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    Government Employee Arrested After Disclosing Classified Info With FBI Agent

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    3

    Authorities arrested a government employee in Virginia on Thursday over accusations he shared classified information with an officer or agent of a foreign government.

    Nathan Vilas Laatsch, a 28-year-old IT specialist employed by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) since 2019, has been arrested and charged with attempting to transmit classified national defense information to a foreign government, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

    Laatsch, who held a Top Secret security clearance and worked in the DIA’s Insider Threat Division, was apprehended in northern Virginia after an undercover FBI operation. The investigation after the FBI received a tip that someone was offering to provide classified information to a friendly foreign government. Subsequent communications revealed that Laatsch expressed ideological disagreements with the current U.S. administration and a willingness to share sensitive materials.

    Over several weeks, Laatsch engaged with an FBI agent posing as a foreign government representative. He allegedly transcribed classified information onto a notepad and, on May 1, deposited a thumb drive containing documents marked as Secret and Top Secret at a prearranged location in a northern Virginia park. The drive also included a message indicating his intent to provide a sample of the information he could access.

    Following the initial drop, Laatsch communicated his desire for citizenship in the foreign country, citing concerns about the long-term trajectory of the United States. He also indicated openness to other forms of compensation. Between May 15 and May 27, he continued to transcribe and remove classified information, concealing notes in his clothing. On May 29, at another prearranged drop-off, Laatsch was arrested by the FBI upon delivering additional classified materials.

    FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized the persistent risk of insider threats, stating, “The FBI remains steadfast in protecting our national security and thanks our law enforcement partners for their critical support.”

    Laatsch is scheduled to appear in court in Alexandria, Virginia on Friday.

    Kari Lake’s Office In Lockdown After Receiving Suspicious Package

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    Image via Pixabay images

    The situation is still developing…

    A campaign spokesperson told Fox News Digital that an intern at the campaign’s Phoenix office opened an envelope with a suspicious substance and a note that said, “caution anthrax.” 

    The campaign called authorities, prompting a response from multiple law enforcement agencies and a hazmat team. 

    Authorities have not confirmed if the substance was anthrax. The campaign spokesperson said the substance is now being tested. 

    “The radical left, with help from the mainstream media, has escalated its attacks against me from baseless smears and legal harassment to physical threats. Today, my office received a suspicious envelope, potentially containing anthrax — an attempt to intimidate and silence me,” Lake said in a statement. “This isn’t just about me; it’s an attack on our movement. I won’t be intimidated, and those responsible must be brought to justice. The time to unite against these dangerous, un-American tactics is now.” 

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

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    Noem Impeachment Calls Escalate As ICE Shooting Fallout Continues

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem receives a tour of the Terrorist Confinement Center CECOT with the Minister of Justice and Public Security Gustavo Villatoro in Tecoluca, El Salvador, March 26, 2025. (DHS photo by Tia Dufour)

    Prominent Democrats are escalating calls to remove Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, accusing her of rushing to defend federal officers involved in two separate fatal shootings — a push that Republicans are likely to view as more partisan pressure on law enforcement than a serious, evidence-based accountability process.

    According to Axios, a House Democratic caucus phone call on Sunday “lit up” with demands to impeach Noem after the death of Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by federal agents on Saturday.

    Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) reportedly warned colleagues that if Noem refuses to step down, “we will have no other option but to begin impeachment,” according to anonymous sources cited by Axios.

    House Homeland Security Committee ranking member Bennie Thompson (D-MS) — “who was once reticent about impeachment” — also called for Noem to be impeached during the same call, Axios reported.

    Outside Washington, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) also demanded Noem’s removal, writing, “@Sec_Noem has forfeited her right to lead. I’m calling on her to resign.”

    Hochul went further, adding, “Gregory Bovino must also be fired,” referring to a senior Border Patrol official who publicly defended the shooting at a press conference Sunday.

    Democrats point to pattern; Republicans see familiar impeachment politics

    Democrats argue Noem is showing a troubling pattern of defending federal officers before facts are fully established, pointing to a similar incident earlier this year.

