White House

• Ein Verdächtiger wurde am Montag wegen des versuchten Attentats auf Präsident Trump angeklagt, nachdem er im April 2026 das Dinner der White House Correspondents' Association mit mehreren Waffen gestürmt hatte. • Der Vorfall hat parteipolitische Auseinandersetzungen über politische Rhetorik und Gewalt verschärft, wobei beide Parteien die Sprache der jeweils anderen Seite für die Eskalation verantwortlich machen. • Das mutmaßliche Attentat hat Washington erschüttert und Vergleiche mit historischer politischer Gewalt gezogen, was Diskussionen über die Sicherheit und das aktuelle politische Klima auslöste.

Unter Berufung auf neue Beweise, darunter Selfies, stellten Anwälte einen Antrag, Cole Tomas Allen bis zu seinem Prozess in Haft zu lassen. In einem am Mittwoch eingereichten Schriftsatz legten Bundesstaatsanwälte die bisher detaillierteste Darstellung von Allen's mutmaßlichem, wochenlang geplantem Vorhaben dar, Donald Trump sowie mehrere Mitglieder seines Kabinetts zu töten, die gemeinsam mit über 2.500 Mitgliedern der Washingtoner Pressekorps das jährliche Abendessen der White House Korrespondenten besucht hatten. Der Antrag der US-Staatsanwältin für DC, Jeanine Pirro, der darauf abzielt, Allen in Haft zu halten, enthält zwei Selfies des mutmaßlichen Schützen, der in einem schwarzen Anzug vor einem Spiegel in seinem Hotelzimmer steht, mit einem leichten Grinsen im Gesicht. Er ist mit zwei Schusswaffen und mehreren Messern ausgestattet, die in seinen Gürtel gesteckt sind. Die Staatsanwaltschaft behauptet, dass es sich dabei um dieselben Waffen handelt, die nach dem Angriff von Allen beschlagnahmt wurden.

A tidal wave of conspiracy theories hit social media as soon as news broke that shots were fired at the Washington Hilton hotel during the White House Correspondents' dinner Saturday. That was to be expected, but some say the dynamics are shifting, with theories coming from liberals and progressives as well as right-wing accounts that are critical of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The chief of the ​District of Columbia police department said investigators believe the suspect was a guest at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the annual dinner was ​taking place, but that no motive had been determined.

• White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt took questions from reporters as Cole Allen, the suspect accused of opening fire at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, prepared for his first court appearance on Monday. • Allen is accused of opening fire at the annual dinner while politicians, journalists, and celebrities were in attendance, with Leavitt and other Trump Cabinet members present in the room. • The incident represents a serious security breach at a high-profile event attended by senior government officials and media figures.

Alleged shooter, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, faces potential life sentence. Plus: the Americans renouncing their citizenshipGood morning.The suspect accused of trying to storm the White House correspondents’ dinner was charged on Monday with three federal crimes, including attempting to assassinate the president – a charge that carries a potential sentence of up to life in prison.What was his motive? Investigators have yet to release one. However, to establish the charge of attempted assassination, the affidavit quotes from a part of a manifesto Allen allegedly sent to family members that states: “I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.”Was lax security to blame? While many have praised the actions of law enforcement officers in swiftly stopping the attack, Allen’s alleged manifesto mocked an “insane” lack of security at the Washington dinner.What is the Trump administration saying about the attack? Several officials, including the president, have seized on the incident to advance their case for the completion of Trump’s $40m White House ballroom project, with the justice department pressuring a preservation group to drop a lawsuit seeking to halt the construction.Will there be an Oval Office meeting? Sources told the Guardian that Charles will pose for the cameras at the start of his centerpiece bilateral meeting on Tuesday, but that British officials have pushed for the Oval Office meeting to be held off camera, for fear of a repeat of the scenes when Trump berated the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in front of the world’s press.What challenges does the king face with this visit? Relations between the UK and the US are already tense following Trump’s public criticism of Britain’s refusal to back military action against Iran, but Charles is also meeting Trump under the shadow of Jeffrey Epstein. Charles’s brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over his connection with Epstein. Continue reading...

Details about the shooting at the White House correspondents gala have started to surface as the alleged shooter is set to be charged.The suspect was able to get close to where Donald Trump and many other senior officials were gathered, before law enforcement stopped him. It happened less than two years since Trump was the target of an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, and a subsequent attempt at a golf course in Florida.Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s Washington bureau chief David Smith, who was in attendance. Continue reading...

Manifesto reportedly written by suspect had Trump administration officials at top of list. Plus, the world’s first marathon run in under two hoursGood morning.The suspected gunman in the shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday evening, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, from Torrance, California, is due to appear in court later today.What will he be charged with? He faces charges of assault of a federal officer, discharging a firearm and attempting to kill a federal officer, but Blanche said depending on how the investigation went, he might also be charged with the attempted assassination of Trump.What’s the mood like in Washington? A stunned Washington is soul-searching about political violence, while questions are also being asked about security.Follow the latest updates in our liveblog here.What has Donald Trump said about it? Trump has said Iran can telephone if it wants to negotiate an end to the war and that it must agree never to have a nuclear weapon, while Pakistan’s leaders have sought to revive the stalled peace talks between Washington and Tehran. Continue reading...

