WHCA dinner shooting spurs calls for cooler heads, action from Congress

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▪ WHCA dinner shooting fallout

▪ Royals set to arrive in America

▪ ‘Hell week’ for Congress

▪ Pakistan looks to revive Iran talks 

Calls are pouring in from across the political spectrum for cooling tensions and action to increase security in the aftermath of a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner on Saturday, just the latest incident of political violence in recent months. 

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that the American people need to “take a breath, confirm their facts, talk to their elected officials, think a bit before they judge people.” 

“They all have a role to play. And we in elected office do as well. Our words matter. The weight of our words matter, and we need to be very measured in the way that we use them,” he said. 

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) called for the creation of a bipartisan national commission on political violence, following up Tillis’s comments. 

“We should look at social media. We should look at mental health issues. We should look at language. But we need to do something to bring the temperature down,” Khanna said. 

Unlike many other recent acts of political violence, no one was killed at the WHCA dinner. One Secret Service agent was injured when they were shot in a bulletproof vest, and they are expected to recover. 

Multiple Republicans in Congress said the shooting underscored the need to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which includes the Secret Service.  

“Last night was a sobering reminder of why DHS funding must be passed now!” Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) wrote on social platform X. “Our Secret Service agents are risking their lives to protect others. Democrats need to stop playing games with Americans’ safety and livelihoods, and do their jobs!” 

The Senate passed a DHS funding bill earlier this month, which excludes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and some Border Patrol funding, but would fund the Secret Service. House Republicans are holding up the legislation.  

The shooting prompted other calls for targeted change.  

A former Secret Service agent told NewsNation Sunday that the Trump administration should be “looking at” scaling back the number of Cabinet officials attending the same events after Saturday’s shooting. 

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday pressed the preservation group suing the White House over President Trump’s ballroom project to drop the lawsuit, after Trump said the ballroom would be a safer space to host large events in Washington.  

Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said he is setting up a briefing with Secret Service leadership on the shooting. 

Trump had yet to deliver what was expected to be an adversarial speech at the annual dinner. He struck a conciliatory tone with the media as he briefed the country on the incident late Saturday night, calling the coverage of the shooting “very responsible.” 

“This was an event dedicated to the freedom of speech that was supposed to bring together members of both parties with members of the press, and in a certain way it did,” he said.  

“The room was totally unified,” Trump continued. “It was a very beautiful thing to see.” 

Trump’s sentiment was largely echoed by political allies and adversaries alike, expressing gratitude that no one was injured and praising law enforcement for taking action to neutralize the suspect. 

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a post on X that he’s “very thankful” everyone at the dinner was unharmed. 

“The only thing I’m certain of is that the times in which we live are creating a stream of threats that are unprecedented against President Trump and other government officials,” he said. “To the American people, let’s all pray for calmer waters and try to be part of the solution, not the problem.” 

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) called political violence “absolutely unacceptable,” as did California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). 

Following the incident, the country is back in a familiar place, with calls for cooler heads to prevail and a widespread rejection of using violence to settle differences. But most Americans say they believe political violence is on the rise. 

Similar calls for stopping violence were made last summer after the assassinations of former Minnesota state House Speaker Melissa Hortman (D) and her husband, as well as following the killing of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk in September. 

And Trump, along with many in his orbit, noted his 2024 assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pa. 

Multiple outlets reported that the suspected shooter at the dinner, identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen, wrote a manifesto critical of members of the Trump administration. 

Trump on Sunday criticized CBS News’s Norah O’Donnell for reading the reported manifesto, which referred to a “rapist” and “pedophile”, during an interview on “60 Minutes.” 

“I was waiting for you to read that because I knew you would because you’re horrible people. Horrible people,” Trump said.  

“You know, he’s a sick person. But you should be ashamed of yourself reading that because I’m not any of those things,” he added later.  

Click here to read an account from The Hill’s Judy Kurtz, who was in the room, of how the dinner turned into a night of tears and terror. 

▪ The Hill: Who is the alleged shooter? 

▪ NPR: Photos: The aftermath of the shooting. 

3 Things to Know Today

The Virginia Supreme Court will hear arguments today in Republicans’ bid to overturn the redistricting ballot measure that voters approved last week. The decision will determine if the new map, which is expected to net Democrats up to four additional seats, can be implemented for the midterms. 