    The article notes that Renee Good was “shot four times and killed” on Jan. 7 by “officer Jonathan Ross,” and that Noem also immediately said the officer acted in self-defense.

    Noem’s supporters — and many Republicans — are likely to counter that federal officers operating in volatile environments, including protests and border-related enforcement actions, deserve the presumption that they were responding to a real threat until evidence proves otherwise, especially amid increasingly aggressive anti-police rhetoric.

    Republicans have also criticized Democrats for using impeachment as a political weapon in recent years, arguing that removing Cabinet officials should be reserved for clear misconduct, not disputed narratives still under investigation.

    Border Patrol official calls Pretti “assaultive,” claims he interfered with federal action

    At Sunday’s press conference, Bovino described Pretti as an “assaultive subject” who was “assaulting” officers and interfering with a federal action — language that underscores how federal officials are framing the encounter as a fast-moving confrontation rather than an unprovoked shooting.

    Bovino’s comments, however, are now being disputed by Democrats and major media outlets that reviewed video from the scene.

    Video review raises questions about the Trump administration’s initial account

    Major news organizations, including The Wall Street Journal, reviewed bystander footage and reported that “Bystander footage appears to tell a different story” than the Trump administration’s claims.

    The Journal reported: “A frame-by-frame review by The Wall Street Journal shows a federal officer pulling a handgun away from Pretti. Less than a second later, an agent fires several rounds. Pretti died at the scene.”

    Both The Journal and The New York Times concluded that “At least 10 shots appear to have been fired within five seconds.”

    Political fallout likely to intensify as facts emerge

    The dispute is now shifting into familiar political territory: Democrats are pressing for impeachment and firings, while Republicans are likely to insist that the federal government should not allow high-pressure incidents involving officers to be immediately adjudicated by political opponents — especially before investigators have fully reviewed evidence, witness statements, and body camera footage, if available.

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    AG Bondi Reveals The Grim Reason She’s Carrying Fake Fentanyl

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1

    Attorney General Pam Bondi will stop at nothing to eradicate fentanyl from the streets.

    On Wednesday, Bondi revealed that she carries around a vial of fake fentanyl to show that just a tiny amount can be deadly.

    While appearing on Fox & Friends from the White House lawn, Bondi discussed the importance of recent drug trafficking busts in several states that turned up massive amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and guns.

    To illustrate her point, she said she keeps a small bottle of “fake fentanyl” to remind herself how just a tiny amount can prove deadly.

    “Each pill has the potential to kill a human being. A human life. An American life. I’ve been carrying around a little vial with fake fentanyl in it, the amount it takes to kill you, and it looks like a couple of grains of salt,” Bondi told Fox & Friends co-host Lawrence Jones.

    On Tuesday, Bondi announced that authorities made one of the biggest fentanyl busts in U.S. history with the seizure 409 kilos of fentanyl pills and 11.5 kilos of fentanyl powder.

    Bondi said that around 35 kilos of methamphetamine, 35 kilos of meth, 7.5 kilos of cocaine and 4.5 kilos of heroin were also seized along with $5 million in cash and 49 rifles and pistols.

    Sixteen people were arrested in the operation. Six of the individuals are in the U.S. illegally, Bondi said. 

    Bondi also teased a joint announcement with FBI Director Kash Patel of a major child exploitation ring bust later in the morning, while urging parents to take notice of their children’s online habits.

    “Your kids have no right to privacy on the internet,” she said, adding, “Children are getting recruited on the internet from being on games, social media or any social media platform. Parents, you’ve got to monitor what your kids are doing because they think they are talking to other children and they are not. They are talking to monsters often.”

    “You’ve gotta be all in your children’s business,” Jones added.

    Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    Attorney General Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel announced Wednesday that 205 alleged child sex predators who preyed on children online have been arrested in the last week. 

    The arrests are part of a new joint operation by the Justice Department and FBI called “Operation Restore Justice” which saw 115 children across the country rescued in the process, Bondi and Patel said.

