An Astrological Examination of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Debacle

Shots rang out at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner on 25 April 2026, as a lone gunman rushed the lobby of the Washington Hilton, heading for the banquet hall where the dinner was being held.  In attendance were more than a thousand journalists and administration officials, including Donald Trump, appearing at the event for the first time as president.  No one was injured and the suspect, Cole Allen of Torrance, California, was quickly subdued by police and Secret Service; the dinner was cancelled, to be rescheduled later.

With Mercury, ruling journalism and the media, at 17 Aries, and Mars, ruling firearms and attacks, at 12 Aries in conjunction, an incident of this nature was not unexpected—though shocking nonetheless.  The conjunction speaks to violence (Mars) in close proximity (conjunction) to members of the press (Mercury). [This pairing is also in evidence at the April 23 death of Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil in an Israeli airstrike.]

Joining the conjunction is Saturn at 8 Aries, here representing the US President as head of state, as well as other government officials in attendance.  Saturn is also the ancient lord of death, so the outcome could have been much more serious. 

A square from Jupiter at 18 Cancer speaks to the “celebrity” nature of the crowd, and ensures maximum publicity for the event.  Known as the “Greater Benefic” for its tendency to provide positive outcomes, Jupiter also has connections to the WHCD itself, as ruling publication, an essential step in reporting.

Doubling down on the firearm/shooting motif, asteroid Gunn 18243 at 15 Capricorn, phonetic match for “gun,” squares Mercury/Mars, underscoring the attack on a gathering of journalists.  Reportedly Cole Allen was armed with both a shotgun and handgun, and several hunting knives, all Mars-ruled.

The non-lethality of the attack may be attributed to the presence of Neptune at 3 Aries and a pair of asteroids in conjunction with Saturn.  Neptune can create a confused, disordered environment and may allude to the mental state of the shooter, as well as the likely sense of disappointment felt by the suspect when he failed in his mission.  Asteroid BAM 2031 at 4 Aries, an onomatopoetic rendering of the explosive sound of a firearm discharge, pairs with asteroid NOT 2857 at 9 Aries, a general disqualifier or symbol of negation.  While the shooter did get off several rounds, there were no deaths or injuries.  Saturn also has a dampening or restrictive effect, further limiting the effectiveness of the attack.  A square to asteroid Troemper 28130 at 1 Capricorn, which is stationary and turned retrograde that very day, reinforces the threat to the US President.

Asteroid Whitehouse at 1 Aquarius has been encroaching upon Pluto at 5 Aquarius for weeks, revealing a pattern of massive corruption (Pluto-ruled) from the administration, on multiple levels.  But here specifically Pluto represents the criminal acts performed by the shooter, and again, as modern lord of death, the potential for a fatal attack.  Whitehouse is squared the 5 Taurus Sun and forms a T-Square with asteroid Washingtonia at 6 Leo, pulling focus (Sun) to the White House Correspondents Dinner (Whitehouse) at the Washington Hilton (Washingtonia).

Shooter Cole Allen is seen as eponymous asteroids Cole 5635 at 22 Capricorn and Allen 19727 at 29 Aries, which square each other and form a T-Square with asteroid Donn 4689 at 25 Cancer, representing Donald Trump.  This brings together suspect and target in real time.

In a rare departure from tradition (based perhaps on Trump’s well-known dislike of mockery and an inability to take a joke), the dinner was hosted, not by a comedian, but by Oz Pearlman, AKA “Oz the Mentalist,” a noted mind-reader.  Oz is represented by asteroids Oze 7358 at 4 Virgo and Perelman 50033 at 26 Aries (closest to Pearlman).  Perelman also squares Donn, with asteroid Hosty 8218 at 13 Gemini, indicating his hosting status, on their midpoint, semisquare to each.  Oze is an especially apt stand-in for Oz Pearlman, who pronounces his name as “oze”, rather than the typical rendering, such as the Emerald City of Wizard fame, and the title of the gritty HBO prison drama series.  Oze is also at station, marking a vital turning point for Oz Pearlman, with a trine to the Sun at 5 Taurus placing him in the spotlight.

Or he would have been, but for this shocking lack of foresight from the mentalist.

In a final nod to cosmic synchronicity, Neptune/Saturn squares a duo of asteroids Hypnos 14827 at 3 Cancer, suggesting the mentalist host, and Assafin 28987 at 1 Cancer, a sort of lisping celestial nod to “assassin” which has appeared prominently in other assassination charts, including the one on Donald Trump in Butler, PA in 2024.

The WHCD has been postponed, perhaps to be rescheduled within the next 30 days.

Alex Miller

Alex Miller is a professional writer and astrologer, whose website AlexAsteroidAstrology.com offers a trove of info on the role of asteroids in personal and mundane astrology. He is the author of The Black Hole Book (available on Amazon.com) and The Urban Wicca, former editor of “The Galactic Calendar,” and past president of The Philadelphia Astrological Society. His pioneering work with Black Holes in astrological interpretation began in 1991, when his progressed Sun unwittingly fell into one. Alex’s books and writings are available on his website. Alex can also be reached for comment or services at .