Prosecutors Detail Weeks of Planning Before Alleged Trump Assassination Attempt at Correspondents' Dinner

Federal prosecutors say Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old Torrance, California man, spent weeks planning an attack on President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, D.C. — researching the event, booking his hotel room three weeks in advance, and taking an armed selfie in his room minutes before allegedly rushing a security checkpoint on the night of April 25. Allen, facing charges of attempted assassination of the president and related firearms offenses, agreed at a Thursday hearing to remain jailed while the federal case proceeds, Reuters reported.

The Details

According to a prosecutors' detention filing cited by CBS News, Allen began researching the 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner in early April. On April 6, prosecutors said, he booked a room at the Washington Hilton — the dinner's venue — for the nights of April 24 through 26. Prosecutors said Allen then traveled by Amtrak from California to Washington, arriving in the capital on April 24 and checking into the Hilton around 3:15 p.m.

The prosecution's account of the night of April 25 is detailed in the detention memorandum. At approximately 8:03 p.m., federal prosecutors allege, Allen took a mirror selfie in his Washington Hilton hotel room while dressed in black clothing and a red tie and carrying weapons-related gear, according to CBS News and court filings. He did not move to the checkpoint immediately. Prosecutors said Allen continued watching Trump's arrival, including live video of the president reaching the hotel, up until about 8:27 p.m., NBC Washington reported.

Around 8:30 p.m., preset emails containing an attachment labeled 'Apology and Explanation' were sent to Allen's relatives — coinciding with the time investigators say he rushed the security checkpoint near the Washington Hilton ballroom, NBC Washington reported. Authorities allege Allen rushed the screening area as Trump and hundreds of journalists attended the gala inside. Trump was not injured in the incident, AP News confirmed.

Court filings cited by NBC Washington quoted Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Jones describing the alleged attack in stark terms: 'He intended to kill and fired his shotgun while trying to breach security and attack his target. Put simply, the defendant poses an uncommonly serious danger to the community if released pending trial.' The prosecutors' detention memorandum, quoted by CBS News, also states: 'The defendant's actions were premeditated, violent, and calculated to cause death.'

One contested factual question has emerged in the court record. While AP News and ABC News reported that a Secret Service officer wearing a bullet-resistant vest was shot during the incident, Reuters reported that a later court filing did not accuse Allen of striking the officer and left the source of that wound unclear. The question of who fired the shot that struck the officer remains unresolved in the public record, and editors at Zero Signal are attributing that detail carefully pending further court filings.

Context

Trump had publicly announced on March 2 that he would attend the 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner, which CBS News reported was the first time he had agreed to attend the event as president. The annual dinner is a high-profile gathering that draws journalists, politicians, and other prominent figures to the Washington Hilton each year, according to Reuters.

Allen is charged in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with attempted assassination of the president, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and illegally transporting guns and ammunition across state lines, Reuters reported. Defense attorney Tezira Abe is a member of Allen's legal team, according to Reuters. Allen has not publicly entered a plea on the charges.

What's Next

Allen agreed on April 30 not to contest prosecutors' request that he remain jailed while the case proceeds, Reuters reported. His detention means the federal proceedings will advance with Allen in custody as prosecutors prepare their case built around the court filings and evidence detailed in the detention memorandum. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia is overseeing the case, and additional hearings are expected as the matter moves through the federal courts.