Democratic and Republican candidates for Georgia governor will face off in their respective parties’ primary debates today. Both sides feature crowded fields seeking to succeed outgoing Gov. Brian Kemp (R). GOP candidates in Georgia’s Senate race traded barbs on Sunday.

Mali’s defense minister was killed over the weekend amid attacks from al-Qaeda-linked militants throughout the country. The West African nation has seen an escalation in violence from jihadists in recent years.

ROYAL VISIT: The planned visit by King Charles III and Queen Camilla to Washington, D.C., is going ahead this week despite the shooting, with the royals set to arrive in the U.S. today. 

“Following discussions on both sides of the Atlantic through the day, and acting on advice of Government, we can confirm the State Visit by Their Majesties will proceed as planned,” a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said in a statement Sunday. 

A British government source told The Hill that the security procedures surrounding the king and queen’s visit were under review ahead of their arrival. They are set to start their trip in D.C. but also visit Virginia and New York City later in the week. 

Charles is expected to deliver an address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, followed by a state dinner at the White House. 

His visit comes at a time of tension between the U.S. and the United Kingdom, as Trump has slammed U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer in recent weeks for his refusal to assist U.S. operations against Iran and in efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. 

The Hill’s Sarakshi Rai and Julia Manchester report the U.K. will strive to smooth over its “special relationship” with the U.S. when Charles visits. Trump has only had praise for the king before, and he told the BBC that he believes the visit could “absolutely” help improve relations between the U.S. and U.K. governments. 

Charles is also set to visit under the shadow of the controversies surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, who associated with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former prince who has been stripped of his royal title over his ties to the late convicted sex offender, The Hill’s Sophie Brams reports. 

▪ The New York Times: What to know about the state visit. 

▪ Politico: Trip proceeding despite security concerns. 

‘HELL WEEK’: Lawmakers are bracing for a jam-packed week on Capitol Hill as they try to get key pieces of legislation passed before heading out of town for recess next week. 

The most pressing item is an extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which is set to expire on Thursday. The provision, which allows the federal government to conduct surveillance on foreigners abroad without obtaining a warrant, already was extended 10 days from its initial deadline last week.  

Hard-line conservatives are insisting on reforms to the language to increase privacy protections for Americans, creating difficulties for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). 

Johnson will need support from almost his entire conference to get the bill through a procedural vote, but members of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus have voiced opposition to the draft text of the bill. 

House Republicans will also try to pass a budget blueprint for a bill to fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, another necessary step to end the DHS shutdown. The blueprint passed through the Senate late last week. 

But House conservatives want a more wide-ranging bill than the one the Senate sent to the lower chamber, leaving clear obstacles in its path. 

Read more about what to expect from the busy week in Congress from The Hill’s Sudiksha Kochi here. 

▪ The Hill: House Dem leader says Trump impeachment not a priority. 

▪ The Hill: Bipartisan senators release bill pushing back on Russia sanctions relief. 

FORWARD MOMENTUM: Kevin Warsh’s nomination to be the next chair of the Federal Reserve appears to be on track for confirmation after the DOJ ended its investigation into the agency and its current head, Jerome Powell. 

Tillis, who had vowed to hold up Fed nominees in protest of the DOJ investigation, said Sunday he would support Warsh’s nomination after receiving “assurances” from the department that the probe was closed. 

“I have been clear from the start: the U.S. Attorney’s Office criminal investigation into Chair Powell was a serious threat to the Fed’s independence, and it needed to end before I could support Kevin Warsh’s confirmation,” he said in a post on X. 

Tillis’s comment came after Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, announced Friday that the DOJ investigation into the renovations taking place at the Fed’s headquarters and Powell’s testimony about it before Congress had concluded. She said she asked the agency’s inspector general to investigate instead. 

Tillis’s support should get Warsh’s nomination through the Senate Banking Committee and to the Senate floor for a vote of the full chamber. He had significant power to block the nomination given the committee’s narrow 13-11 GOP majority. 

The DOJ investigation closed after bipartisan pushback from lawmakers. 

▪ The Economist: Will Warsh Trumpify the Fed? 

▪ The Associated Press: Don’t count on rate cuts yet. 

TRYING AGAIN: Pakistan is trying to revive talks between the U.S. and Iran after Trump canceled plans over the weekend for a second round of in-person negotiations between the two countries. 

