Republican Representative Abe Hamadeh of Arizona urged Congress on Sunday to adopt stronger security measures following the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, an incident that underscored gaps in lawmaker protection.
Appearing on NewsNation's The Hill Sunday with host Chris Stirewalt, Hamadeh was asked whether Congress should change its security approach. “I do,” he replied, recounting his experience at the Washington Hilton event.
Hamadeh revealed that his protective detail was not inside the ballroom when the shooting erupted. “Honestly, it was very lucky that I was able to even communicate with my protective detail, because he was not in the ballroom,” the Arizona Republican said. He explained that he could only reach his security because he had connected to the hotel’s Wi-Fi roughly a minute before the attack.
The lawmaker said he met his detail near the ballroom exit and evacuated safely alongside Republican Representatives Marlin Stutzman of Indiana and Andy Ogles of Tennessee. The shooting began around 8:30 p.m. EDT when a man charged a security checkpoint outside the ballroom.
The suspect, identified by multiple outlets as 31-year-old Cole Allen, exchanged gunfire with law enforcement, striking a Secret Service officer in his bulletproof vest. Interim Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said the officer was hospitalized but in “good spirits.”
The incident has reignited debate over congressional security, especially after the House doubled the per-member personal security allowance from $5,000 to $10,000 monthly following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last September. Last year, the U.S. Capitol Police investigated nearly 15,000 “concerning” statements and behaviors directed at members, their families, staff, and the Capitol complex.
Democratic Representative Suhas Subramanyam of Virginia, who was entering the ballroom when the shooting occurred, also called for a review. “I’m not a security expert, but I will say we should look at this event and study what we could do better to make sure that someone can’t even try to get close to the ballroom like what happened because of so many important people there,” he told Stirewalt.
For more on the aftermath, see Johnson's praise for Trump's crisis leadership and Raskin's call for transparency in the probe. The shooting also prompted Trump to blame anti-Christian hatred as the suspect faces charges.
Hamadeh’s call for better steps reflects growing concern among lawmakers about their safety at high-profile events, with many demanding a reassessment of protocols to prevent future breaches.
