According to reports from Reuters, California man Cole Allen, accused of attempting to assassinate Trump during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, appeared on Thursday, April 30 in federal court in Washington.
The 31-year-old suspect is charged with bringing multiple weapons to last Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ dinner with the alleged intent to assassinate Trump. During Thursday’s detention hearing, Allen, through his attorney, conceded detention and agreed not to contest remaining in custody pending trial.
According to the New York Post, earlier, Allen’s legal team submitted a bail application widely criticized as “absurd,” attempting to portray him as non-dangerous. The defense emphasized that Allen holds a master’s degree in computer science from California Institute of Technology, had been recognized as “Teacher of the Month,” and was a “devout Christian” with no criminal record. However, prosecutors presented evidence showing a far more dangerous profile: minutes before the alleged attack, Allen reportedly took a selfie in his hotel room while dressed formally in a red tie, armed with ammunition and a handgun, and phone records showed he had closely tracked Trump’s minute-by-minute movements leading up to his arrival at the dinner.
Particularly controversial was Allen’s explanation for his choice of weapon. In a letter he left behind, Allen claimed he deliberately chose buckshot rather than slugs because he wanted to “minimize collateral harm to others.” Buckshot consists of shotgun shells loaded with multiple large pellets that spread outward after firing, commonly used for hunting large animals or close-range defense. By contrast, slugs are single, heavy projectiles with significantly greater penetrating power. Allen’s rationale was that buckshot pellets would lose energy more quickly and be less likely to pass through the intended target and strike bystanders farther away.
Prosecutors, however, argued that in a crowded banquet setting, buckshot would create an even more unpredictable threat to surrounding attendees due to its spread pattern. They condemned Allen’s attempt to frame an assassination plan as an act of “mercy” as deeply irrational.
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Allen now faces multiple federal felony charges, including attempted assassination of a U.S. president and interstate transportation of weapons. The judge ordered that he remain detained at the Washington, D.C. jail, with his next preliminary hearing scheduled for May 11. If convicted on all charges, he could face life imprisonment.
