Senator John Kennedy (R-La.) thanked law enforcement officers for their actions during the attempted assassination of President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, according to remarks delivered on April 29 from the U.S. Senate floor.
The incident has drawn national attention due to its potential consequences and the quick intervention by security personnel. Kennedy addressed both the seriousness of the event and future plans for congressional review.
“An overeducated, underemployed, self-righteous punk from California who thinks he is smarter and more virtuous than the American people and who thinks if you disagree with him, you are not only in error, you are in sin and deserve to die, tried to crash the function and assassinate the president and some members of his administration,” Kennedy said during his speech.
He continued: “I want to also say a word about security. Look, we are going to hold hearings. We love to hold hearings on Capitol Hill. That is one of our favorite things to do. And there are going to be hearings held about the security provided by our Secret Service and others. I am not saying those hearings shouldn’t be held. I am not a security expert. But I want to thank the members of law enforcement who prevented what could have been a very serious tragedy Saturday night. I am pretty familiar with the Washington Hilton hotel, and the truth is, those who are also familiar with it know that this guy never got close.” He added: “In fact, I thought our security showed great restraint. I was frankly very surprised that this punk didn’t end up like a piece of Swiss cheese.”
Kennedy has earned several academic degrees including magna cum laude honors in political science, philosophy, and economics from Vanderbilt University; a law degree from University of Virginia; as well as a Bachelor of Civil Law with first class honors from Oxford University according to his official website. He holds top Republican positions on subcommittees for energy and water development as well as economic policy according to his official website. Kennedy contributes as an adjunct professor and substitute teacher according to his official website.
He serves on Senate committees for appropriations, banking, budget, and judiciary according to his official website. In addition, Kennedy has authored books and articles focused on Constitutional law topics such as Louisiana Products Liability Act according to his official website, served as executive editor of Virginia Law Review while at university, and was president of his senior class at Vanderbilt University according to his official website.
Congressional hearings regarding event security may follow this incident as suggested by Kennedy’s comments.