Secret Service director says security succeeded in stopping shooter before he could do further harm but others disagreeThe shooting in the White House correspondents’ gala has prompted questions over security with some asking how a shooter was able to get close to where Donald Trump and many other senior administration officials were gathered and many others praising the actions of law enforcement that swiftly stopped the attack.As details about the shooting at the Washington Hilton continued to surface, the alleged shooter Cole Tomas Allen, 31, mocked an “insane” lack of security at the Washington dinner in a manifesto reportedly send to his family 10 minutes before his assault started. Continue reading...

Alleged shooter expected to appear in federal court and could be charged with trying to assassinate TrumpThe suspected gunman who tried to storm the White House correspondents’ dinner was expected to appear in federal court to face criminal charges on Monday.The alleged shooter, identified by law enforcement agencies as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old man from Torrance in southern California, faces charges including assault of a federal officer, discharging a firearm and attempting to kill a federal officer. Continue reading...

Suspect in Saturday evening’s shooting – Cole Tomas Allen – expected to be formally charged in court todayGood morning, and welcome to our live coverage of US politics.The suspected gunman in the shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday evening, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, from Torrance, California, is due to appear in court later today.He is expected to be formally charged with using a firearm during a violent crime and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon. Continue reading...

In today’s newsletter: After the dramatic events of Saturday night, White House security arrangements are under scrutiny and political violence is once again in the spotlightGood morning. On Saturday night the annual Washington ritual of the White House correspondents’ dinner descended into chaos as the US president and first lady were evacuated after the event was interrupted by gunfire.Journalists ducked under tables as authorities rushed Donald Trump and members of his cabinet out of the room. The president and his wife were unharmed, and a suspect is in custody – identified as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old man from southern California. In today’s newsletter, I will bring you the latest updates on what we know about the incident. First, the headlines.UK politics | Labour figures from across rival factions have begun circulating informal proposals for an “orderly transition” of power away from Keir Starmer, the Guardian understands, shifting their discussions from whether the prime minister could be removed to how.Europe news | Private jets laden with the spoils of those whose wealth swelled during Viktor Orbán’s years in power have been taking off from Vienna, while other individuals are racing to invest their assets abroad.Trade | UK business leaders have called on the government to build an EU-style “trade bazooka” to protect Britain’s economic interests in response to the latest tariff threats from Donald Trump.Middle East | Hopes of a breakthrough in negotiations between Iran and the US faded further on Sunday, amid a deepening sense of a deadlock in the nearly two-month-long conflict.Science | Simultaneous exposure to toxic chemicals and climate change’s impacts likely contributes to the broad global drop in fertility. Continue reading...

• Following an incident at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner where shots were fired, President Trump called for national unity and extended overtures to the press corps he had previously criticized as enemies of the people. • The shooting occurred at the Washington Hilton, a venue that has hosted the black-tie event for over 50 years, with suspect Cole Thomas Allen, 31, from Torrance, California, taken into custody. • Trump appeared calm following his evacuation and held a press briefing expressing dismay at the violent disruption, signaling a temporary thaw in his combative relationship with the mainstream media.

Alleged manifesto reportedly written by the suspect had Trump administration officials at top of listWhite House press dinner shooting aftermath – latest updatesInvestigators were looking into anti-Trump sentiment as being a motive for the attacker who sought to breach the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington DC where the US president and top members of his administration were present.Officials have said that the shooter likely was targeting Donald Trump and other senior administration officials. “We do believe, based upon just a very preliminary start to understanding what happened, that he was targeting members of the administration,” Blanche said in a TV interview. Continue reading...

Questions raised about political violence, security and gun control after brazen attack at event attended by top officialsWhite House press dinner shooting aftermath – latest updatesA stunned Washington faced searching questions about political violence and gun control on Sunday after shots were fired at a prestigious media gala attended by Donald Trump and senior White House officials.A man targeted a Secret Service agent at a security checkpoint in the Washington Hilton hotel the previous night before being tackled and arrested. Trump and Melania Trump were rushed out of the annual White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner as guests dived for cover under tables. Continue reading...

Pesident presses case for controversial $400m project following White House correspondents’ dinner shootingThe shooting at the Washington Hilton hotel gives new urgency to the project to construct a 1,000-seat ballroom at the White House, Donald Trump claimed after the incident on Saturday night.The US president pressed the case for his controversial ballroom initiative at the press conference he held at the White House on Saturday and a social media post on Sunday, after an armed attacker was arrested as he rushed towards the Hilton’s ballroom, where Trump was attending the White House Correspondents Association’s annual dinner. Continue reading...

Shooting reveals how political violence has become feature of American life on a night dedicated to press freedomAhead of this year’s White House correspondents’ dinner, conversations centered on the role of the media and freedom of the press as journalists prepared to dine with the president.Instead of a speech stacked with heated barbs against the media, the event ended like many in the US do: with gun violence. Continue reading...