    Bondi called the operation “historic and “unprecedented.”

    “These depraved human beings, if convicted, will face the maximum penalty in prison some life,” Bondi said at a press briefing.

    “We will find you. We will arrest you, and we will charge you. If you are online targeting a child, you will not escape us. The FBI and the Department of Justice will come after you. And we will prosecute you.”

    Man Arrested With Body Armor, Rifle Painted Like Toy Near Trump Golf Course

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    9
    Police image via Pixabay free images

    Deputies in Los Angeles stopped what could have turned into a far more dangerous situation near a Trump-owned golf course.

    Authorities arrested a 36-year-old Arizona man after he was spotted running through traffic near Trump National Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes while armed with multiple weapons, including a loaded rifle painted to resemble a toy.

    According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the suspect — identified as Sean Steiner of Glendale, Arizona — had been seen earlier hiking in the area with a duffel bag, step stool, and rifle before entering traffic along Palos Verdes Drive South around 5 p.m. on March 29.

    When deputies arrived, they found the rifle had been painted green and purple and marked with the phrases “HA HA HA HA” and “Why so serious?” — a reference to the Joker character from Batman. The tip had also been painted orange, “resembling a toy gun,” according to authorities.

    What may have looked theatrical was anything but harmless.

    “Not only was the rifle loaded with a round in the chamber and a full magazine inserted… he admitted he had just fired one of the pistols near the landslide area to ‘get some anger out,’” the sheriff’s Lomita Station said in a statement.

    Deputies also discovered two loaded handguns, high-capacity magazines, and additional ammunition. Steiner was wearing a ballistic vest capable of stopping rifle rounds.

    “Let that sink in,” authorities wrote. “An armed individual, firing a weapon, walking through traffic and trails… in a populated area.”

    Sean Steiner, right, is accused of multiple firearm-related felonies after Los Angeles deputies say they arrested him near a Trump-owned golf course with a semiautomatic rifle painted to look like a toy. He is also accused of firing a handgun in the brush nearby before running into traffic. (Lomita Sheriff’s Station via Fox News)

    The situation underscores how quickly a volatile scenario can escalate — and how critical early reporting can be. Officials credited witnesses who called in the suspicious behavior before anyone was injured, emphasizing the importance of the public safety mantra: “if you see something, say something.”

    Steiner now faces multiple felony firearm charges. He was booked March 29 and released on bond April 1.

    While investigators say Steiner had little prior criminal history beyond minor offenses, the incident raises broader concerns about armed individuals near high-profile locations — particularly those associated with President Donald Trump.

    It also echoes another alarming case: Ryan Routh, who was previously arrested after allegedly hiding in bushes near a Trump golf course while armed. That case, like this one, highlighted the persistent security risks surrounding prominent political figures and the critical role of vigilant law enforcement.

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    Mob Of Protesters Storm NYC Trump Tower

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    3

    On Thursday, Several dozen protesters supporting Mahmoud Khalil occupied the lobby area of Trump Tower on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, calling for the release of the anti-Israel activist who was detained over the weekend. 

    The protesters, many dressed in red, held signs reading “Free Mahmoud, Free Palestine” and “Fight Nazis Not Students.”

    Mahmoud Khalil, a green card-holding Columbia University graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at his university residence Saturday, according to The Hill.  

    The Student Workers of Columbia labor union. describes Khalil as a “lead negotiator” and called on Columbia to reinstate its “Sanctuary Campus Policy” after reports of ICE accessing multiple buildings at the school Friday and Saturday.

    Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, also confirmed Khalil’s arrest in a statement Sunday, describing the move as “in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism.”

    “We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported,” Rubio said on the social platform X, sharing a news report regarding Khalil.

    Julian Stallabrass from London, UK, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    Trump celebrated Khalil’s arrest in a Monday post on Truth Social.

    – Advertisement –

    “We will find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country — never to return again,” the president said. “If you support terrorism, including the slaughtering of innocent men, women, and children, your presence is contrary to our national and foreign policy interests, and you are not welcome here. We expect every one of America’s Colleges and Universities to comply.”

