Actor Ben Stiller is currently facing a wave of online criticism after a poorly timed tweet celebrating a New York Knicks victory was mistaken for a celebratory reaction to a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
Stiller, a lifelong superfan of the Knicks, spent Saturday evening posting updates on X about the team’s game against the Atlanta Hawks. When the Knicks secured a 114-98 win, Stiller posted, “Got it done.”
The tweet was sent roughly 20 minutes after a gunman opened fire at the hotel hosting the annual black-tie event.
The security breach resulted in President Donald Trump and his guests being rushed out of the venue.
The timing of the post led many MAGA supporters to accuse the actor, a vocal critic of the Trump administration, of making light of the violence.
High-profile Republicans joined the backlash, with lawmaker Nancy Mace replying, “Got what done?” and Richard Grenell, former director of the Kennedy Center, simply responding, “Wtf?”
Despite the social media firestorm, there is no evidence the posts were related to the security scare.
While the internet argued over the tweet, federal officials were processing the scene of the actual attack.
The suspect has been identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of California. Allen was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives, NBC News reported. Records reviewed by the outlet show he purchased the pistol in October 2023 and the shotgun in August 2025.
Allen, who made his first appearance in federal court on Monday, is being charged with trying to kill Trump as well as being charged with gun offenses, including transporting a firearm across state lines with intent to commit a felony and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, according to a copy of the criminal complaint.
U.S. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche suggested the motive was political.
“It does appear that he, he did, in fact, have set out to target folks that work in the administration, likely including the President."
One Secret Service agent was shot and injured during the encounter but has since been released from the hospital, The Independent reported. Local police noted that no one was seriously injured in the attack.
The dinner itself was canceled following the evacuation. Trump later addressed the incident on Truth Social, praising the quick response of security teams.
“Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job,” he wrote. “They acted quickly and bravely. The shooter has been apprehended, and I have recommended that we ‘LET THE SHOW GO ON’ but, will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement.
"They will make a decision shortly. Regardless of that decision, the evening will be much different than planned, and we’ll just, plain, have to do it again.”
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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