Colorado
Colorado leaders react to shooting incident at White House Correspondents’ dinner
DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado leaders are reacting after President Donald Trump and other top U.S. officials were evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner after a shooting incident on Saturday evening.
Officials said the incident occurred when a gunman opened fire in the lobby entrance of the Washington Hilton, which was outside the ballroom where Trump and other guests were seated.
All officials protected by the Secret Service were evacuated and uninjured. Those in attendance included Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — and many other leaders of the Trump administration.
Colorado leaders from both parties reacted to the incident throughout Saturday night.
Here’s what they had to say.
Rep. Jeff Hurd
Rep. Hurd on X said the following:
“Grateful for the law enforcement officers and first responders who acted quickly to keep people safe following the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
“Violence has no place in our politics. It must be condemned clearly and consistently.
“Keeping all those involved in my prayers tonight.”
Senator John Hickenlooper
“Appalled by the shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner. A night meant to celebrate the First Amendment was disrupted by political violence, which has no place in America. Grateful to the Secret Service and law enforcement who acted quickly and bravely to save lives,” said Sen. Hickenlooper on X.
Rep. Jason Crow
On X, Rep. Crow provided the following statement:
“Grateful that everyone attending the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is safe.
“Thank you to the Secret Service and law enforcement for quickly responding to shots fired at the event.
“Violence is never acceptable.”
Senator Michael Bennet
Sen. Bennet posted to X the following:
“A time-honored event dedicated to the First Amendment and a free press was disrupted by violence that has no place in our country.
“Grateful that those in attendance are safe, and thankful to the Secret Service and law enforcement who acted swiftly to protect lives.”
Rep. Diana DeGette
“The reported shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner is deeply disturbing. Violence is never acceptable,” said Rep. DeGette on X.
Rep. Jeff Crank
Rep. Crank provided the following statement on X:
“Thankful for the swift action from Secret Service and law enforcement at this evening’s WHCD to ensure President Trump and all attendees are safe.
“Pray for our country. There is no place for violence.”
Rep. Gabe Evans
On X, Rep. Evans said the following:
“My family and I are keeping everyone affected by tonight’s shooting in our thoughts and prayers.
“We are so grateful for the brave men and women in law enforcement who acted swiftly to ensure everyone was kept safe.
“There is no place for violence in our country.”
Gov. Jared Polis
“While details are still emerging, violence, even the attempt and I’m glad the President, Vice President and all in attendance are safe. I appreciate the law enforcement who responded quickly to ensure everyone’s safety. We all have the right to disagree, but never to try and hurt each other,” said Gov. Polis on X.
Rep. Lauren Boebert
Rep. Boebert said the following on X:
“Thank God President Trump is safe.
“The United States Secret Service hasn’t been funded for 70 days because of the Radical Left.
“Either this is their plan OR they need to change course and fund DHS/USSS NOW.”
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser
“Political violence has no place in our democratic republic. And those who engage in such actions must be held accountable. Thinking about those at the WH Correspondents’ Dinner tonight and their safety and praying for healing our republic,” said AG Weiser on X.
Developing details
The shooting suspect was later identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, two law enforcement officials told the Associated Press.
In a White House press briefing later on Saturday night, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said the suspect is being charged preliminarily with two charges related to using a firearm and assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon, but that there will be many more charges filed “based on the information that we are learning in this very fluid situation.”
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the investigation is ongoing.
The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was scrapped, but White House officials said it will be rescheduled.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Multiple uncontained wildfires across Colorado have scorched over 100,000 acres since Monday. Red flag fire conditions on Tuesday and Wednesday, including low humidity and high winds, contributed to the blazes growth and, in some cases, made air support difficult and dangerous. Weather forecasts promise more “critical fire weather” throughout the week, according to the National […]
Colorado
Colorado governor fires two clemency board members who spoke out about Tina Peters’ commutation | CNN Politics
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Wednesday fired two members of the state’s clemency board after they spoke out against his controversial decision to grant clemency to Tina Peters – an election denier whose sentence was cut in half by the outgoing Democratic governor in May.
Azra Taslimi and Hannah Seigel Proff told CNN they were fired after speaking out publicly, including in a New York Times article in June, in which they revealed secret details about the clemency process and criticized the governor for overruling the board. They told the Times the clemency board twice voted unanimously behind closed doors to reject Peters’ application for an early release from prison.
Polis’ decision in May to release Peters came after President Donald Trump waged a long pressure campaign against Colorado to free her. Peters – who was released from prison in June – was the last Trump ally still in prison for 2020 election-related crimes.
In letters to Taslimi and Proff obtained by CNN, Polis said the two members breached confidentiality by speaking out.
“Specifically, you breached the required duty of confidentiality by publicly divulging Board members’ votes pertaining to a clemency application which you obtained only through your official position on this Board,” Polis wrote in the letters.
The two women told CNN they are disappointed they were fired — but not surprised.
“I’m not upset that he overrode our decision. I think what’s upsetting is that we understand why he did it, which is that you know Tina Peters had a powerful ally behind her,” Taslimi said. “She had political pressure applied in her name, and the governor capitulated to it, and that is what makes this unfair, and that is why I call it selective mercy, because you are giving her the benefit that you don’t give or apply to anyone else.”
Eric Maruyama, a spokesperson for the governor, told CNN in a statement Wednesday, “Publicly disclosing board recommendations and how members vote on any case threatens the credibility of the board, colors future deliberations by the board and breaks clearly stated confidentiality policy articulated in the Executive Order which establishes this board.”
Proff, who served on the board for nearly eight years, said she understood the state rules around the closed-door clemency recommendation process “more as the confidentiality to protect the people who apply for clemency, not to protect the governor.”
The governor primarily justified his decision to release Peters by citing a recent Colorado appeals court ruling that found the trial judge violated Peters’ First Amendment rights by improperly punishing her for her protected speech about the 2020 election.
“It was a straightforward decision because, after reviewing the facts, and reading the Appeals Court decision, I concluded that her sentence was simply too long,” Polis wrote in a Substack post, where he condemned Peters’ crimes.
Now that they’ve been terminated, Proff worries there will be less transparency.
“I worry now that we’ve been terminated from the board what comes of this is that people are less likely to speak out … that politicians will go unchecked on these sort of decisions,” Proff said.
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