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NBC Nightly News Full Episode - April 26, 2026
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00:04The frightening moments inside a Washington ballroom, the dinner to celebrate the free press turning violent, an attacker rushing past
00:14security, charging toward the ballroom, firing at agents, then tackled.
00:22It was a chaotic and somewhat frightening situation in here.
00:25The president and vice president rushed out.
00:27I heard a noise. I thought it was a tray going down.
00:32Cabinet members, lawmakers, journalists taking cover.
00:36And now the FBI descending on the suspect's neighborhood in California.
00:41We're still investigating motive.
00:43What we're learning about the man's writings and what his family describes as bizarre behavior, the collection of weapons investigators
00:50say he had,
00:51and his cross-country trip ending at the Washington Hilton with a terrifying security scare in the nation's capital.
00:58Our coverage begins right now.
01:02This is NBC Nightly News with Hallie Jackson.
01:07Good evening.
01:08We are coming on the air tonight with that fast-moving investigation into the shooting at the White House Correspondents'
01:13Dinner.
01:13New video out today.
01:15You see it here showing the moment the suspect was taken down.
01:18Not long after this, his sprint past security with multiple weapons, according to investigators.
01:24Inside the ballroom, Secret Service, rushing the president away.
01:28Guests ducking under tables while Trump administration officials were escorted out.
01:33Now, new pictures released late today show them huddling with the president in the Oval Office in the aftermath of
01:39the shooting.
01:39Tonight, some of the suspect's writings just obtained by NBC News suggest a loathing for both President Trump and his
01:46administration
01:46as investigators question neighbors about this suspected attacker ahead of an arraignment tomorrow.
01:52Our team is covering every angle tonight.
01:54We begin with Garrett Haake, who was inside that ballroom when all of this unfolded.
01:59Tonight, dramatic new video captures the moment Secret Service officers wrestled the alleged White House Correspondents' Dinner gunman to the
02:06ground.
02:0731-year-old Cole Thomas Allen tackled and arrested after authorities say he charged through a security checkpoint,
02:13armed with a shotgun, a pistol, and multiple knives.
02:16And according to what a senior administration official says are Cole's own writings,
02:21with a desire to kill the president and other administration officials.
02:25A federal investigation in full swing tonight from the Washington Hilton crime scene to the suspect's home in California.
02:32We don't believe anybody else was involved, but again, we have a lot of work left to do
02:37and a lot of evidence left to invest, to go through and to collect.
02:41The annual Washington Gala with President Trump, the First Lady, and Vice President Vance
02:45all attending for the first time in office, seated on a dais in a massive basement ballroom,
02:51just getting underway when, at 8.35, loud bangs could be heard in the ballroom.
02:58Secret Service agents suddenly swarbed the stage.
03:01The vice president pulled to his feet and out of sight.
03:04The president and first lady enveloped by agents and hustled to safety.
03:08The president tonight on 60 Minutes.
03:11I started walking with him.
03:13I turned, I started walking, and they said, please go down, please go down on the floor.
03:18So I went down, and the First Lady went down also.
03:24Across the ballroom, mass confusion as attendees ducked under tables,
03:28and more law enforcement officers rushed in.
03:31Top officials, including the health and defense secretaries and House Speaker Mike Johnson,
03:36all pulled from the room by their protective details.
03:39All of it captured on phone cameras, as a ballroom packed with reporters
03:44began covering the story developing around them.
03:47It's still unclear what happened.
03:48There are reports that there may be somebody down outside.
03:51I think at this point, it's clear that the president has been evacuated from the ballroom,
03:55but not necessarily from the property at large.
03:58From a secure location inside the hotel, the president posted at 9.17, quote,
04:03quite an evening in D.C., then at 9.36, that he and his cabinet were unharmed,
04:08and at the request of law enforcement, headed back to the White House for a news conference.
04:13Top White House aides sharing these behind-the-scene photos from the Oval Office
04:17moments before the president took the podium.
04:21Well, thank you very much.
04:23Take a look at what happened.
04:24President Trump, the target of two previous assassination attempts as a candidate,
04:28addressing the gravity of the moment.
04:30We had some great work done by law enforcement, but in light of this evening's events,
04:36I ask that all Americans recommit with their hearts in resolving our difference peacefully.
04:41We have to resolve our differences.
04:45The president also sharing this surveillance video of the moment the attacker charged through security,
04:50a floor above the ballroom, and was apprehended.
04:53I heard a noise.
04:54I thought it was a tray going down.
