Would-be Trump assassin has been charged with attempted assassination of the president

April 27, 2026 - WASHINGTON, D.C. – Cole Tomas Allen was charged on Monday with the attempted assassination of President Donald J. Trump (R). Federal authorities said that Allen had been planning the attack on the Whitehouse Correspondents' dinner.

Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) was quick to comment on the attack.

"A lunatic just tried to take out President Trump AGAIN," said Tuberville on his X account. "The demonization of the President and Republicans needs to end. Praying for our President and our country."

Democrats have been blocking funding the Department of Homeland Security – the federal agency charged with keeping Americans safe from crime and domestic terrorism.

"To the anti-American Democrats, it is time to get your head out of your ass and fund our national law enforcement," said Tuberville. "ALL Americans deserve to live in safety and without fearing for their lives."

This event had to be held at the Washington Hilton, because the ballroom that the President is trying to build at the Whitehouse has been stalled by a partisan lawsuit – a point that Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) made.

"This about the safety and security of not just President Trump, but ALL future presidents," said Sen. Britt on X. "Build the ballroom."

President Trump shared that view.

"What happened last night is exactly the reason that our great Military, Secret Service, Law Enforcement and, for different reasons, every President for the last 150 years, have been DEMANDING that a large, safe, and secure Ballroom be built ON THE GROUNDS OF THE WHITE HOUSE," said President Trump on Truth Social. "This event would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House. It cannot be built fast enough! While beautiful, it has every highest level security feature there is plus, there are no rooms sitting on top for unsecured people to pour in, and is inside the gates of the most secure building in the World, The White House. The ridiculous Ballroom lawsuit, brought by a woman walking her dog, who has absolutely No Standing to bring such a suit, must be dropped, immediately. Nothing should be allowed to interfere with with its construction, which is on budget and substantially ahead of schedule!!!"

Allen appeared in court on Monday. Prosecutors asked that he remain in jail. If convicted he could face up to life in prison on the assassination account by itself.

Allen is accused of rushing a security checkpoint at the historic media-political gala getting inside the lobby of the Washington Hilton – the same hotel where Reagan was shot in 1981. Allen reportedly managed to fire off several rounds. He hit a Secret Service agent, but the round did not penetrate the agent's bullet proof vest. Allen was injured but was not shot.

President Trump was seated at the front of the ballroom having a conversation with CBS News correspondent Weijia Jiang, when the shots were fired around 8:30 p.m. est.

Vice President J.D. Vance was rushed out of the event, then President and Melania Trump, along Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other persons in the line of succession.

More than 2,000 journalists and administration officials were in the room. Thankfully Allen did not have an explosive device with him – as was feared at the time.

"Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job," President Trump said on Truth Social. "They acted quickly and bravely. The shooter has been apprehended, and I have recommended that we "LET THE SHOW GO ON" but, will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement. They will make a decision shortly. Regardless of that decision, the evening will be much different than planned, and we'll just, plain, have to do it again. President DONALD J. TRUMP"

Several attendees at the event reported injuries in the mad scramble to get under cover.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, FBI Director Kash Patel, and other senior administration officials were seen gathering with security personnel outside the ballroom while the situation unfolded.

Trump and Vance were both taken to secure locations while law enforcement assessed the level of the threat.

According to prosecutors, on April 6 Cole Tomas Allen reserved a room at the for himself at the Washington Hilton where the event was to be held. He traveled by train cross-country from Los Angeles to Chicago and then from Chicago to Washington. He checked into the Hilton one day before the dinner. Allen allegedly stormed his way into the gala event armed with a pump-action 12-gauge shotgun he bought last year and a .38 caliber handgun that he purchased in 2023. Authorities say that Allen fired his shotgun at least once. A Secret Service officer fired five rounds in the exchange of gunfire.

Allen is 31 years old from Torrance, California. Allen has a 2017 bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena and a master's degree from California State University last year. He was a teacher with C2 Education that prepares potential college students. He reportedly donated $25 to Kamala Harris's campaign. He is of mixed race with a Black father and a White mother.

This is the third time in the last two years that President Trump has been in the line of fire of a would-be assassin.

(Original reporting by the Washington Post and Associated Press contributed to this report.)