{"id":64841,"date":"2026-05-11T10:41:52","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T14:41:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/california-man-denies-charges-in-white-house-correspondents-dinner-attack\/"},"modified":"2026-05-11T10:41:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T14:41:52","slug":"california-man-denies-charges-in-white-house-correspondents-dinner-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/california-man-denies-charges-in-white-house-correspondents-dinner-attack\/","title":{"rendered":"California Man Denies Charges in White House Correspondents’ Dinner Attack"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

A California resident facing federal charges for an armed assault at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner entered a not guilty plea during his Monday court appearance in Washington.<\/p>

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from Torrance, California, appeared before a federal judge in restraints and jail clothing for his formal arraignment. Allen remained silent throughout the proceedings while his legal team submitted the plea on his behalf.<\/p>

Federal prosecutors allege Allen breached security at the April 25 event while carrying firearms and bladed weapons, then discharged a shotgun at a Secret Service agent attempting to halt his advance. The charges against him include attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump.<\/p>

Allen’s defense team has requested that U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden remove key Justice Department figures from the prosecution due to potential conflicts of interest. Defense attorney Eugene Ohm argued that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro should be disqualified since both were present during the incident and could serve as witnesses or be considered victims.<\/p>

The judge did not immediately decide on the recusal motion but requested additional details from the defense regarding the extent of their request. Ohm indicated they may seek to exclude Pirro’s entire office from the case.<\/p>

The attack occurred at the Washington Hilton during one of the capital’s most prominent annual gatherings. A Secret Service officer sustained a gunshot wound to their protective vest during the confrontation, while Allen suffered injuries but was not struck by gunfire. The incident forced organizers to conclude the event prematurely.<\/p>

Allen’s next court date is set for June 29.<\/p>

The defendant faces multiple federal charges beyond the assassination attempt, including assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon and additional firearms violations. If found guilty on the assassination charge alone, he could receive a life sentence.<\/p>

Following his arrest, Allen was initially monitored for suicide risk but was later removed from that status. His attorneys have criticized his treatment in custody, citing concerns about his confinement conditions including constant illumination, frequent searches, and restraint usage.<\/p>

According to prosecutors, Allen informed FBI investigators that he did not anticipate surviving the assault, which officials cite as justification for the initial suicide precautions.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A California man accused of attacking the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner with weapons entered a not guilty plea in federal court Monday. Cole Tomas Allen faces charges including attempted assassination of President Trump after allegedly firing at a Secret Service agent during the April incident.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":64840,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[833],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-64841","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778510512205.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-gRP","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":58145,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/california-man-faces-federal-charges-for-white-house-correspondents-dinner-attack\/","url_meta":{"origin":64841,"position":0},"title":"California Man Faces Federal Charges for White House Correspondents’ Dinner Attack","author":"Admin","date":"April 27, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of California will appear in federal court Monday following his arrest after allegedly attempting to breach the White House Correspondents' Association dinner while armed. The incident Saturday night led to gunfire, President Trump being evacuated from the stage, and guests taking cover under tables.","rel":"","context":"In "U.S. News"","block_context":{"text":"U.S. News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/us-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777311618654.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777311618654.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777311618654.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777311618654.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":57900,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/students-describe-white-house-correspondents-dinner-shooting-suspect-as-very-smart\/","url_meta":{"origin":64841,"position":1},"title":"Students Describe White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting Suspect as ‘Very Smart’","author":"Admin","date":"April 27, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Cole Allen, identified as the gunman in Saturday's White House Correspondents' Association dinner shooting, was known as an intelligent mentor to students in Southern California. Former mentees have described Allen as exceptionally bright despite his alleged involvement in the weekend incident.","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777280913968.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":59850,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/accused-trump-assassin-consents-to-stay-in-jail-pending-trial\/","url_meta":{"origin":64841,"position":2},"title":"Accused Trump Assassin Consents to Stay in Jail Pending Trial","author":"Admin","date":"April 30, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Cole Thomas Allen, charged with attempting to kill President Trump at the White House Correspondents' dinner, has agreed to remain detained while awaiting trial. The 31-year-old California man allegedly stormed the event with weapons, injuring a Secret Service agent during the confrontation.","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777566193057.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777566193057.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777566193057.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777566193057.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":62276,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/california-man-faces-new-assault-charge-in-white-house-dinner-attack\/","url_meta":{"origin":64841,"position":3},"title":"California Man Faces New Assault Charge in White House Dinner Attack","author":"Admin","date":"May 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A federal grand jury has added an assault charge against a California man accused of attacking the White House Correspondents' dinner in April. 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