04:57I was watching to see what was happening.
04:59Probably should have gone down even faster.
05:01The presence of so many top government officials under one roof drawing scrutiny today.
05:07I think the Secret Service needs to reconsider having both the president and vice president together,
05:12like, it's something like that, you know.
05:16Chuck Grassley would be the president, had they all been taken out.
05:21Garrett is joining us now from the White House.
05:24So, Garrett, you've got the president praising the officer who was hurt last night,
05:27who was apparently saved by his bulletproof vest, right?
05:30That's right, Hallie.
05:31D.C.'s police chief says this was a uniformed Secret Service officer who had the good fortune to take this
05:35bullet directly into his protective vest.
05:38The president thanked the officer last night, described him as being in great shape and high spirits.
05:43Hallie.
05:44Garrett Haake outside the West Wing.
05:46The suspected attacker's writings could give federal investigators more clues about his motive as they searched a home connected to
05:52him today.
05:53Our Steve Patterson is there.
05:56Just 10 minutes before Saturday night's attack, suspected shooter 31-year-old Cole Allen sent a series of sprawling thoughts
06:03to family members,
06:04a senior White House official told NBC News, detailing his plan, describing himself as a friendly federal assassin.
06:11Tonight, federal officials shifting their gaze some 2,500 miles away from the halls of the Washington Hilton to this
06:19last known address,
06:20this quiet neighborhood in Torrance, California, just south of Los Angeles,
06:24where FBI teams in tactical gear descended on the home overnight, executing a search warrant.
06:29Today, agents going door to door.
06:31Everybody says it don't happen in your neighborhood, but it happens in everybody's neighborhood.
06:35It's going to happen no matter where you're at.
06:38Officials say Allen traveled by train from L.A. to Chicago, then to D.C., before checking into the hotel
06:44on the 24th.
06:45We're still investigating motive, and that's something that will necessarily take a couple of days at least.
06:50In a transcript of the suspect's writings, Allen described his targets as administration officials,
06:56his family saying they alerted police upon seeing the writings,
06:59telling authorities he had a tendency to make radical statements and constantly referred to a plan to do something.
07:05Authorities say his weapons, including a 12-gauge shotgun and .38 pistol, were legally purchased well before the shooting.
07:11In an interview with law enforcement, his sister said he regularly trained at a shooting range, according to a senior
07:17administration official.
07:18His family said he had big difficulty.
07:20Maybe they should have reported him a little bit more strongly, probably.
07:24But it's a hard thing to do, I guess.
07:26According to Allen's LinkedIn profile, he was a part-time teacher at a tutoring and test prep company,
07:31where he was named Teacher of the Month in December 2024.
07:35According to social media, he graduated from the California Institute of Technology in 2017, earning a mechanical engineering degree.
07:42The idea with this is to prevent it from moving at all.
07:49The year he graduated, he appears in a local news segment during a tech conference demonstrating a prototype wheelchair break.
07:56The wheelchair breaks tend to lock the wheels, but don't actually lock the chair to the ground.
08:02The question authorities say they are now working to uncover how this promising academic may have wound up a would
08:08-be assassin.
08:10Steve's joining us now from that neighborhood in Torrance.
08:12And Steve, we understand that this suspect has not been cooperating with police while in custody.
08:18Yeah, Hallie, first of all, police say Allen was not shot but was taken to a local hospital.
08:22He's expected to be arraigned on two preliminary charges, use of a firearm during a crime of violence and assault
08:28on a federal officer.
08:30And you said it, at least so far, authorities say he has not been cooperative with this investigation.
08:35Hallie?
08:36Steve Patterson, thank you.
08:37Let's bring in Tom Winter now.
08:38And, Tom, the suspect himself wrote that he was surprised there wasn't more security at this hotel.
08:43And the president raised questions about the building itself.
08:45What are you hearing from your sources about this footprint here?
08:48Yeah, Hallie, well, right now, the security plan could be deemed a success.
08:51Nobody's seriously injured.
08:53Suspect in custody.
08:54But was it too close for comfort?
08:56Hotels present unique security challenges.
08:59Think back to the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting and how a hotel guest, Stephen Paddock, was able to set
09:04up an arsenal from his room.
09:06Should hotel guests have had their bag searched?
09:09Should there have been an additional perimeter further away from the ballroom last night?
09:13And there will likely be a discussion about having so many top members of the administration in one room in
09:18the middle of a war, Hallie.
09:20So, Tom, what does this mean, then, for security plans for this big arrival tomorrow here in Washington with King
09:25Charles coming to visit?
