Blanche told NBC News\u2019 Meet the Press:<\/p>\n
double quotation markWe\u2019re still investigating a motive, and that\u2019s something that will necessarily take a couple of days at least. We believe he was targeting administration officials in this attack, attempted attack, but that\u2019s again, quite preliminary.<\/p>\n
Those officials \u201clikely\u201d include the US president, Blanche added, \u201cbut I want to wait and not get ahead of us on that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Blanche went on to say that he does not believe that the suspect is cooperating with the investigation.<\/p>\n
He will be charged in federal court tomorrow with assault of a federal officer, discharging a firearm and attempting to kill a federal officer, Blanche said, adding he did not know if there was an Iran connection to the attack.<\/p>\n
Investigators believe the suspect travelled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago and then Chicago to Washington DC by train, before checking into the hotel where the dinner was held, Blanche added.<\/p>\n
He said investigators were looking into reports that the suspect had assembled the weapon somewhere in the hotel, but that he \u201cdidn\u2019t get very far\u201d.<\/p>\n
double quotation markHe barely broke the perimeter. And by barely, I mean by a few feet.<\/p>\n
Updated at\u00a008.41 EDT<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n King Charles’s US state visit to go ahead as planned, Buckingham Palace confirms<\/p>\n Buckingham Palace has confirmed that King Charles and Queen Camilla\u2019s four-day state visit to the US will go ahead as planned.<\/p>\n Earlier, the palace said a \u201cnumber of discussions\u201d were taking place to discuss how last night\u2019s shooting may or may not affect security planning<\/a>, with the British monarch due to arrive in the US tomorrow.<\/p>\n \u201cFollowing discussions on both sides of the Atlantic through the day, and acting on advice of government, we can confirm the state visit by their majesties will proceed as planned,\u201d a palace spokesperson said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe king and queen are most grateful to all those who have worked at pace to ensure this remains the case and are looking forward to the visit getting underway tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.07 EDT<\/p>\n The suspected shooter is being held at a Metropolitan police department station in north-west Washington DC, law enforcement sources have told CBS News. He will be transported later today to a detention facility in the southeast of the capital.<\/p>\n The alleged gunman will be transported by the US Marshals Service to federal court on Monday, where he is expected to be arraigned before a federal judge, the justice department has said.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.00 EDT<\/p>\n ‘We are proud of everyone in that room,’ White House Correspondents’ Association says<\/p>\n Here is a statement from Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents\u2019 Association, who was seated next to Donald Trump<\/a> at the dinner last night for what should have been a celebration of journalism.<\/p>\n double quotation markLast night\u2019s shooting at the Washington Hilton was a harrowing moment for everyone in attendance.<\/p>\n We express our deepest gratitude to the U.S. Secret Service and all law enforcement personnel who ensured the safety of everyone in the ballroom and beyond. Their actions protected thousands of guests, and we wish a full and speedy recovery to the officer who was injured in the line of duty. We are grateful everyone in attendance was unharmed, including the President, the First Lady, and the Vice President.<\/p>\n Our dinner exists to celebrate the First Amendment and the hard daily work of the journalists who defend it. Last night, those journalists showed exactly the kind of calm and courage that work demands, jumping into reporting immediately after the incident unfolded. We are proud of everyone in that room.<\/p>\n The WHCA board will be meeting to assess what happened and determine how to proceed. We will provide updates as soon as any are available.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.34 EDT<\/p>\n In his alleged manifesto, Cole Allen, the man accused of targeting the White House correspondents\u2019 dinner, called himself a \u201cFriendly Federal Assassin\u201d and created a list of targets for the shooting, formatted from highest to lowest priority, with Trump administration officials at the top, according to a report from the New York Post.<\/p>\n The manifesto, obtained by the Post, begins with apologies to those who knew the suspect and lists his motives for the shooting. It said the shooter targeted administration officials with the exception of FBI director Kash Patel.<\/p>\n \u201cI am a citizen of the United States of America,\u201d it said. \u201cWhat my representatives do reflects on me. And I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTurning the other cheek when *someone else* is oppressed is not Christian behavior; it is complicity in the oppressor\u2019s crimes,\u201d it later says.<\/p>\n The writer also describes security at the event as being weak. \u201cLike, the one thing that I immediately noticed walking into the hotel is the sense of arrogance\u2026 The security at the event is all outside, focused on protestors and current arrivals, because apparently no one thought about what happens if someone checks in the day before,\u201d it reads.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.10 EDT<\/p>\n White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described last night\u2019s correspondents\u2019 dinner as having been \u201chijacked by a depraved crazy person who sought to assassinate the President and kill as many top Trump administration officials as possible\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI was with President Trump and the First Lady back stage after we were quickly ushered to safety by Secret Service,\u201d she wrote in an X post<\/a>. \u201cPresident Trump was truly fearless, but as he said last night, this political violence needs to end.