{"id":2601188,"date":"2026-05-11T10:55:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T14:55:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/whcd-shooting-suspect-pleads-not-guilty-to-trump-assassination-charges\/"},"modified":"2026-05-11T10:56:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T14:56:27","slug":"whcd-shooting-suspect-pleads-not-guilty-to-trump-assassination-charges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/whcd-shooting-suspect-pleads-not-guilty-to-trump-assassination-charges\/","title":{"rendered":"WHCD shooting suspect pleads not guilty to Trump assassination charges"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwhcd-shooting-suspect-pleads-not-guilty-to-trump-assassination-charges%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2601188&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Cole Allen, a 31-year-old man from Torrance, California, accused of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump during the White House Correspondents\u2019 Association dinner last month, pleaded not guilty in federal court in Washington to four charges. He is accused of attempting to assassinate the president, assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon, transporting a firearm and ammunition across state lines with intent to commit a felony, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors say Allen breached a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton while armed with a shotgun and other weapons, and that secret Service agent was hit in the chest but survived due to a ballistic vest. The case followed an investigation involving the FBI, Secret Service, and Justice Department, and prosecutors say Allen traveled to Washington by train shortly before the incident.  <\/p>\n<p>At Monday\u2019s hearing, Allen\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >defense renewed requests related<\/a> to possible conflicts of interest, including a motion to disqualify acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, arguing they were present in the ballroom and noting their perceived ties to trump. The judge did not rule on the motion then,and the issue is expected to be addressed later.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p>The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/california\/\">California<\/a> man accused of attempting to assassinate President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> during last month\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/White-House-Correspondents-Association\">White House Correspondents\u2019 Association<\/a> dinner pleaded not guilty Monday to four federal charges during an arraignment in Washington federal court.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4543606\/what-to-know-cole-thomas-allen-trump-shooting\/\">Cole Allen<\/a>, 31, appeared Monday morning before U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden for a formal arraignment and status hearing connected to the April 25 shooting at the Washington Hilton, where top <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\">Trump administration<\/a> officials, journalists, and political figures had gathered for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-ben-shapiro-debated-ana-kasparian-here-are-the-highlights\/\" title=\"WATCH: Ben Shapiro Debated Ana Kasparian. Here Are The Highlights\">annual dinner<\/a>.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/technology\/4562611\/kash-patel-uses-artificial-intelligence-fbi-what-does-that-mean\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Kash Patel says he uses AI everywhere at the FBI. What does that mean?<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4560509\/dc-crime-decline-doesnt-tell-full-story-anna-giaritelli\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>DC crime decline doesn\u2019t tell full story: Anna Giaritelli<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/technology\/4560130\/france-musk-x-investigation-criminal\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>French authorities elevate Musk and X investigation to criminal inquiry<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This courtroom sketch depicts Cole Tomas Allen, seated center, appearing before U.S. Magistrate Moxila Upadhyaya in federal court on Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Washington. (Dana Verkouteren via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Allen entered not guilty pleas to charges of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4544489\/cole-allen-faces-charges-attempt-to-assassinate-trump\/\">attempting to assassinate<\/a> the president, assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon, transporting a firearm and ammunition across state lines with intent to commit a felony, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Federal prosecutors allege Allen, a resident of Torrance, California, breached a security checkpoint at the hotel while armed with a shotgun and other weapons. Authorities said a Secret Service officer was struck in the chest by gunfire during the confrontation but survived because he was wearing a ballistic vest.<\/p>\n<p>The indictment against Allen was returned this month by a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4556403\/grand-jury-indictment-cole-allen\/\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/missouri-man-charged-with-threatening-to-murder-2-us-congressmen\/\" title=\"Missouri ... Charged With Threatening to Murder 2 US Congressmen\">federal grand jury<\/a><\/a> following a sprawling investigation involving the FBI, Secret Service, and Justice Department.<\/p>\n<p>According to prosecutors, Allen traveled from California to Washington by train in the days leading up to the dinner and checked into the Washington Hilton shortly before the incident. Investigators have said they recovered weapons and other evidence they believe were connected to the alleged attack.<\/p>\n<p>Monday\u2019s hearing also marked the first court appearance since Allen\u2019s federal public defenders filed a motion seeking to disqualify acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Jeanine Pirro, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, from the prosecution.<\/p>\n<p>Defense attorneys argued both officials were inside the ballroom during the alleged shooting and that their involvement creates at least the appearance of a conflict of interest. The filing also cited Pirro\u2019s friendship with Trump and public remarks she made after the incident.<\/p>\n<p>The defense further requested that the court consider removing the entire U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office for the District of Columbia from the case.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4560441\/cole-allen-doj-lawyers-recuse-themselves-whca-dinner-shooting-ties\/\">COLE ALLEN REQUESTS DOJ LAWYERS RECUSE THEMSELVES DUE TO WHCD SHOOTING TIES<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Pirro has responded to that request in a statement, saying, \u201cWe will evaluate the motion and respond in court.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>McFadden, a Trump appointee, did not rule Monday on the disqualification request, and the issue is expected to be addressed in future proceedings as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/germany-prevails-at-supreme-court-in-dispute-over-jewish-art-extorted-by-nazis\/\" title=\"Ger...y Prevails at Supreme ... in Dispute Over Jewish Art Extorted by Nazis\">case moves forward<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cole Allen pleads not guilty to four federal charges<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2601189,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26120601857039.webp?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[42708,79469,67781,79470,25571],"class_list":["post-2601188","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-court-proceedings","tag-pleads-not-guilty","tag-shooting-suspect","tag-trump-assassination-charges","tag-whcd"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26120601857039.webp?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2601188","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2601188"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2601188\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2601192,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2601188\/revisions\/2601192"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2601189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2601188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2601188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2601188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}