09:26Well, British authorities have been looking at a host of recent attacks and threats in the U.K.
09:30and just last night in Northern Ireland.
09:32So, British and U.S. law enforcement will have to take a fresh look at the plans this week.
09:36And it all comes as U.S. authorities face a series of major security challenges this summer, from the FIFA
09:42World Cup to the America 250 celebrations,
09:44all in the midst of deep political strife here at home and complex terrorism threats streaming from the Middle East,
09:51Hallie.
09:52Tom Winter, thank you very much.
09:54Monica Alba is joining us now from the White House.
09:56And, Monica, we're seeing a push today from the president's team to try to make the case that what happened
10:00last night shows why they need to build that controversial ballroom at the White House,
10:04even though, of course, the press dinner is considered a private event and not a government function.
10:08Exactly, Hallie.
10:09President Trump very quickly pivoted to why he says his $400 million ballroom project is critical,
10:15insisting that the attempted attack would never have happened in his proposed space, which is currently tied up in court.
10:22Acting Attorney General Todd Blanch today posting a letter to the group suing the Trump administration to halt the construction,
10:30with the DOJ calling the Washington Hilton demonstrably unsafe and arguing that the new ballroom would be essential for the
10:37safety and security of the president,
10:39his family and his cabinet, while urging the National Trust for Historic Preservation to abandon its lawsuit entirely.
10:47And this, as members of both parties are now pushing for the ballroom to be built,
10:52with some GOP lawmakers even calling for legislation that could accelerate that process.
10:58Hallie?
10:59Monica Alba at the White House, thank you.
11:01For the president and for the country, the shooting has intensified the spotlight on the rise of targeted political violence
11:07in America.
11:08Our Kelly O'Donnell reports.
11:13In that tightly packed ballroom, chaos and confusion was quickly all too familiar.
11:21Threats of political violence are stress testing, security and society.
11:26From Butler, Pennsylvania in 2024.
11:33To this black-tie dinner evacuation.
11:36The president asked about the heightened risk environment.
11:40Is that just the cost of doing business to do politics in America anymore?
11:43Yeah, well, what does that say about our country?
11:45We're not the only country.
11:47You look at this great violence with all countries.
11:49Targeted political violence is up dramatically.
11:51More than 30% from 2024 through last year, according to university researchers, including arson at the Pennsylvania governor's home.
12:01An attack on Minnesota legislators.
12:04The Charlie Kirk assassination.
12:07Kirk's widow, Erica Kirk, affected again as a dinner guest.
12:13As security details swarm dignitaries, photographer Andrew Harnick, who was seated at the head table,
12:20picked up his camera.
12:22And by the time I was able to press record, the vice president was being yanked off the stage,
12:28as you see in the dramatic video that I was able to capture.
12:32What we contribute to the press corps is capturing what happens in the moment.
12:37And obviously, that happened very quickly last night.
12:42Kelly is with us now here in Washington.
12:44And Kelly, the president says he wants this event, this dinner, rescheduled.
12:48What would that even look like?
12:49Well, the president's idea is to try and get this done within 30 days.
12:53He described not wanting to allow offenders to derail a high-profile event like this, honoring the First Amendment.
12:59But it is unclear what comes next.
13:01There are costs, logistics, and a variety of considerations at issue.
13:05And the dinner is run by the non-profit White House Correspondents Association,
13:10and its board will need to figure out its own next steps.
13:13The president may encourage a quick do-over, but we do not know when, if, or how that would even
13:19happen.
13:20A lot of questions still there.
13:22Kelly O'Donnell, thank you very much.
13:23We're going to have more on that story here in Washington as it develops.
13:26But we are also tracking tonight the intense and dangerous weather emergency affecting millions of people across the country,
13:32including in Texas, reeling after deadly storms today.
13:35Ryan Chandler is covering it all.
13:39Dangerous storms tearing across North Texas overnight, bringing intense lightning, heavy rain, flooding roads, and tornadoes.
13:46Northwest of Fort Worth, the city of Runaway Bay, battered.
13:50That's not even where that's supposed to be.
13:53Video from the sky this morning showing the scope of the damage.
13:56Homes shredded, some flattened, roofs ripped clean off.
14:00County leaders say one person there died, and 40 families are displaced.
14:04Just half an hour away in Springtown, eerie video of a glowing light.
14:10Holy s**t.
14:12After officials say lightning hit a gas storage tank, a tornado there also turning deadly.
