A 31-year-old California man accused of shooting a Secret Service agent while attempting to breach security at a Washington dinner attended by President Donald Trump has been formally charged with attempting to assassinate the president, federal prosecutors announced Monday.
Cole Tomas Allen, of Torrance, California, appeared in Washington federal court wearing a blue prison jumpsuit, two days after authorities said they thwarted an attack at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, an annual black-tie event gathering journalists and politicians.
“He attempted to assassinate the president of the United States, Donald J. Trump,” prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine told the court.
Allen faces a three-count criminal complaint that includes the assassination attempt charge and firearms-related offenses. He has not yet entered a plea to the allegations. Seated at the defense table flanked by U.S. Marshals, Allen stated he would answer all questions truthfully and noted he holds a master’s degree in computer science.
Court Orders Detention
U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh ordered Allen detained while the case proceeds. The judge scheduled another hearing for Thursday to review the defendant’s detention.
Authorities revealed that Allen left a manifesto with family members in which he referred to himself as the “Friendly Federal Assassin” and outlined plans to target senior Trump administration officials who were present in the hotel ballroom. Prosecutors said his targets likely Trump himself.
Third Major Assassination AttemptWhite House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described Saturday night’s attack as the third major assassination attempt against Trump, following two attempts on his life during the 2024 presidential campaign. She drew a direct line between the rhetoric in Allen’s manifesto and criticism from Trump’s political opponents.
“Much of the manifesto of the would-be assassin is indistinguishable from the words that we hear daily from so many,” Leavitt said. “The entire Democrat Party has made their pitch to voters across the country that Donald Trump poses an existential threat to democracy, that he is a fascist.”
Prominent elected Democrats have condemned the shooting.
Attack Details
According to officials, Allen had booked a room at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the dinner took place, and traveled from California to Washington by train.
The shooting rattled the press dinner, a prominent fixture on Washington’s social calendar, sending attendees scrambling under tables and prompting law enforcement to whisk senior officials from the room. Trump, who was scheduled to deliver remarks later in the evening, was rushed off the stage by security personnel after shots were fired.
The suspect allegedly fired a shotgun at a Secret Service agent stationed at a checkpoint inside the hotel before being tackled and arrested, authorities said. Video footage posted online by Trump showed the suspect sprinting through a hallway outside the ballroom.
The Secret Service agent was struck by gunfire, but a tactical vest stopped the round. The agent was released from a hospital hours later.
Allen, who authorities said was armed with a handgun and multiple knives in addition to the shotgun, was also taken to a local hospital for following the shooting.