    The arrest raises serious constitutional questions, as Khalil is a legal permanent resident who has not been charged with any crime. Only an immigration judge has the authority to revoke a green card.

    Tom Homan, President Trump’s border czar, said Monday that federal authorities “absolutely can” deport a legal immigrant.

    “Absolutely, we can,” Homan told Stuart Varney on Fox Business Network’s “Varney & Co.” after the host asked about the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a leading pro-Palestinian activist, and if ICE can deport someone who is in the country legally. 

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    Indicted Congressman Eyes Party Switch After Potential Presidential Pardon

    By
    Patrick Houck
    -
    2

    Speculation on Capitol Hill is building that Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), who is currently facing federal corruption charges, might consider switching parties if granted a presidential pardon. The potential shift has set political tongues wagging, fueled by Cuellar’s complicated legal battle and reactions from both sides of the aisle.

    The rumor is as follows:

    It’s alleged someone is going to receive a pardon and flip from blue to red in the House of Representatives.

    Now I fully believe that this person has only gotten indicted because of his wide open criticism of the current admin and his opposition to… https://t.co/WjCOGNNbca— George Santos (@MrSantosNY) December 26, 2024

    Cuellar, a conservative Democrat, was indicted in May following a two-year investigation by the Department of Justice. The probe, linked to an ongoing corruption case, began after FBI agents raided his South Texas home and campaign office. While initial details were sparse, reports alleged that Cuellar cultivated relationships with Azerbaijani and Mexican business leaders, leveraging his congressional position to advance their interests in U.S. policy.

    The indictment, if accurate, presents a damning picture. Between 2014 and 2021, Cuellar and his wife, Imelda, allegedly accepted $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities: an Azerbaijani state-owned oil and gas company and a Mexico City-based bank. Federal prosecutors claim these payments were funneled through bogus consulting contracts to shell companies under Imelda Cuellar’s name, with little to no actual work performed.

    In exchange, Cuellar allegedly influenced U.S. foreign policy to benefit Azerbaijan and supported legislative activities favorable to the Mexican bank. The charges against the Cuellars are sweeping, with potential penalties stacking up as follows:

    Two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery and acting as an unregistered foreign agent (up to 5 years each).

    Two counts of bribery of a federal official (up to 15 years each).

    Two counts of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud (up to 20 years each).

    Two counts of violating laws against unregistered foreign agents (up to two years each).

    One count of conspiracy to commit money laundering (up to 20 years).

    Five counts of money laundering (up to 20 years each).

    Both Henry and Imelda Cuellar have pleaded not guilty, with the congressman insisting his actions were focused on serving South Texans. Despite the charges, Cuellar secured an 11th term in November, showcasing his political resilience among his constituents.

    President-elect Donald Trump has eagerly weighed in on the case. Writing on Truth Social shortly after the indictment, Trump accused the Biden administration of targeting Cuellar and his wife for his conservative stance on border policy.

    “Biden just indicted Henry Cuellar because the respected Democrat Congressman wouldn’t play Crooked Joe’s open border game. He was for Border Control, so they said, ‘Let’s use the FBI and DOJ to take him out!’” Trump wrote, calling the administration “D.C. Thugs” and labeling President Biden a “threat to democracy.”

    The drama surrounding Cuellar’s case, coupled with rumors of a potential party switch, has heightened tensions in Washington. Inside the Beltway, all eyes are on the congressman to see whether he will stay the course or make a stunning shift in a historically narrowly divided Congress.

    Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News

    Smartmatic Execs Accused Of Bribery Scheme Tied To $300M LA Voting Contract

    By
    Patrick Houck
    -
    4

    Federal prosecutors in Miami say top Smartmatic executives funneled money from a $300 million Los Angeles County voting contract into an illegal slush fund.

    According to the Justice Department, Smartmatic co-founder Roger Alejandro Piñate Martinez and two others used shell companies and fake invoices to siphon off cash from the taxpayer-funded deal. That money allegedly ended up in bribes paid to government officials in Venezuela and the Philippines.

