Correspondents' Dinner suspect charged with attempted assassination of Trump
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FBI agents stand outside the Washington Hilton after shots were heard during the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 25, 2026. Photo: Alex Wroblewski/ AFP via Getty Images.
The suspect in Saturday's shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner was charged with attempting to assassinate President Trump on Monday, alongside two federal gun charges.
Why it matters: Prosecutors signaled the charges could be just the start, with additional charges added as the investigation develops.
- Conviction for the attempted assassination of a president could lead to life in prison, as seen in the case of a previous attempt on Trump's life.
- Cole Tomas Allen, 31, did not enter a plea during his arraignment in D.C. federal court. He is expected back in court on Thursday to determine if he will remain in federal custody.
Catch up quick: Allen, a 31-year-old from California, allegedly fired several rounds at the WHCD's annual dinner on Saturday, striking a Secret Service agent near the event's security perimeter.
- U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro told reporters Monday that Allen possessed a 12 gage pump action shotgun, a 38 semi automatic and at least three knives.
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday that the motive for the attack is unconfirmed, but said Allen was likely aiming to target the president and other top administration officials.
- Blanche also said Allen initially spoke with officials but is no longer cooperating with law enforcement.
Zoom in: A federal official told CBS News that Allen's writings indicated he was anti-Trump and that he had repeatedly told a family member he had a "plan to do 'something' to fix the issues with today's world."
Zoom out: The shooting marks the third time someone has tried to assassinate the president in less than three years.
- The first was during a 2024 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, grazed Trump's ear using an "AR-style 556 rifle," per the FBI. A sniper killed Crooks at the scene.
- Weeks later, Ryan Wesley Routh was intercepted by Secret Service agents at Trump's Florida golf course before any shots were fired. Routh had written in a letter that he had planned to assassinate Trump. He was sentenced to life in prison earlier this year.
The intrigue: Saturday's shooting and a slew of other assassination plots against Trump have sewn distrust of law enforcement's ability to protect the president.
- Only 27% of Americans are very confident that the Secret Service can protect presidents from harm, per a new survey from YouGov.
- Thirty-one percent are somewhat confident, and 11% were not at all confident.
Go deeper: Trump officials believed to be WHCD gunman's target, acting AG says
Editor's note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated with more information.
