President Donald Trump is making his return Friday to a prominent Washington hotel that was the scene of a foiled assassination attempt just months ago.
Trump is scheduled to speak at the Washington Hilton as part of the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s yearly “Road to Majority” conference. The visit marks his first time back at the venue since the evening of April 25, when an armed man attempted to breach a Secret Service security checkpoint outside the hotel’s ballroom, forcing Trump to cut his appearance at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner short.
The Faith and Freedom Coalition is an evangelical Christian organization that has been a strong supporter of Trump. The president has aligned himself with many of the group’s priorities, including efforts to prohibit transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. However, Trump has also faced pushback from some Christian backers of Israel who oppose his ceasefire agreement with Iran, as well as from anti-abortion advocates who believe his administration has not taken a firm enough stance on the issue.
A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, offered strong praise for the president’s relationship with faith communities. “There has never been a bigger champion for families and people of faith than President Trump,” the official said.
Authorities have identified the man behind the April incident as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old resident of California. Allen has pleaded not guilty to charges alleging he attempted to assassinate Trump. Prosecutors say Allen fired a shotgun at a Secret Service agent and forced his way through a security checkpoint in what was described as a deliberate attack targeting Trump and other members of his administration. Both Trump and first lady Melania Trump were quickly escorted out of the dinner following the incident. In the aftermath, Trump remarked that the hotel was “not a particularly secure building.”
With Friday’s event approaching, security preparations are expected to be more extensive. A Secret Service official, also speaking anonymously, stated that presidential security “continuously evolves to meet today’s heightened security environment.”
“While the existing security plan at the April 2026 White House Correspondents Dinner was effective in interdicting an identified threat, the agency continually reviews our security posture and will make adjustments, as necessary,” the official added.
Friday’s appearance comes as Trump has now survived three separate threats on his life since 2024, a stretch marked by growing political division across the country.
The Washington Hilton has long been a fixture in presidential history, hosting the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner for decades. The hotel also holds a grim place in the history books — former President Ronald Reagan was shot outside the building in 1981 and survived.
As for the correspondents’ association, the group is planning a scaled-down version of its canceled dinner, set to take place in late July at a different location.
