The director of the FBI, Kash Patel, addressed President Donald Trump directly this Sunday to praise him enthusiastically following the shooting on Saturday at the Annual White House Correspondents' Dinner, attributing the rapid response of security agents to presidential leadership.
“Mr. President, you inspire them 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year,” Patel said while looking Trump in the eye. “You provide them with the resources they need, and they know you have their backs. That is a changing dynamic in this country, which is why you saw brave Secret Service agents respond immediately, swiftly reducing and neutralizing the suspect and protecting the lives of thousands of people in that hotel.”
The incident occurred on Saturday night at the Washington Hilton in Washington D.C., when a 30-year-old man from California attempted to breach a Secret Service checkpoint near the metal detectors of the hotel.
The suspect was carrying a shotgun, a pistol, and multiple knives. Between five and eight shots were heard, according to various eyewitnesses.
A Secret Service agent was hit at close range in his bulletproof vest and survived without serious injuries; he was taken to a local hospital as a precautionary measure.
Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other high-ranking officials were evacuated urgently by the Secret Service. Approximately 2,600 people were attending the event when the shooting occurred and took shelter under the tables.
Minutes after the incident, Trump posted on Truth Social: "What a night in D.C. The Secret Service and law enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted swiftly and with courage. The shooter has been apprehended."
This Sunday, Trump addressed the nation from the White House, confirmed that the injured agent was doing well, and announced that the dinner would be rescheduled within 30 days.
It was in this context that Patel spoke to attribute the operational success of the security forces directly to the president. "You saw the greatest determination from the U.S. law enforcement because you, Mr. President, inspire them," stated the FBI director.
Patel, confirmed as FBI director by the Senate on February 20, 2025, with a narrow vote of 51-49, is regarded as a staunch loyalist of Trump and has been a controversial figure since his appointment.
The shooting on Saturday is the second attack against Trump in less than two years. The first occurred on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania, when Thomas Matthew Crooks fired eight rounds with an AR-15 rifle during a campaign rally, injuring Trump in the right ear and killing a bystander.
El Washington Hilton carga además con un peso histórico: fue el mismo lugar donde el 30 de marzo de 1981 John Hinckley Jr. intentó asesinar al presidente Ronald Reagan.
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