A former Head of Royal Protection has slammed the security lapses that led to a gunman almost storming a dinner attended by Donald Trump – less than two days before the King’s state visit.
The annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday evening came to an abrupt halt when shots were fired outside the ballroom of the Washington Hilton.
Officials later said a man had rushed security armed with a handgun, shotgun and several knives – and it was believed he was targeting the President among other administration officials.
The incident led to a review of security ahead of King Charles’ arrival in the US today, with Buckingham Palace confirming yesterday the visit would go ahead as planned.
But Dai Davies, who served as head of the Royal Protection Command between 1994 and 1998, said the state of security at Saturday’s dinner prompted serious questions.
He told Metro: ‘There was no – as I’m told – initially any real screening of people arriving there. I find that unbelievable, frankly.
‘Even though these things have been going on for years, one has to say, what on Earth was going on?’
Several of the journalists who were present at the dinner – where the President was set to address top figures from the US media industry – have flagged security measures that appeared lax.
The BBC’s Gary O’Donoghue said a man at the door ‘only took a cursory look at my ticket from what must have been six feet away’, while Katy Balls of the Times wrote some attendees ‘managed to get close to the ballroom without a ticket’.
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A CCTV clip shared by President Trump on his Truth Social feed showed a man sprinting through a hallway past security guards, who took time to react.
Mr Davies asked: ‘How he was able to run past that security point with no real obstacles other than a slightly bored-looking security man looking in the wrong direction, as I saw it?’
Sean M. Curran, the director of the US Secret Service, said yesterday the incident ‘shows that our multi-layered protection works’.
He said: ‘It’s not easy, and I will tell you that they performed admirably. We got to see what they do.
‘And that individual, when he charged a checkpoint, was apprehended.’
However, Mr Davies was not convinced, saying: ‘According to them it all went tickety boo. I have to say, and I’m sitting from an armchair, it didn’t look that tickety boo to me.’
The same applied to the actions of agents inside the ballroom, the former top Met police officer argued.
He said: ‘The key thing is to be aware of antecedents, be aware of the threats and make contingency plans to ensure not only you keep them safe but, in the event of something, you can get them out of it.
‘I was again watching very carefully how they tried to get those VIPs and vice presidents out – there was some congestion in parts, and that isn’t good.
‘There are key lessons – and clearly I wasn’t there, I don’t know the geography, but I’d be asking for a fundamental review and assurances.’
When reviewing security for the trip, Mr Davies said the focus of the Palace would be on areas with access to the public.
‘I would be creating a firearm-free zone for considerable distances,’ he said.
‘I’d be looking at the search techniques, I’d be looking at the strategic positioning of the security service, particularly for line of fire.’
The King will begin his state visit by meeting Trump at the White House, before he addresses Congress tomorrow.
In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Trump praised the King as ‘brave’ for forging ahead with the visit.
Asked if this implied there is still some risk involved in the trip, Mr Davies replied: ‘There’s always a risk. You can never be 100% sure.’
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