White House Dinner Shooting Suspect Pleads Not Guilty

The man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump during the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner pleaded not guilty Monday in federal court.

Cole Allen appeared in court in Washington facing multiple felony charges connected to the April shooting incident at the Washington Hilton hotel.

Suspect faces attempted assassination charge

Federal prosecutors charged Allen with four felony counts, including:

• Attempted assassination of the President of the United States
• Assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon
• Transportation of a firearm across state lines to commit a felony
• Discharging a firearm during a violent crime

Authorities allege the 31-year-old attempted to breach a security checkpoint during the annual White House correspondents’ dinner while armed with multiple weapons.

Security officers stopped the suspect

According to prosecutors, law enforcement officers tackled Allen before he could reach the ballroom where thousands of journalists, administration officials, and guests had gathered.

Investigators said Allen allegedly identified members of the Trump administration as intended targets in writings discovered after the incident.

The annual dinner was being held at the Washington Hilton when the shooting scare unfolded.

Court appearance held in Washington

Allen appeared in court wearing an orange prison jumpsuit and restraints on his hands and feet.

He did not speak during the hearing and reportedly kept his head lowered while the charges were read aloud.

Defense attorneys Tezira Abe and Eugene Ohm represented Allen during the proceeding.

Defense may seek prosecutor recusal

Allen’s legal team signaled they may request the recusal of the entire U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia from the case.

Defense attorneys argued prosecutors could potentially be considered victims because many federal officials attended the event.

Ohm also questioned whether Jeanine Pirro should oversee the prosecution because of her public relationship with Trump.

Judge Trevor McFadden requested additional clarification regarding the roles of Pirro and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in the case.

Federal prosecutors have until May 22 to respond to the defense motion.

Trump was escorted from the event

The shooting scare briefly disrupted the White House correspondents’ dinner on April 25.

Video footage from the event showed Secret Service agents escorting Trump away after shots were reportedly fired near a security area.

Authorities later released an image they said showed Allen posing with weapons inside a hotel room before the alleged attack.

Next hearing scheduled for June

Allen is scheduled to return to court on June 29 as the high-profile federal case continues.

The incident remains under investigation by federal law enforcement agencies.