A 31-year-old suspect arrested after rushing a security checkpoint at the White House correspondents' dinner on Saturday night is expected to face federal charges, including attempted assassination of the president.
Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, was stopped by law enforcement as he pushed toward the ballroom where President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and cabinet members including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were gathered. Shots were fired during the confrontation before the suspect was subdued.
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Sunday that Allen could be charged with attempting to assassinate Trump and other top administration officials. He is already facing charges of assault of a federal officer, discharging a firearm, and attempting to kill a federal officer. A federal agent was struck but was wearing body armor and was released from the hospital the next day.
Allen had no prior criminal record in Los Angeles County. Investigators believe he traveled by train from California through Chicago to Washington, checking into the Washington Hilton, where the black-tie dinner took place. He was arrested with a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives, authorities said.
A motive has not yet been established. Blanche told reporters that Allen is not cooperating with investigators. Police are examining the suspect's hotel room and searching a Torrance address linked to him, including documents and writings found at those locations.
The incident occurred shortly after Trump and his entourage were rushed to safety. The president returned to the White House later that evening and held an impromptu news conference, calling the attacker a "lone wolf whack job." Standing alongside reporters still dressed in their formal wear, Trump reflected on the dangers of high office.
"Being president is a dangerous profession," Trump said. "When you're impactful, they go after you. When you're not impactful, they leave you alone."
He added that while the incident was shocking, he could not allow such events to paralyze his ability to function as president.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt characterized the attack differently, saying the suspect sought to "assassinate the president and kill as many top Trump administration officials as possible." She called him a "depraved crazy person."
Allen is scheduled to appear in federal court Monday. Trump had made a point of attending the correspondents' dinner this year after boycotting the event in previous years as a sitting president, marking his first appearance at the annual gathering.
Author James Rodriguez: "A sitting president having to process an assassination attempt at a ballroom full of journalists and politicians raises hard questions about security and motive that investigators are racing to answer."
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