Hello readers. Kathryn Palmer here, and welcome back to On Politics. I had hoped last week this edition would lead with the snappiest quotes and jokes from the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Instead, our headlines on the event are a great deal more somber. Here's what to know this Monday.
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Suspect in DC press dinner shooting heads to court
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The suspect accused of opening fire inside the hotel where the White House correspondents' dinner was held over the weekend is expected in court today, as authorities continue to piece together what led to the attack that forced President Donald Trump and top administration officials to be evacuated from the annual gala.
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A senior law enforcement official familiar with the investigation identified the suspect to USA TODAY as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, of Torrance, California. He is expected to be charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon, officials said.
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In separate television interviews on Sunday, Trump referenced the suspect's writings and alleged he was motivated by religious, anti-Christian hatred, though he did not provide specific evidence. A senior law enforcement official told USA TODAY that Allen, a Caltech graduate and tutor, reportedly sent a message to family members before the event, referring to himself as a "friendly federal assassin" and expressing grievances against the Trump administration.
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Shattered glass at the Washington Hilton hotel, where a shooting incident occurred yesterday night at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 26, 2026.
Kylie Cooper, REUTERS
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King Charles, Queen Camilla kick off trip at White House today
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King Charles III and Queen Camilla are set to visit President Trump in a rattled Washington, DC, today. Their state visit is moving forward just days after the White House press dinner shooting. It is the first state visit by a British monarch since 2007, intended to preface celebrations of America's 250th anniversary on July 4.
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The four-day state visit will be the king's first trip to the United States since his 2022 coronation. Along with various DC stops, the royal pair will also head to New York City and Virginia.
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While it'll be rife with pomp, celeb appearances and tabloid fodder, the visit is also framed as a possible inroad for the Trump administration to mend the special relationship between the two nations. Tensions have been fraught between the president and the United Kingdom under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and the list of grievances is long. Chief among them are deep disagreements over the tariffs triggered by the United States, Trump's stance toward NATO and the historic Atlantic alliance, and the United States' role in its joint war on Iran.
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White House to review security with Secret Service after WHCD shooting
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There are many yet-unanswered questions concerning the shooting just outside the press dinner on Saturday night. Among them: how was the shooter, armed with multiple weapons, able to get so close to a ballroom packed with journalists, lawmakers and the government's top leaders?
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The White House announced that Chief of Staff Susie Wiles will convene a meeting this week to discuss security for Trump in the wake of the attack. Wiles will meet with members of the White House operations team, the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security to discuss protocol and practices for major events involving the president, a senior White House official not authorized to speak publicly told USA TODAY.
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In the aftermath, Trump has stood by the leadership of the Secret Service, applauding the agency's work in taking down the suspect in a series of Sunday interviews. Yet many attendees − from the event's headline entertainer to members of the president's own party − have widely criticized the security at the event. Oz Pearlman, the mentalist who was seen performing a trick for press secretary Karoline Leavitt seconds before shots were heard − told USA TODAY yesterday he's seen tighter measures at the Golden Globes.
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Investigators are still searching for a motive behind the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on April 25.
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Supreme Court justices sounded likely to allow police to continue searching smartphone data for unidentified suspects in crimes.
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Department of Justice is battling states to review voter rolls with personal information, which civil rights lawyers call 'Big Brother.' Here's why.
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Here's what to know about what is being served during King Charles and Queen Camilla's visit.
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A spokesman for the Wisconsin Democratic Party called comments from Kirk Bangstad, owner of the Minocqua Brewing Company, "completely unacceptable."
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