U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro points at a picture of a shotgun carried by Cole Tomas Allen, the suspect in the shooting incident in Washington at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, as she and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel, Assistant Director in Charge (ADIC) of the FBI Washington Field Office Darren Cox take part in a press conference about the shooting incident, April 27, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper/File Photo
REUTERS–The man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at a White House reporters’ gala last month pleaded not guilty to all charges on Monday.
Cole Allen, 31, did not speak in court as his attorney entered the plea on his behalf. The charges include attempted assassination of the president, assault on a federal officer and firearms offenses.
Prosecutors allege Allen fired a shotgun at a U.S. Secret Service agent and stormed a security checkpoint in a foiled attack on Trump and other members of his administration at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Allen wore an orange jumpsuit and was shackled at the waist during the brief proceeding. It was his first appearance in Washington federal court before the judge who will preside over the remainder of the case, U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden.
The hearing came a week after a different judge apologized to Allen for his treatment in a local Washington D.C. jail, which included being placed on suicide precautions and isolated from other inmates.
(Reporting by Andrew Goudsward; writing by Katharine Jackson; editing by Susan Heavey and Scott Malone)
