Bipartisan criticism is growing after investigators revealed how suspected gunman Cole Tomas Allen was able to enter the Washington Hilton carrying multiple weapons before Saturday night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
The incident has renewed debate over security protocols at one of Washington’s highest-profile annual events, while President Donald Trump and allies say it proves the need for a secure White House ballroom now under construction.
According to the report, Allen allegedly entered the hotel with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives.
Authorities say outside hotel entry points did not require weapon screening.
Instead, metal detectors and magnetometers were positioned on the floor above the ballroom near the final checkpoint leading into the dinner itself.
That meant guests and hotel patrons could enter the building first, then move internally before reaching the controlled area.
Allen reportedly booked a room at the Washington Hilton, allowing him to move through the property more freely while senior government officials gathered inside.
Rep. Mike Lawler criticized what he called glaring security failures.
He cited the lack of photo ID checks, no fully verified attendee list, the hotel remaining open to the public, and limited screening points.
“There needs to be a complete and thorough after action,” Lawler said.
Rep. Ritchie Torres also questioned how an event hosting the president, the House speaker, Cabinet officials, and members of Congress lacked basic entry screening.
He called for an immediate investigation.
The report said Allen himself mocked the security setup in a manifesto recovered after the attack.
He allegedly wrote that he walked in with multiple weapons and no one considered that he could be a threat.
He also reportedly said the lack of security was “actually insane.”
Authorities said Allen later opened fire and tried to push through the final checkpoint before being stopped by security personnel.
President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and numerous officials were evacuated.
Trump argued the incident justifies his long-pushed plan for a secure ballroom on White House grounds.
“What happened last night is exactly the reason” a safe ballroom should be built, Trump posted, adding the event would never have happened there.
Even some Democrats agreed that the current venue may be outdated.
Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman (D) said the Hilton was not built to host an event involving so many people in the presidential line of succession and supported building the White House ballroom, per the New York Post.
Trump’s proposed 90,000-square-foot ballroom has faced legal challenges.
A federal judge temporarily blocked construction last month pending congressional approval, though an appeals court later allowed work to continue while litigation proceeds.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the response.
He said the suspect barely breached the perimeter and called it a “massive security success story.”
