The man accused of shooting a U.S. Secret Service agent as he tried to breach security at a Washington dinner attended by President Donald Trump faces federal charges of attempted assassination of the president, a judge said in court Monday.
Cole Thomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, also faces a firearms charge in a three-count complaint.
Allen wore a blue prison jumpsuit at his first appearance in Washington federal court, two days after authorities said he foiled an attack at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, an annual black-tie gathering of journalists and politicians.
“He attempted to assassinate the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump,” prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine said in court.
Allen has not yet responded to the allegations. Allen, sitting at the defense table with the U.S. Marshals, said he would answer all questions truthfully and that he has a master’s degree in computer science.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew Sherbaugh ordered Allen detained while the case proceeds. Sharbaugh scheduled another hearing on Allen’s continued custody for Thursday.
Allen left a manifesto with family members describing himself as a “friendly federal killer” and discussing a plan to target senior Trump administration officials present in the hotel ballroom.
Blanch said that their targets probably include Trump himself. White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt on Monday described Saturday night’s attack as the third major assassination attempt against Trump, following two attempts on his life in 2024.
He compared the rhetoric in the manifesto to criticism of Trump by his political opponents.—Reuters