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you to law enforcement for keeping all of us safe, including the brave agent who took a bullet to the chest and immediately moved to neutralize the shooter,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a012.58 EDT<\/p>\n Trump also said that he had wanted to continue with the White House correspondents\u2019 dinner following the shooting but acknowledged that it was the \u201cright thing\u201d to postpone it and leave.<\/p>\n \u201cI really wanted to do it that night, even if we stayed late into the night, but we did the right thing, and we came back to the White House, we did a news conference and explained what happened,\u201d Trump said in his Sunday interview with Fox News.<\/p>\n \u201cI really wanted to, but the protocol was no and, you know, once those doors were open, that room was sealed,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n The president went on to say, \u201cwe can\u2019t let these criminals and these really bad people change the course of events in our country\u201d and added that he had planned to \u201creally rip it last night\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I didn\u2019t get a chance to do that. Probably, I was better off if I didn\u2019t,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a012.30 EDT<\/p>\n King’s visit to Washington to continue as planned, Trump says<\/p>\n Trump also confirmed to Fox News that King Charles III\u2019s visit to the US will continue as planned.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a great guy, and we look forward to it. He\u2019s really a fantastic person and a tremendous representative, and he\u2019s brave,\u201d Trump said. \u201cWe\u2019re gonna have a great time. And he represents his nation like nobody else can do it.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a012.11 EDT<\/p>\n Donald Trump said in an interview on Sunday on Fox News that the suspected shooter at the White House correspondents\u2019 dinner was stopped by law enforcement and didn\u2019t come close to entering the ballroom where the event was taking place.<\/p>\n He described the suspect as \u201ca sick and very troubled guy\u201d. He added that the suspect appeared to have had \u201chatred in his heart for a while\u201d and described him as being \u201cstrongly anti-Christian\u201d.<\/p>\n He also said the suspect\u2019s family had raised concerns about him to police ahead of his targeting of the media gala.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s got some big problems with the rest of his life,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n The president also reiterated once again on the need for a secure ballroom at the White House, which he says is under construction ahead of schedule and on budget.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.53 EDT<\/p>\n FBI director Kash Patel said \u201cthe best of American leadership\u201d was on show last night and reiterated that the investigation is ongoing.<\/p>\n \u201cLast night we saw the best of American leadership,\u201d he wrote in a post<\/a> on X. \u201cI am proud to work for President Trump who so strongly backs law enforcement across this country – and proud to lead this agency that works 24\/7 to keep Americans safe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you to our brave law enforcement and interagency partners who acted quickly and protected their fellow Americans. Investigation ongoing,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Suspect’s writings in hotel room reveal he wanted to target Trump officials \u2013 report<\/p>\n The suspect\u2019s writings, reportedly found inside his hotel room, are being examined as part of the investigation into the attack, according to CBS News.<\/p>\n Sources told the network<\/a> that the writings \u201cclearly stated\u201d he wanted to target administration officials.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.16 EDT<\/p>\n Prime minister Keir Starmer spoke to Donald Trump<\/a> on Sunday and expressed relief that the US president and the first lady were safe following the shooting at the White House correspondents\u2019 dinner, a Downing Street spokesperson told Reuters.<\/p>\n \u201cHe [Starmer] extended his best wishes to the President and First Lady following the shocking scenes at last night\u2019s White House Correspondents Dinner,\u201d the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n They added that Starmer had \u201cexpressed his relief that the President and First Lady were safe and wished a speedy recovery to the officer injured\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.31 EDT<\/p>\n Today so far<\/p>\n Preliminary findings suggest that the alleged White House correspondents\u2019 dinner shooter was targeting Donald Trump and officials in his administration, according to acting US attorney general Todd Blanche. The suspect\u2019s motive remains under investigation.<\/p>\n The suspect \u2013 identified by the Associated Press as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California \u2013 is set to be arraigned in federal court tomorrow. 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 goes, he can also be charged with the attempted assassination of Trump.<\/p>\n The officer who sustained injuries in last night\u2019s attack had been released from hospital, according to US Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi. \u201cThe ballistic vest helped us avoid a potential tragedy last night,\u201d Guglielmi said.<\/p>\n Trump on Sunday reiterated that the shooting is why the White House needs a ballroom. A US judge last month halted construction<\/a> on Trump\u2019s $400m ballroom, granting a request for a preliminary injunction by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.<\/p>\n Security for King Charles is under review ahead of his state visit to Washington, the Buckingham Palace has said. Buckingham Palace said on Sunday that Charles was being \u201ckept fully informed of developments\u201d of last night\u2019s shooting and was \u201cgreatly relieved to hear that the president, first lady and all guests have been unharmed\u201d.<\/p>\n![\"Todd](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1777226889_367_3268.jpg\")
Todd Blanche last night speaking next to FBI director Kash Patel and Donald Trump \u2013 still in their tuxedos – at a press briefing at the White House, following the shooting incident during the annual White House Correspondents\u2019 Association dinner. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n