White House Correspondents' Dinner Gunman Cole Allen Appears 'Emotionless' in Court as He's Charged with Attempted Assassination of President Trump
President Trump's alleged would-be assassin Cole Tomas Allen appeared in court for the first time.
April 27 2026, Published 2:45 p.m. ET
The man accused of storming the White House Correspondents' Dinner in a mad attempt to kill President Trump showed little emotion as he was formally arraigned on Monday, April 27, RadarOnline.com can report.
Cole Tomas Allen appeared in court for the first time as he faces new federal charges, including the attempted assassination of the president.
Cole Tomas Allen Officially Charged
President Trump had to be evacuated by Secret Service agents after shots rang out.
Allen was officially charged with three criminal counts. Along with the formal accusation of attempting to assassinate the president, the 31-year-old was also charged with interstate transportation of weapons and discharge of a firearm during a violent crime.
Witnesses said Allen wore a blue jumpsuit and spoke softly during his brief appearance.
He was not required to enter a plea at this time but was remanded into custody pending a hearing on Thursday, April 30, to determine whether he's eligible for any kind of pre-trial release.
But Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Ballantine suggested he should stay in jail: "He attempted to assassinate the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. We are asking the court to preventively detain Mr. Allen."
Ballantine told the court Allen was armed to kill, with a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, a .38-caliber semi-automatic pistol, and three knives.
Another preliminary hearing was set for May 11.
Trump was 'Targeted'
Secret Service agents stormed the hotel after shots were fired.
Allen was taken down before he could reach the Washington Hilton ballroom, where the annual Correspondents' Dinner was being held.
What was expected to be a lighthearted night off for journalists and their guests turned into a story of its own when a gunman opened fire in the lobby, striking one Secret Service agent.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche revealed on Sunday that investigators believe the suspect had his sights set on the president and his crew.
Speaking on NBC's Meet the Press, Blanche said: "We believe the suspect was targeting administration officials."
Secret Service Agent Saved By His Bulletproof Vest
The attack happened just after the start of the event, and the president wanted to stay.
Following the outbreak of violence, Trump and members of his Cabinet were evacuated from the Hilton. Although Trump said he initially resisted leaving, claiming he "fought like hell to stay," he ultimately complied with security directives.
The officer who was shot during the incident was saved thanks to his bulletproof vest. Speaking later in the night, Trump said the injury could have been far worse.
"He was wearing a very good bulletproof vest that saved him," Trump said, adding that the officer was in "great shape" and "very high spirits."
Trump Vows to Do the Dinner Again
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Trump said the event would be rescheduled.
In the aftermath, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was officially postponed, with Trump promising a rescheduled event within the next 30 days that would be "bigger" and "better."
The president also raised concerns about the venue's safety, suggesting the Washington Hilton lacked adequate security for an event of such scale.
"We looked at all of the conditions that took place tonight. I will say, it's not a particularly secure building," the president shared. "I didn't want to say this, but this is why we have to have all the attributes of what we're planning at the White House."
"They wanted the ballroom for 150 years for lots of different reasons, but today is a little bit different," he continued, referring to his plans to have a fortified bunker built beneath the White House ballroom. "We need a level of security that no one has seen before."
