The US administration failed to provide maximum security for the White House Correspondents' Association reception at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the shooting took place, The Washington Post reported, citing administration sources.
According to the publication, events attended by the president and members of his cabinet are usually classified as high-profile events and are assigned the appropriate level of security. However, the Washington Hilton reception 'was not given status that would allow full use of federal resources,' the publication notes.
According to sources in the newspaper, the administration provided “lower level of security“ at the reception than at other events attended by high-ranking officials, thus effectively “placing the country in an unusually vulnerable position“.
In addition to US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, the reception was attended by Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Besant, Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegsett, FBI Director Kesh Patel and other high-ranking US ministers and government officials.