Cole Tomas Allen, 31, appeared in a federal courthouse in Washington on Monday shackled at the wrists and feet and dressed in an orange jumpsuit, entering a not guilty plea to charges that include the attempted assassination of US President Donald Trump. Allen's lawyer entered the plea on his behalf without him speaking. He faces four federal charges in total, including assault on a federal agent with a deadly weapon and two firearms offences, and if convicted of attempting to kill the president could face life in prison.
Prosecutors allege that on 25 April, Allen stormed a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner — a gathering of journalists, senior government officials, and Washington luminaries held each spring — was under way. Sprinting through a metal detector with a shotgun raised in both hands, Allen allegedly fired a single shot at a US Secret Service agent, who was struck but saved by his bullet-proof vest. Allen was tackled by agents just short of a staircase leading down to the ballroom. He did not sustain gunshot wounds but suffered a minor knee injury in the fall. Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice-President JD Vance, cabinet members, and senior White House officials were swiftly evacuated from the venue. The attack is considered the third assassination attempt against the 79-year-old president in under two years, following a shooting at a campaign rally in July 2024 — in which Trump was wounded in the ear — and a separate incident at his Florida golf course months later.
Authorities say Allen, described as a teacher and engineer with a strong academic background, left his home in Torrance, near Los Angeles, on 21 April and travelled by train to Chicago before continuing to Washington, carrying a shotgun, a pistol, and multiple knives. Prosecutors allege that shortly before the attack he photographed himself in his hotel room wearing dress clothes and a shoulder holster, with weapons strapped to his body and ammunition in a bag, and checked websites for live coverage of the dinner.
Monday's hearing also previewed a significant legal dispute. Allen's defence team is seeking to disqualify US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro and Attorney General Todd Blanche from the prosecution, arguing that both were present at the dinner and may themselves be considered potential victims of the alleged attack. Defence lawyer Eugene Ohm called it