk, shot survivor Steve Scalise, cabinet.
6 (11:15) **Security Level Critique** - WHCD treated as routine, not elevated for threat environment post-Butler, Kirk killing.
7 (13:37) **Response Video Analysis** - Footage shows 10-second delay shielding Trump; Vance evacuated first; agents slow to cover.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Megyn Kelly begins the show by discussing the shocking assassination attempt on President Trump this weekend at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, information about the background of Cole Allen, the glaring security failures that led to this moment, and more. Then Susan Crabtree, national correspondent for RealClearPolitics, joins to discuss the massive Secret Service security lapses at the WHCD and in other instances, what the "manifesto" says and Norah O'Donnell's ridiculous questions to Trump about it, and more. Then Pat Brosnan, host of "The Batcave," joins to discuss the shocking errors in security planning that led to the attempted assassination at the WHCD, why special forces should be involved in security going forward, and more. Then Tom Bevan, Carl Cannon, and Andrew Walworth of RealClearPolitics join to discuss the media trying to make themselves into heroes and victims after the WHCD shooting, young reporters making selfie videos instead of filming the actual news, Trump’s impromptu press conference calling for lowering the temperature with the left and media after another attempted assassination, the left refusing to play ball with that opportunity, the leftist virtue signaling from CBS host Margaret Brennan trying to make the assassination attempt about gun violence, her dress at the WHCD, and more. Finally Megyn discusses Melania Trump calling for Jimmy Kimmel to be fired after he joked about her as a "widow."

Brosnan- https://www.youtube.com/@PatBrosnan

Crabtree- https://x.com/susancrabtree

Bevan, Cannon, Walworth- https://www.realclearpolitics.com/

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