Cole Tomas Allen Charged With Attempting To Assassinate Donald Trump At White House Correspondents’ Dinner

A gunman identified by multiple outlets as Cole Tomas Allen opened fire outside the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, D.C., forcing President Donald Trump and members of his Cabinet to be evacuated after gunfire was heard outside the ballroom at the Washington Hilton.

“Correspondents' dinner shooting rekindles DHS funding fight: What to know "This a national emergency," said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt”

ABC News

NBC News reported that in his first court appearance, Allen was charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump, and it described a note he sent family members minutes before the attack stating he “believed it was his duty to target Trump administration officials.”

ABC News

The Washington Post said Allen was charged with three felony counts during his first court appearance in D.C. on Monday: “attempting to assassinate the president,” “transporting a firearm and ammunition with intent to commit a felony,” and “discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.”

Fox News quoted U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. Jeanine Pirro saying, “But make no mistake, this was an attempted assassination of the President of the United States.”

AP News reported that Allen was arrested Saturday night trying to rush past a security checkpoint with two firearms and knives, and it said authorities told the AP he legally bought a .38-caliber semiautomatic pistol in October 2023 and a 12-gauge shotgun last year.

CNN added that the White House said the suspect “clearly stated” he wanted to target administration officials, and it described Secret Service agents shooting at the suspect but not hitting him before he was taken into custody near a staircase leading to the ballroom.

Accounts of the incident emphasize both the suspect’s approach and the security response at the Washington Hilton.

NBC News said the suspect, “Armed with multiple weapons,” exchanged gunfire with law enforcement in the Washington hotel’s lobby and was tackled, and it reported that the White House met with the leadership of the Secret Service and DHS to review protocols and practices for major events that include Trump.

AP News

Fox News quoted retired Secret Service agent Patrick Sullivan describing that “The attacker was stopped before he got into the secure area,” and it said Sullivan described “three levels of security with the outer perimeter, the middle perimeter and the inner perimeter.”

NBC News and Fox News both tied the response to checkpoint procedures, with Fox News adding Sullivan’s explanation that “checkpoint attacks are always done repeatedly” and that the middle security layer is designed to stop individuals carrying weapons.

CNN described the suspect being taken into custody near a staircase leading to the ballroom after Secret Service agents shot at him but did not hit him.

The Daily Beast described the suspect as “armed with a shotgun” and said he “did not get into the room, but he was perilously close before he was brought down,” while also recounting that the author pressed record seconds after hearing shots.

The aftermath quickly turned into competing narratives about motives, media coverage, and political responsibility.

“• Suspect’s note: Investigators are combing through a message sent by the man accused of charging through a security checkpoint and opening fire at a press gala in Washington, DC”

CNN

Democracy Now! featured journalist and author Jeff Sharlet discussing “the motivations of Cole Allen” and the “stories they’re telling about him and the stories they’re telling about Trump,” and it included President Donald Trump’s claim on Fox News Sunday that “The guy is a sick guy, when you read his manifesto. He hates Christians.”

Sharlet responded that it was “a startling and, on his part, savvy claim” and said that when “you come to read the document itself,” it was “not even really a manifesto; it’s just a statement of intent by this man, Cole Allen.”

Fox News and NBC News both reported on Trump’s reaction and the White House’s messaging, with NBC News saying Trump “wasn't worried” and that the White House blamed political violence against the president on “systemic demonization,” specifically citing Kimmel.

Democracy Docket reported that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed Trump’s detractors were responsible for “all political violence in the U.S.” and quoted Leavitt saying, “Those who constantly, falsely label and slander the president as a fascist and a threat to democracy and compare him to Hitler to score political points are fueling this kind of violence.”

In a different direction, Fox News included Hakeem Jeffries doubling down on “maximum warfare” rhetoric, with Jeffries telling critics, "I don’t give a damn" and “I stand by it,” and it said his messaging sparked backlash from Republicans after the shooting.

Beyond blame, the incident reignited disputes over security and funding.

ABC News said the shooting “rekindles DHS funding fight” and reported that the Department of Homeland Security has been shut down for “73 days” over political gridlock, while it described the Secret Service as one of 12 DHS agencies facing a lapse in congressionally appropriated funding.

Democracy Docket

ABC News quoted White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying, “This a national emergency,” and it reported her argument that Democrats’ obstruction placed “an enormous and totally pointless burden on the Secret Service that can get more people killed.”

Fox News carried a counterpoint from Rep. Jim Himes, who pushed back on Republican efforts to build a White House ballroom after the shooting, saying such a project is “obviously not” necessary for presidential security and that “The way they do events at the White House is about as secure as you can get.”

NBC News reported that the White House met with Secret Service and DHS leadership about protocols and practices for major events, and it quoted Blanche saying “Law enforcement ‘did not fail’ and succeeded in stopping a gunman.”

Fox News also included a retired Secret Service agent’s explanation that it would be “virtually impossible” to fully secure an outer perimeter at a large public venue like a hotel, and it said the Washington Hilton is “the biggest hotel in Washington, D.C.” with “more than 1,000 rooms.”

The sources portray the stakes as both immediate—court proceedings, investigations, and security reviews—and longer-running, including how political violence is discussed and how future events are protected.

“Guests Writer Jeff Sharlet responds to the shooting event at White House correspondents’ dinner this weekend”

Democracy Now!

NBC News said the White House met with Secret Service and DHS leadership and that the meeting had earlier been described as to review protocols and practices for major events that include Trump, while it also reported that the White House dismissed conspiracy claims, quoting spokesperson Davis Ingle: “Anyone who thinks President Trump staged his own assassination attempts is a complete moron.”

Democracy Now!

NBC News also described the legal and investigative posture, quoting Blanche that “We do believe, as the complaint lays out, that the suspect, the defendant fired out of his shotgun,” while also saying he would not provide “exact ballistics” because it was “still being looked at and finalized,” and it reported that law enforcement fired five times but the suspect was not hit.

The Washington Post framed the charges as three felony counts and tied them to the first court appearance in D.C. on Monday, while Fox News said Pirro warned that “additional charges are expected” and that “there will be additional charges as this investigation continues to unfold.”

AP News added that Allen will face charges including “using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer,” and it reported that a search of state and federal court databases showed “no indication Allen had ever previously been charged with a crime.”

Looking forward, Newsweek said federal investigators were continuing to examine Allen’s “background, writings, and digital footprint” to determine what motivated the attack and how long he planned it, and it said the Secret Service is expected to conduct a “full review of its security posture for large‑scale events.”