Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old teacher from Torrance, California, was arrested Saturday after breaching security at the Washington Hilton Hotel during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. In a manifesto published alongside federal charges, Allen claimed he aimed to assassinate President Donald Trump and other administration officials, stating he could not tolerate a “pedophile, rapist, and traitor” running the country.
Allen, who registered as a guest at the hotel Friday, bypassed heavily monitored areas using an interior stairwell before exiting onto the same level as the ballroom’s red carpet access point. Secret Service agents subdued him moments later after he charged through security armed with knives, a 12-gauge shotgun, and a .38-caliber semiautomatic pistol. Though Allen exchanged gunfire with agents, he was not hit, while one agent sustained injuries.
The manifesto—signed “Cole ‘coldForce’ ‘Friendly Federal Assassin’ Allen”—opened with apologies to relatives, colleagues, and students for misrepresenting his whereabouts. Allen stated he targeted administration officials “prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest,” with Secret Service agents as secondary targets if necessary. He wrote that he would use buckshot “to minimize casualties” but admitted he would “go through most everyone here” if absolutely required, claiming attendees had “chosen” to be near Trump.
Allen ridiculed the hotel’s security system, calling it “insane” and noting he observed no cameras, bugged rooms, or armed agents. He also addressed objections to his actions, including religious teachings about “turning the other cheek,” stating he was not “the person raped in a detention camp” or “a schoolkid blown up.”
Federal prosecutors charged Allen with attempting to assassinate Trump and multiple federal felonies. The assassination charge carries a life sentence, while the firearm-related charges include a 10-year mandatory minimum. Allen’s sister told investigators he frequently expressed radical political ideas online and had made over 1,000 posts on Blue Sky criticizing President Trump and Republicans.