The events at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner were a catastrophic public safety failure, and they happened for one reason: Donald Trump has filled the federal government’s most critical security positions with unqualified loyalists like Kash Patel, whose devotion to him matters more than their ability to do the job.
The security failures reported by multiple outlets are inexcusable:
- No one checked the attacker’s luggage when he checked in the night before the event, despite the President being present.
- No photo ID was required for entry. There was no verified attendee list and no real inspection of tickets.
- There were no magnetometers at the building entrance or on the first two levels of the hotel where pre-dinner receptions were held.
- The attacker used an interior stairwell to bypass monitored areas, assembled his weapon on site, and charged the final checkpoint before law enforcement engaged.
Reporters, Republicans, and even Trump loyalists questioned the security protocols over the weekend:
- Rep. Mike Lawler described “glaring security issues” at this weekend’s event.
- Trump ally Kari Lake wrote on social media, “I was there. Security was terrible at the event. It was the easiest event I’ve ever gained access to that the president was at. It was so bad we talked about it at our table before the shots rang out.”
- Misha Komadovsky, a journalist for Germany’s DW, posted to social media that a paper ticket was all that was required for entry into the ballroom and that “there was no security screening prior to entering the lobby.”
- Harrison Fields, a former White House principal deputy press secretary, said there were “no checkpoints to get into the hotel,” and complained that the gunman could have gotten even closer to Trump and cabinet secretaries as there “was no security apparatus” leading up to a VIP reception right off the main ballroom.
Kash Patel had no business running the FBI. In the year since his confirmation, Patel has turned the nation’s premier law enforcement agency into a sideshow centered entirely on himself:
- Patel prematurely announced the arrest of a suspect in the Charlie Kirk murder investigation before it was confirmed, drawing bipartisan outrage.
- During the Brown University mass shooting last year, Patel announced on social media that a person of interest had been detained. It was the wrong man. It was the second time Patel had prematurely announced an arrest in a major case.
- A whistleblower told Congress that when the Brown shooting occurred, Patel had one of the FBI’s two available jets in South Florida for a personal visit.
- Patel used a government jet to fly his girlfriend to a personal appearance, assigned FBI agents as her bodyguards, then sicced the bureau on the journalist who reported it.
- He traveled to the Winter Olympics in Italy on the taxpayers’ dime and was filmed partying in the Team USA hockey locker room.
- A bombshell Atlantic investigation, citing more than two dozen current and former FBI officials, described a pattern of unexplained absences and excessive drinking.
“Donald Trump puts everyone at risk when he values loyalty over competency, especially for the most important public safety positions that are tasked with protecting Americans from dangerous threats. No single person in the administration defines incompetence more than Kash Patel, who cares more about the perks of the job than being a serious law enforcement leader,” said American Bridge 21st Century spokesperson Brandon Weathersby. “Patel needs to be fired immediately and replaced with someone who actually gives a damn about keeping Americans safe.”
Published: Apr 27, 2026 | Last Modified: May 5, 2026