‘What a Disgrace as a Country’: Fox Host Rips Security After White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting

Fox News host Lawrence Jonesslammed security officials on Monday, days after the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, calling them a “disgrace to our country.”

While discussing the need for the White House ballroom and its extra layers of security with co-hosts Brian Kilmeadeand Ainsley Earhardton Fox & Friends , Jones questioned whether the dinner could be held in the ballroom even if it were built, since the White Correspondents’ Association is a private organization.

He then suggested that the high level of security at federal buildings like the White House should be applied anywhere Trump or government officials will be, calling failure to do so a ‘disgrace.”

“Can we only protect federal buildings at this point?” Jones said. “What a disgrace as a country!”

As Kilmeade and Earhardt agreed, he added, “We got to do better.”

Read Jones’ remarks below:

LAWRENCE JONES: I guess for me, the ballroom obviously needs to be built. But–

BRIAN KILMEADE: In the meantime, that’s two years.

JONES: We still got to secure the events outside of the ballroom. Every single event that the president or cabinet members are going to be [at] are not going to be government events. Like, for example, I’m not sure this Correspondents’ Association Dinner could have been held at the ballroom if it’s built. It’s a private organization. Are we only– can we only protect federal buildings at this point? What a disgrace as a country!

AINSLEY EARHARDT: I know, yeah.

JONES: We got to do better.

Jones and Kilmeade were present at the dinner and seated at their tables when the shooter, identified by officials as Cole Tomas Allen,sprinted past a security checkpoint and fired shots just outside the Washington Hilton Hotel ballroom.

Allen, who was allegedly armed with a long gun, a handgun, and several knives, was taken into custody at the scene.

In the aftermath of the shooting, many who attended the event criticized the quality of security.

Even Allen himself couldn’t believe how lax it was, according to a manifesto obtained by the  New York Post .

In it, Allen reportedly wrote, “This level of incompetence is insane. And I very sincerely hope it’s corrected by the time this country gets actually competent leadership again.”

He is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday.

Watch above via Fox News.

The post ‘What a Disgrace as a Country’: Fox Host Rips Security After White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting first appeared on Mediaite .