    Joe DePaolo of Mediaite offers further insights:

    Smartmatic is suing Fox News for $2.7 billion — alleging the network defamed them by promoting President Donald Trump’s false claims of a stolen election in the days and weeks after the 2020 vote.

    The new filing is part of a corruption case in Florida against the three Smartmatic executives for allegedly operating a bribery and money-laundering scheme in which they are accused of paying off an election official in the Philippines to help secure $182 million in contracts. The DOJ also claims the executives carried a similar plot with a Venezuelan official — whom the executives gave a home with a pool in 2019, according to prosecutors.

    The DOJ hasn’t charged Smartmatic as a company, nor has it accused any L.A. County officials of wrongdoing. Still, the department is clearly using the L.A. contract to establish a pattern of corrupt practices tied to the voting tech firm.

    DePaolo continues:

    Notably, the original case against the Smartmatic executives was brought in August 2024, during the final months of the Biden administration.

    In a statement provided to the Los Angeles Times, Smartmatic spokesperson Samira Saba said the DOJ’s filing contained misrepresentations that were “untethered from reality.”

    The DOJ’s latest move builds on earlier charges against the same executives. Federal prosecutors had previously accused Piñate of laundering money through a similar slush fund to bribe election officials in the Philippines during the 2016 elections.

    To be clear, no one is alleging votes were tampered with or election results altered. The charges focus strictly on financial corruption — kickbacks, shell firms, and international bribery.

    READ NEXT: Former Trump Ally Issues Fiery Response To Shock Report

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    Epstein Files Threaten Tp Upend Trump Legacy

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    2
    By Ralph Alswang, White House photographer - https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/clinton-epstein-maxwell/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=143417695

    Tensions are rising after the Justice Department claimed it had no evidence that notorious sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein had a client list, blackmailed powerful people, or was murdered.

    Democrats in Congress say they will introduce measures this week to press for the disclosure of files reported to Epstein, a wealthy financier and convicted sex offender who was found dead at the age of 66 in his New York City jail cell in 2019 after being arrested on sex trafficking charges involving young girls. 

    Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) is calling on House Republicans to hold a vote demanding the Trump administration release the “FULL Epstein files.”

    “Why are the Epstein files still hidden? Who are the rich & powerful being protected?” Khanna said in a post on the social platform X over the weekend.

    “On Tuesday, I’m introducing an amendment to force a vote demanding the FULL Epstein files be released to the public,” he continued. “The Speaker must call a vote & put every Congress member on record.”

    The Justice Department last week released a memo concluding there was no evidence suggesting the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender kept a “client list” to blackmail high-profile individuals. The memo also found no evidence to suggest foul play in Epstein’s death, which had previously been ruled a suicide.

    The memo spurred fierce backlash from many Trump supporters, who had long called on the government to release material on Epstein that they argue would expose wrongdoing at the highest level of elite circles.

    Far-right activist Laura Loomer, a staunch ally of President Trump, said Sunday night there should be a special counsel to examine the handling of files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

    Loomer, who has bashed Attorney General Pam Bondi for her handling of the Epstein documents, told Politico’s Playbook newsletter that a special counsel should be appointed “so that people can feel like this issue is being investigated, and perhaps take it out of [Bondi’s] hands, because I don’t think that she has been transparent or done a good job handling this issue.”

    Much of the frustration from MAGA allies has been directed at Attorney General Pam Bondi, who said earlier this year that files were on her desk but then seemed to suggest they did not exist by releasing the memo last week. Bondi argued she was referring to the case file on Epstein, not a specific “client list.”

    Trump has remained adamant in his position and has fiercely defended Bondi against the onslaught of backlash. 

    “What’s going on with my ‘boys’ and, in some cases, ‘gals?’ They’re all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We’re on one Team, MAGA, and I don’t like what’s happening. We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and ‘selfish people’ are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein,” Trump said in the social media post on Saturday.