Trump and first lady were safely evacuated and police arrested Cole Tomas Allen of southern California at eventThe gunman who tried to breach the ballroom at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington DC on Saturday night is believed to have been targeting members of the Trump administration, the acting US attorney general, Todd Blanche, said on Sunday morning.Blanche also said officials believe that the suspect traveled by train from California to Chicago and then on to Washington, where he checked in as a guest at the hotel where one of the capital’s glitziest annual events was being held, the Washington Hilton. Continue reading...

Law enforcement agencies name Cole Tomas Allen as Trump posts video of man sprinting through checkpoint at hotelUS politics live – latest updatesLaw enforcement agencies have identified Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, southern California, a suburb of Los Angeles, as the suspected gunman arrested at the White House correspondents’ dinner in Washington DC on Saturday night.Allen, 31, has no record of criminal charges or a civil court history in Los Angeles county, according to a records search. Continue reading...

US president says venue was ‘not a particularly secure building’ as man is held after shots fired at annual press dinnerHello and welcome to our live updates on US politics.A suspect is in custody following a shooting incident at last night’s White House correspondents’ dinner. Continue reading...

Men in tuxedos and women in dresses dove under tables, like a scene from a dozen Hollywood movies, but now it was happening to meShocking. Unnerving. Unpredictable. Violent. For a decade I have been following the twists and turns of Donald Trump’s America with the privilege of journalistic distance. On Saturday night I felt the darkness come viscerally close.Bang! Bang! What was that? Where was it? At 8.36pm panic and pandemonium reigned in the cavernous ballroom at the Washington Hilton hotel. There were men running and cries of “Get down!” and “Stay down!” Continue reading...

• Shots were fired at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner on Saturday evening, April 25, 2026, prompting President Trump's evacuation and security response. • A 31-year-old suspect has been identified and taken into custody following the incident near the event in Washington, D.C. • President Trump addressed the media Saturday night, taking questions on the shooting and emphasizing unity in response.

Lawmakers and reporters in shock after Washington press event abruptly ends following gunshotsTrump evacuated after shots fired at White House correspondents’ dinner – what we knowWhite House correspondents’ dinner – latest updatesLawmakers and journalists were in shock after a Washington media tradition turned violent on Saturday night, halting the White House correspondents’ dinner while the first course of burrata and greens sat on their plates.“We thought that some of the plates for the dinner fell, and next thing you know, we all went under the table screaming,” said Jamie Raskin, a Maryland congressman who was among the 2,000 attendees gathered to celebrate press freedom. It was the first time that Donald Trump chose to attend the annual Washington event. Continue reading...

President Donald Trump and other top leaders evacuated from the annual dinner after an unspecified threat The White House Correspondents’ Dinner was interrupted by loud bangs on Saturday evening, followed by immediate commotion. Donald Trump and Melania Trump were evacuated immediately as many journalists and their guests across the room ducked under tables in the Washington Hilton ballroom.While the situation continues to develop, there were reports that the Secret Service had guns drawn as they rushed the White House pool reporters out of the room and mentioned “shots fired”. Continue reading...

• The White House stated China steals US AI technology at industrial scale via joint ventures, cyber intrusions, talent poaching, and front companies targeting universities and labs. • Tactics include spear-phishing, zero-day exploits in software pipelines, and supply chain diversion of AI hardware like GPUs, fueling China's surveillance and weapons programs. • Impacts could erode US AI competitive advantage, raise R&D costs for cybersecurity, and devalue intellectual property incentives for American firms.

Claim of nefarious plot draws attention of lawmakers and president – but are disappearances and deaths really linked?Are the disappearances or deaths of at least 11 US scientists, each allegedly connected in some way to space, defense and nuclear research, really linked in a nefarious plot: one that involves the Chinese or other state enemies, or possibly links back to UFOs?A conspiracy theory positing exactly that has roared through sections of the US population in recent weeks, spreading rapidly from the internet into rightwing media and hence into the mainstream press and prompting an inquiry from Congress and questions from Donald Trump. Continue reading...

• President Trump is attending the White House Correspondents' Dinner, colliding politics and media in a highly charged event. • Flashback highlights include Stephen Colbert roasting George W. Bush and Axios reporter Alex Thompson calling out colleagues. • The dinner underscores ongoing media-political tensions, especially post-executive orders and impeachment talks.

Rising costs have continued to plague the company, now facing soaring fuel costs due to the war with IranSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe White House is finalizing a financing package to help ailing US budget carrier Spirit Airlines, which could receive as much as $500m in loans as rising costs continue to plague the company.News of the potential deal comes as Spirit and others struggle with soaring fuel costs due to the war with Iran. Continue reading...

• President Trump delivered an emergency announcement from the Oval Office, placing the US on high alert over unspecified national security threats. • The speech called for public vigilance and federal coordination based on credible intelligence, stunning observers. • Reactions poured in from Congress, the Pentagon, and global markets amid a developing situation.