Suspect in Washington dinner shooting charged with trying to assassinate Trump
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, wore a prison-release blue V-neck shirt and trousers for his first appearance in Washington federal court, two days after authorities said he staged a botched attack at the annual black-tie White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner for journalists and politicians. His hands were handcuffed behind his back as he entered and exited the courtroom.
“He attempted to assassinate the president of the United States, Donald J. Trump,” prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine said.
The incident is the latest in a pattern of political violence in the United States. Conservative political activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a rally last September, months after a Democratic lawmaker in Minnesota and her husband were killed. Trump himself was the target of two assassination attempts in the 2024 presidential campaign.
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Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters after the hearing that investigators believe Allen targeted Trump because he referred to the president as a “traitor” and called him other names in an email he sent to relatives the night of the incident.
“Violence has no place in civilian life,” Blanche told reporters. “It cannot and will not be used to subvert democratic institutions, and it certainly cannot continue to be used against the president of the United States.”
ALLEN WILL BE HELD IN PRISON
Allen, of Torrance, California, is also charged with illegally carrying a firearm across state lines and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
While Ballantine said Allen brought a 12-gauge shotgun and three knives to Washington, the court filing also said he was armed with a Rock Island Armory 1911 .38-caliber semiautomatic pistol.
Authorities found a shell casing inside the shotgun, indicating it had been fired, Blanche said.
Allen did not respond to the allegations during the brief hearing. He said he has a master’s degree in computer science. Defense attorney Tezira Abe said at the hearing that Allen had no previous arrests or convictions.
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U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh ordered Allen held in custody until at least Thursday, when he returns to court for a hearing on whether he should be held in jail pending trial.
Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney in Washington, told reporters that additional charges would be brought against Allen.
‘FRIENDLY FEDERAL ASSASSIN’
Allen booked a room at the Washington Hilton hotel where the dinner was held on April 6 and traveled by train from California to Washington last week, according to an affidavit filed in court by an FBI agent.
According to the affidavit, Allen sent an email to family members on Saturday referring to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” and discussing plans to target senior Trump administration officials.
“As for why I’m doing this: I am a citizen of the United States. The actions of my agents reflect me,” Allen wrote in the email, according to the affidavit.
Saturday’s shooting rocked the press dinner, a prominent event on Washington’s social calendar, prompting attendees to dive under tables and law enforcement to escort top officials from the room. Trump, who was to make statements later in the evening, was removed from the stage by security personnel.
U.S. officials described Allen’s ouster as a law enforcement success. But the incident has renewed concerns about the safety of Trump and other US officials.
Allen went through the magnetometer at the hotel security checkpoint while holding a long gun, according to the affidavit. A Secret Service officer fired at Allen, who fell to the ground but was not hit, the affidavit said.
The affidavit said the Secret Service officer was shot in the chest while wearing a ballistic vest, but did not specify by whom.
