Trump administration officials on Monday detailed charges against the suspected attacker of the White House Correspondents’ Association’s Dinner in Washington, D.C.
Cole Tomas Allen faced three charges on Monday, including attempted assassination of President Donald Trump. Allen was also charged with transporting firearms across state lines and with discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the charge of attempting to assassinate a sitting U.S. president carries as much as life in prison. Discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence and interstate transmission of a firearm both carry as much as a 10 year prison sentence, each, if convicted.
Officials said Allen boarded a train in California on April 21 bound for Chicago and later arrived in Washington, D.C. Allen arrived in Washington, D.C., at about 1 p.m. Eastern on April 24 and checked into the Washington Hilton Hotel.
He approached a security checkpoint at 8:40 p.m. on April 25 on the terrace level of the hotel, which is a floor above where the dinner was taking place, authorities said.
Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said Allen made it clear that he intended to assassinate Trump. She said Allen made his reservation at the dinner on April 6, a month after Trump announced he would be attending on March 2.
“He is very much aware that the president and the first lady entered the ballroom at 8:00 p.m,” Pirro said. “It was 8:40 that he made the decision to rush the ballroom.”
Pirro said Allen had a pump-action shotgun, a semi-automatic gun and at least three knives when he approached the security checkpoint in the hotel.
“The Constitution and the laws of the United States permit us to register our views through our voices and our votes,” Pirro said. “What they don’t permit is making your views known through violence, especially violence directed at the President of the United States. That is anti-democratic at its core.”
FBI director Kash Patel said agents were dispatched to Allen’s home in California. He also said agents were dispatched to New London, Connecticut, to conduct further interviews during the process.
“In less than 48 hours, you know almost every single thing we know,” Patel said. “What we have not told you yet, we will tell you in short order.”
Blanche criticized elected officials and members of the media for what he called contributions to the rhetoric that led to the Allen’s alleged actions.
“When you have media just being overly critical and calling the president horrible names for no reason and without proof it shouldn’t surprise us that this type of rhetoric takes place,” Blanche said.
Blanche said law enforcement fired five shots responding to the attacker. He also said that authorities believe Allen fired a shot from the shotgun in his possession.
“As far as getting into exacting ballistics, um, I’m not going to do that today because it’s still being looked at and finalized,” Blanche said.
Blanche also expressed support for Trump’s planned White House ballroom. He said it would allow for a space in Washington, D.C., to host future events similar to the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
“Violence has no place in civic life,” Blanche said. “It cannot and will not be used to disrupt democratic institutions or intimidate those to serve them and it certainly cannot continue to be used against the president of the United States.”
