King Charles III has vowed to proceed with his state visit to the United States despite an apparent assassination attempt on President Donald Trump at a White House Correspondents' Association dinner. The King and Queen Camilla are expected to arrive in Washington DC on Monday afternoon as planned, according to multiple reports.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the visit would go ahead, stating that following discussions on both sides of the Atlantic and acting on government advice, the state visit by Their Majesties will proceed as planned. The palace added that the King and Queen are grateful to all who worked to ensure this and are looking forward to the visit.
The assassination attempt occurred at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner held at a Hilton hotel in Washington DC. The suspected gunman, named as Cole Tomas Allen, was wrestled to the ground after a Secret Service agent was shot. The agent was wearing a bulletproof vest and escaped without serious injury. As many as eight shots were fired during the incident, and Allen came within 100 yards of President Trump and dozens of key officials. President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and Vice President JD Vance were hurried off the ballroom stage after the gunman exchanged fire with Secret Service agents.
Allen is a 31-year-old Democrat-supporting teacher who had checked in as a guest at the hotel. According to multiple reports, he told officers he wanted to shoot officials in the Trump administration.
An urgent security review is underway, and some "modest operational adjustments" will be made to the royal couple's programme, according to major media reports. According to Daily Mail - News, a source close to the royal visit described a close "scrub" of operational details around some elements of the programme, adding it was a case of "keep calm and carry on." An insider close to the royal couple told the same outlet that the King and Queen are very resilient individuals and will do their duty. At least one tentative "meet and greet moment" may be scrapped due to security concerns. The state visit, which commemorates 250 years of American independence, includes visits to Washington DC, New York, and Virginia over four days. The King and Queen reached out privately to the US President and First Lady on Sunday.
It remains unclear what specific security adjustments will be made, whether the meet-and-greet moment will be scrapped or proceed, and what charges Allen will face. The condition of the Secret Service agent who was shot has not been disclosed, and it is unknown how Allen managed to get within 100 yards of the President despite security.