Senator Scott Says Security Concerns Kept Him Away From White House Correspondents Dinner

Penascola, FL (Newsradio 92.3) -- Florida Senator Rick Scott says he turned down his invitation to the White House Correspondents Dinner — and the attempted assassination of President Trump that evening confirmed his instincts were right.

Scott told Pensacola Morning New's Andrew McKay that he had concerns about the security of large public events for the president well before the incident unfolded. He says hotels and similar venues are nearly impossible to fully lock down, and that the threat environment surrounding this president makes events like the Correspondents Dinner inherently risky.

"Those events have become, in my opinion, dangerous," Scott said. "There's just so much hate out there. I think it's very difficult to secure venues like that."

A gunman breached the outer perimeter of the event and opened fire. A Secret Service officer was struck but survived after the round was stopped by his vest. The suspect never reached the ballroom where the president and first lady were located and was ultimately tackled by agents. Scott says while he's grateful everyone came through safely, the incident underscores a deeply troubling pattern.

Scott noted this marks the third time in roughly two and a half years that President Trump's life has been endangered. He says the cumulative threat picture demands a serious reassessment of which public events the president can safely attend going forward — and says the level of security required for a hotel or similar open venue may simply not be achievable.

Scott stopped short of calling for specific changes to the president's security protocols but made clear he believes the current approach to public appearances needs to be reexamined in light of the ongoing threat environment.