Man charged with attempt to assassinate Trump

WASHINGTON

U.S. President Donald Trump (C/R) and First Lady Melania Trump (R) greet Britain's King Charles III (C/L) and Britain's Queen Camilla upon their arrival at the South Portico of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 27, 2026. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

The man who authorities say tried to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner with guns and knives has been charged on April 27 with the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump as federal authorities suggested an attack that disrupted one of Washington's glitziest events had been planned for at least several weeks.

Cole Tomas Allen appeared in court to face federal charges after the chaotic encounter on April 25 that resulted in shots being fired, Trump being hurried off the stage unharmed and guests ducking for cover underneath their tables. He was ordered to remain jailed pending additional court hearings and faces up to life in prison if convicted of the assassination count alone.

An FBI affidavit filed in the case on April 25 revealed additional details about the planning behind the assault, with authorities alleging that Allen on April 6 reserved a room for himself at the Washington hotel where the event would be held weeks later under its typical tight security. He traveled by train cross-country from California last week, checking himself into the Washington Hilton one day before the dinner with a room reserved for the weekend.

The dinner had barely begun when officials say the 31-year-old Torrance, California, man tried to race past a security barricade near the cavernous ballroom holding hundreds of journalists and their guests, prompting an exchange of gunfire with Secret Service agents tasked with safeguarding the event. Allen carried with him a 12-gauge pump action shotgun he bought last year and a .38 caliber semi-automatic pistol he purchased in 2023, authorities said.

“Violence has no place in civic life," acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a news conference.

"It cannot and will not be used to disrupt democratic institutions or intimidate those who serve them, and it certainly cannot continue to be used against the president of the United States.”

Allen was injured during the attack but was not shot. A Secret Service officer was shot but was wearing a bullet-resistant vest and survived, officials say.

Questions remain about how many shots Allen fired and how many officers discharged their weapons.

Blanche said investigators believe that a Secret Service agent fired five shots and that Allen discharged his shotgun at least once.

The Justice Department charged Allen with two additional firearms counts, including discharging a weapon during a crime of violence, but the affidavit does not allege that Allen was responsible for shooting the agent.

Allen invoked his constitutional right to remain silent after his arrest, but authorities say an email he sent to family members and a former employer just before the attack helps shed light on a motive.

In the message, a copy of which was included in the affidavit, Allen referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin" and alluded obliquely to grievances over a range of Trump administration actions. The rambling text moves between confession, grievance and farewell, with Allen apologizing to family members, co-workers and even strangers he feared could be caught in the violence while at the same time seeking to explain the attack.

King Charles to urge Trump to 'come together' with Britain

In another development, Britain's King Charles III will receive a full ceremonial welcome from Trump at the White House and make a rare address to Congress on April 28 as he seeks to mend a transatlantic rift over the Iran war.

On the second day of a four-day state visit, Charles is expected to call in his speech for "reconciliation and renewal," with the so-called special relationship between Washington and London under strain.

Much of the day will be given over to pomp and ceremony, with King Charles and Queen Camilla receiving a traditional arrival ceremony that's expected to feature a 21-gun salute and an inspection of troops.

The U.S. leader and First Lady Melania Trump will then host the royals in the Oval Office behind closed doors. In the evening they will return to the White House for a grand state dinner.

The first day of the trip featured a more informal welcome, with the Trumps treating Charles and Camilla to tea and cakes in the White House before showing them beehives on the famed lawn.

In a symbolic moment just two days after the shooting at the gala dinner, the U.S. president showed off a painting of the assassination attempt he narrowly escaped in 2024.

The royals then attended a garden party at the British embassy, with cucumber sandwiches and scones on the menu.

But the second day will feature perhaps the most public-facing moment, when Charles becomes the first British monarch to address Congress since his mother, queen Elizabeth, in 1991.

It comes at a hugely delicate moment, with Britain trying to repair ties after Trump raged over London's refusal to help with his war in Iran.