A 31-year-old gunman named Cole Allen sent a manifesto to family members just 10 minutes before launching an attack at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, in what officials describe as an assassination attempt on President Donald Trump.
Allen stormed the Washington Hilton during the event, bypassing security and firing shots that prompted evacuations. President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and Vice President JD Vance were quickly moved to safety from the stage. One officer sustained a gunshot wound, but a bulletproof vest prevented serious injury.
Intended Targets
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and other officials state that Allen aimed to target Trump administration members present at the dinner, prioritizing them from highest-ranking to lowest. Devices seized from Allen and interviews with relatives confirmed these intentions.
Manifesto Contents
The 1,052-word document, provided by a family member to authorities, reveals Allen’s motivations. He wrote: “Turning the other cheek is for when you yourself are oppressed. I’m not the person raped in a detention camp. I’m not the fisherman executed without trial. I’m not the schoolkid blown up, or a child starved, or a teenage girl abused by the many criminals in this administration. Turning the other cheek when someone else is oppressed is not Christian behaviour; it is complicity in the oppressor’s crimes.”
Allen, a teacher from Torrance, California, detailed his attack plan to minimize bystander harm, opting for buckshot over slugs to reduce wall penetration. He added: “I would still go through most everyone here to get to the targets if it were absolutely necessary (on the basis that most people chose to attend a speech by a pedophile, rapist, and traitor, and are thus complicit) but I really hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Targeting administration officials—excluding FBI Director Kash Patel—Allen stated, referring to the president: “I am no longer willing to permit a paedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.” The manifesto ended with the signature “Cole ‘coldForce’ ‘Friendly Feseral Assassin’ Allen.”
President Trump’s Statement
Speaking Sunday morning, President Trump described the shooter as harboring deep hatred. “He had a lot of hatred in his heart for quite a while, and he just, I don’t know, it was a religious thing. It was strongly anti-Christian. And I don’t know if you’ve gotten it, [the] released manifesto. He’s got some big problems with the rest of his life, but it’s very, very bad, very bad situation.” Trump also noted that Allen’s family alerted police in Connecticut.
Travel and Charges
Allen traveled by train from California to Chicago, then to Washington, D.C., where he checked into the Hilton as a guest. Authorities expect to file criminal charges against him on Monday.