    Dan Bongino, the Deputy Director of the FBI, reportedly threatened to leave the bureau if Attorney General Pam Bondi remains on the job due to her handling of the Epstein files, a source close to Bongino told The Daily Wire.

    One source close to Bongino predicted to Axios, “He ain’t coming back.” Trump administration officials, however, are saying that Bongino remains on the job.

    President Donald Trump said on Sunday he believes FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino is “in good shape” following a reported clash with Attorney General Pam Bondi.

    “I spoke to him today,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews. “Dan Bongino, very good guy. I’ve known him a long time. I’ve done his show many, many times. And he sounded terrific actually. No, I think he’s in good shape.”

    Watch:

    FBI Director Kash Patel broke his silence on Saturday amid rumors that he might also consider leaving if Bondi stayed, saying in a post to X that the “conspiracy theories” were not true and that he would continue to serve under Trump as long as the president wanted him to be there.

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    Agent Who Took Bullet For Reagan Backs Secret Service After WHCA Dinner Chaos

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    4
    By Series: Reagan White House Photographs, 1/20/1981 - 1/20/1989Collection: White House Photographic Collection, 1/20/1981 - 1/20/1989 - https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75856639, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=96625804

    A Secret Service agent who literally took a bullet for President Ronald Reagan is now defending the agency after the shocking armed breach at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

    Tim McCarthy — the agent wounded during the 1981 assassination attempt on Reagan — says critics need to cool it.

    “I think we need to ratchet down the rhetoric just a little bit and give the Secret Service at the moment quite a bit of credit for doing a hell of a good job,” McCarthy said on NewsNation Live.

    That’s no small endorsement.

    McCarthy was among the agents protecting Reagan outside the Washington Hilton in March 1981 when would-be assassin John Hinckley Jr. opened fire. Reagan was hit by a bullet that ricocheted off his limousine, piercing his lung and causing massive internal bleeding. McCarthy, along with Press Secretary James Brady and others, was also struck — Brady left permanently disabled.

    Now, more than four decades later, McCarthy is weighing in on another high-stakes moment at the very same hotel.

    On Saturday night, an armed suspect stormed the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, where President Donald Trump was in attendance — sparking panic and fierce backlash online over security failures.

    But McCarthy says the system worked.

    “This guy really didn’t get too far,” he said. “He ran through the metal detectors… exchanged gunfire… wasn’t even on the same floor… and was tackled by an agent, never got to the stairs.”

    Despite viral outrage — and even the suspect himself claiming there was “no damn security” — McCarthy emphasized the layered defense that stopped the threat cold.

    “Now, security is in layers,” he explained, detailing how multiple levels of resistance stood between the gunman and the president, including counter-assault teams and SWAT units.

    Bottom line: the shooter never got close.

    “Security was tested, security responded, and at this point it did pretty well,” McCarthy said.

    The Trump White House appears to agree.

    Officials praised the Secret Service for quickly evacuating the president, vice president, and cabinet, while Chief of Staff Susie Wiles is set to review protocols going forward.

    Still, critics have questioned whether more could have been done — including calls to lock down the entire hotel.

    McCarthy dismissed that idea outright.

    “Well, try finding a hotel with a ballroom if you’re going to shut the hotel down,” he said. “You’re not going to find one. No one’s going to want to do that.”

    He also noted that security included multiple layers — possibly more than the standard three — and that the threat never reached the ballroom floor.

    For McCarthy, who lived through one of the darkest days in presidential security history, the verdict is clear:

    “So far, based on what I know, I’m pretty satisfied with what the Secret Service did on this occasion.”

    The Washington Hilton hotel said is a statement Monday it was following “stringent” Secret Service protocols during Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

    “The ​hotel was operating under stringent security ​protocols for the property as directed by the ‌U.S. ⁠Secret Service, which led security,” a hotel spokesperson said in a statement, according to Reuters. 

    The spokesperson reportedly added that the Secret Service coordinated with numerous security teams, including the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in addition to hotel security. 

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