A man accused of bursting into the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner armed with guns and knives pleaded not guilty Monday to federal charges that he tried to assassinate President Donald Trump and shot at a Secret Service officer.
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, appeared shackled and wearing a jail uniform at his arraignment in federal court in Washington, D.C. He did not speak; one of his attorneys entered the plea for him. Defense lawyers Tezira Abe and Eugene Ohm sat beside him during the brief hearing.
Allen’s attorneys asked U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden to disqualify at least two senior Justice Department officials from direct involvement in the prosecution, saying they may be victims or witnesses. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro were at the Washington Hilton when the April 25 incident occurred, officials said. Defense counsel indicated they may seek recusal of Pirro’s entire office. McFadden asked the defense to explain the possible scope of their request and did not rule at the hearing.
Authorities say Allen ran past a security checkpoint at the dinner and fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer who confronted him. The officer was struck once but was wearing a bullet-resistant vest and was able to withdraw from the attack. Allen was injured during the incident but was not shot, and the attack prompted an early end to the high-profile event.
Federal charges against Allen include attempted assassination of the president, assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon and additional firearms counts. The attempted-assassination count alone carries a potential sentence of life in prison.
After his arrest, Allen was placed on suicide watch; jail officials removed him from that status after several days. His lawyers have complained about his treatment in custody, alleging he was confined in a padded room with constant lighting, repeatedly strip-searched and restrained outside his cell.
A Justice Department prosecutor told the court that Allen told FBI agents he did not expect to survive the attack, a statement officials say may explain why he was initially assessed as a suicide risk.
Allen is due back in court on June 29. The case remains under investigation by federal authorities.
(AP) Updated May 11, 2026.