14:19Nope, not going that way.
14:21Trees down, completely blocking roads.
14:24Before these strong storms hit Springtown last night, a mobile home stood right here.
14:29Now it's a pile of rubble 50 feet away.
14:32And officials tell us a woman lost her life inside.
14:36Meanwhile, extreme drought in the south, fueling devastating wildfires.
14:40Schools already closed in Georgia's Brantley County after hundreds of people either lost homes or had to evacuate.
14:48And winds ripping through Stagecoach Music Festival in California.
14:52We are evacuating festivals due to severe weather.
14:56Forcing tens of thousands of festival goers to flee at one point Saturday.
15:00Back in Texas tonight, this part of the state is still in the risk zone for more severe weather on
15:06the way.
15:08Ryan's joining us now from Springtown, Texas.
15:10And Ryan, people cleaning up there, like the folks whose place you're standing in front of,
15:14they may not have a ton of time to get ready for the next round of storms.
15:18No, you're right, Hallie.
15:20And you see the debris surrounding me.
15:21It will certainly be a long road to recovery for so many here.
15:25And that comes as the risk extends through tonight.
15:27Some 19 million people from here in Texas all the way to Iowa at risk for damaging winds, possible tornadoes
15:33and hail.
15:34And the risk extends into the Midwest for millions more come tomorrow.
15:37So, Hallie.
15:38Ryan Chandler, thank you.
15:40Still ahead for us tonight, the fading hope for a U.S. peace deal with Iran with talks suddenly called
15:45off.
15:47Turns tonight about the fate of U.S. peace talks with Iran after President Trump called off the American delegation's
15:52trip to Pakistan this weekend.
15:54Keir Simmons is there.
15:56Tonight, Iran trying not to appear isolated.
15:59Its foreign minister here in Pakistan for the second time in as many days after meeting the emir of Oman
16:06and phone calls with France, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
16:10But there will be no face-to-face with the U.S. for now.
16:13This week's high security in Islamabad dismantled today.
16:17Iranian officials had said no direct U.S. negotiations were planned.
16:21But President Trump says he called off a meeting.
16:24We're not going to spend 15 hours in airplanes all the time going back and forth to be giving a
16:31document that was not good enough.
16:33And so we'll deal by telephone and they can call us anytime they want.
16:38At meetings this weekend, Iranian state media says the foreign minister argued the U.S. military should leave the Middle
16:45East,
16:46while President Trump insisting after last night's security incident.
16:50It's not going to deter me from winning the war in Iran.
16:55For now, that means a stalemate in the strait of Hormuz.
16:59CENTCOM saying tonight it intercepted an oil tanker serving Iran and sanctioned by the U.S.
17:05While from Iran tonight, new images of two cargo ships it seized last week.
17:10Meanwhile, renewed strikes between Israel and Iranian proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon, despite a three-week ceasefire.
17:18This is a fragile peace with no diplomatic resolution in sight.
17:23Tonight, Iran's foreign minister has left Islamabad for Moscow, where he will meet with President Putin.
17:29The Russian foreign ministry telling state media the purpose is negotiations.
17:34Haley?
17:35Keir Simmons in Islamabad, thank you.
17:37We are back in a moment with the wild ride for a police officer here after he falls into the
17:42car of a suspect who then takes off.
17:47We are learning more tonight about a deadly shooting inside a Chicago hospital that left one police officer dead and
17:52another in critical condition.
17:53Police say it happened while the officers were bringing this suspect to the hospital to be checked out after he
17:58was arrested on something separate.
18:00The officer who was killed was 38 years old, a 10-year veteran of the department.
18:05And some dramatic moments out in California where surveillance video, look here, shows this police officer responding to a reported
18:10robbery.
18:11So there he is.
18:12He reaches into the car.
18:13But that's when the driver takes off.
18:15The officer falls inside.
18:17Body cam video shows the two fighting for control of the car.
18:20You see it here as it's going racing down the road.
18:22Listen to this.
18:24Stop the car.
18:26Stop the car or I will shoot you.
18:29The suspected thief was later arrested.
18:31And that officer managed to walk away from this whole thing unhurt.
18:35And finally, a record shattered at the London Marathon today.
18:39Sebastian Sawe from Kenya finishing the race in one hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds.
18:45Now becoming the first person to ever run an official marathon in under two hours.
18:50A huge deal and a big congratulations to him.
18:54When we come back, there is good news tonight about a new attitude in this new spring season, giving everyone
19:00something to look forward to.
20:11You
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