Federal prosecutors charged Cole Tomas Allen, 31, the accused gunman in the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner shooting, with three criminal counts, including attempting to assassinate the president.
Fox News reports that Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh unsealed the case against Allen on Monday. Allen appeared in federal court wearing a prison jumpsuit and answered the judge respectfully. He did not enter a plea and was only informed of the charges.
The three counts include attempted assassination of the president, transporting a firearm across state lines, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The attempted assassination charge could carry a life sentence if Allen is convicted.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Ballantine told the court that Allen was heavily armed when he stormed the Washington Hilton Hotel, allegedly hunting for President Trump and top-level officials. She said Allen was equipped with a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, a .38-caliber semi-automatic pistol, and three knives.
Allen’s manifesto made it clear that he had a kill list (as reported by CBS News’ Jennifer Jacobs):
Administration officials (not including Mr. Patel): they are targets, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest
“Mr. Allen has no prior arrests or convictions,” court-appointed defense lawyer Tezira Abe said. “He is presumed innocent at this time.”
Allen will remain in custody pending a Thursday hearing to determine whether he is eligible for any form of pretrial release, according to NBC News.
Earlier today, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt blasted the “left-wing cult of hatred” as fueling political violence in yet another failed assassination attempt on Trump.
Leavitt told reporters at a press briefing earlier that political violence against Trump “stems from a systemic demonization of him and his supporters by commentators, yes, by elected members of the Democrat Party and even some in the media.”
“This hateful, constant, and violent rhetoric directed at President Trump, day after day for 11 years, has helped legitimize this violence and brought us to this dark moment,” Leavitt said.
Some of that hateful rhetoric Leavitt was referring to:
If you’re wondering why 3 attempts on President Trump’s life, that we know of, have happened, it’s because of people like Tim Walz who keep saying:
“No one has ever been more dangerous to this country than Donald Trump, and he is a fascist to his core!” pic.twitter.com/4QAy7vzvcJ
— Based Bandita (@BasedBandita) April 26, 2026
Where did Charlie Kirk’s murderer learn to call conservatives “fascists”?
“Do you think Donald Trump is a fascist?”
Kamala Harris: “Yes, I do. YES, I DO!” pic.twitter.com/RxDjgOYjKY
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 12, 2025
Where they learned this from!
Democrats ARE the Party of Hate and of Inciting Violence. pic.twitter.com/ONhiBT5KgV
— Donna Marie (@sabback) September 10, 2025
As we noted on Sunday, Allen appears to be an ordinary Democrat who has been influenced over the past decade by left-wing corporate media and radical left-wing NGOs. This toxic ecosystem created an artificial information environment in which President Trump was labeled, around the clock, as a “fascist,” a “Nazi,” and worse, inciting an existential crisis among vulnerable Democrats who have chosen to respond with violence.
🚨BREAKING: I found Cole Allen’s archived tweets.
He predicted “Kamala wins all swing states,” compared Trump’s win to “Nazis getting elected,” and moved to Bluesky.
The scary part: he retweeted every mainstream Democrat on this platform.
Thread below. 👇
What radicalized him… pic.twitter.com/5VWHCZd6Rx
— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) April 26, 2026
Meanwhile, Real Clear Politics’ Paul Sperry reports:
DEVELOPING: Federal investigators are looking into a possible connection between arrested would-be Trump assassin Cole Tomas Allen and Stacey Abrams’ Fair Fight Action, as well as the radical Black Lives Matter … developing …
— Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) April 27, 2026
*Developing…