A regional official involved in the mediation efforts told The Associated Press that Pakistan-led mediators are trying to bridge significant gaps between the U.S. and Iran, but Iran is insisting the U.S. end its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz before entering a new round of talks. 

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, were set to travel to Islamabad for negotiations on Saturday, but Trump told them not to go after Iranian officials refused to meet. Iran had previously signaled it would only communicate through Pakistan. 

“If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!” Trump said about Iran on Truth Social on Saturday in announcing he canceled Witkoff and Kushner’s trip. 

Axios’s Barak Ravid reported Trump is expected to hold a Situation Room meeting with his national security and foreign policy team Monday afternoon to discuss the stalemate in negotiations and potential options for next steps in the war.  

That comes as Iran has sent the U.S. a new proposal to reopen the strait and end the war, postponing negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program until a later stage, Axios reported. 

▪ NBC News: Iran caused extensive damage to U.S. military bases. 

▪ Time: Civilians killed in the war. 

The president will participate in executive time at 8 a.m. and in a policy meeting at 1:30 p.m. He and first lady Melania Trump will greet King Charles and Queen Camilla at 4:15 p.m. and then have tea and participate in a beehive tour with them. He will participate in another policy meeting at 5:30 p.m. 

The House will convene at noon. 

The Senate will meet at 3 p.m. 

STEP FORWARD, STEP BACK: Many Americans are taking home larger tax refunds this year but are also facing steeper prices. 

The Treasury Department said in a release earlier this month that the average tax refund during this filing season was more than $3,400, an 11 percent increase from last year. The department said more than 53 million filers used at least one of the provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, providing deductions for overtime pay and expanding the child tax credit, among other initiatives. 

But The Hill’s Max Rego reports much of the increase in refunds is being eaten by higher costs. The inflation rate jumped last month to 3.3 percent, up 0.9 points from February, amid the war in Iran. 

Food and energy costs also surged. 

A poll conducted last month found a third of respondents said they planned to save their refunds, while about a fifth each said they would use it to pay down debt or for necessities. Ten percent said they would invest it, while only 6 percent said they would use it for “splurge spending.” 

Analysts told Rego that cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are likely disproportionately affecting low-income families, while the tax benefits of the law mostly help middle- and upper-class filers. 

▪ WPIX: Who qualifies for the Capital One settlement? 

UNITED AGAINST NETANYAHU: Two former Israeli prime ministers from opposing factions are teaming up in an effort to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel’s elections later this year. 

Naftali Bennett, a right-wing politician with more hard-line views toward Palestinians, and Yair Lapid, the current leader of the opposition in the Knesset who is seen as a moderate, said Sunday that they would combine their parties into a single coalition. The group is to be led by Bennett, who would likely become the prime minister if it can win a majority coalition in the Knesset. 

Bennett’s and Lapid’s parties have little in common with each other except an eagerness to oust Netanyahu from power. A similar effort worked in 2021, when they defeated Netanyahu after 12 years as prime minister. 

“We have been through a great deal together. We have made difficult decisions together. We know we can count on one another,” Lapid said. 

But Netanyahu was able to come back the following year. 

Netanyahu has clung to power over the past two and a half years despite falling popularity in the aftermath of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The surprise incursion was the deadliest attack on Israel in its history. 

The Israeli leader has seen his approval ratings further battered by the war in Iran, which is seen as falling well short of Israel’s ambitions to remove the hardline Islamist regime from power.  

▪ The Associated Press: Netanyahu faces unhappy public as elections loom. 

America’s best and worst were on display at the White House correspondents’ dinner, The Washington Post editorial board writes. 

Trump stands tall under fire, Faith Bottum writes in The Wall Street Journal.

And finally … Mentalist Oz Pearlman shared his point of view of the shooting incident at the correspondents’ dinner on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, calling it “really shocking.” 

“It was incredibly surreal,” he added. “I get down. I kind of get down on all fours facing left, stage left, and then I watch. It feels like slow motion because of the way the adrenaline is.” 

Pearlman had been set to entertain at the dinner, as organizers subbed out the traditional comedian host. He had been performing a trick for White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt when the shooting occurred. 

After everyone dropped to the ground, Pearlman said he and Trump briefly looked at each other. 

“I have never been that close to the president or face-to-face in a very intimate moment,” Pearlman said. “So, we’re looking at each other. And I don’t know what’s going on. But it was just a stare and then out.” 

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