Former White House staffer critiques response at White House correspondents' dinner shooting

NAPLES, Fla. —

Former White House advance man Ralph Wunder expressed concerns about the Secret Service's response during the chaos at the Washington Hilton on Saturday, where investigators say 31-year-old Cole Allen opened fire.

As an advance man, Wunder would travel ahead of top officials to manage logistics and security before their arrival.

"People think wow, those agents, they were so good in grabbing the vice president, grabbing the president, or grabbing the other cabinet officials in the room, which, by the way, I thought was atrocious, the way they handled the other cabinet officials, it looked like pandemonium," Wunder said.

Wunder, who is familiar with the operations of the Secret Service, noted that their reaction indicated a failure in their mission.

"By the time you see the Secret Service reacting, the guys we think of as the Secret Service, the guys that are in his immediate proximity, that grab him and shove him and do all that kind of stuff. It's already failed. The Secret Service has already failed in their mission by the time that happens," he said.

Reflecting on the incident, Wunder said he was surprised by the agents' response time.

"I was a little bit surprised by how long it took the agents to actually get in front of him, and surround him. That was not fast, in my opinion," he said.

He also criticized the positioning of some agents during the chaos.

"Some of their details were standing behind them, pushing them forward. It's like, you don't stand behind someone and push them forward. You could be pushing them right into a line of fire," Wunder said.

However, Wunder emphasized that not all the blame lies with the Secret Service, pointing to the strong-willed nature of President Donald Trump.

"I think a lot of that was Trump. Trump is a very strong-willed guy," he said.

Wunder also highlighted concerns about the Washington Hilton as a venue.

"The Washington Hilton has bad memories for me because that's where my old boss and best friend took a shot in the head for President Reagan," he said.

Having attended multiple events at the location, Wunder noted a significant flaw in its design.

"People have to come check in. Well, as it turns out, the configuration of it is such that the ballroom is right above the lobby," he said.

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