A man accused of trying to assassinate Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner last month has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, is accused of four felonies, including attempted assassination and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, which he denied during a Washington, D.C. court appearance on Monday.
Allen also pleaded not guilty to assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon, an offense that prosecutors announced last week would be added to his original indictment.
The suspect did not speak during the hearing, and his lawyer entered the pleas on his behalf.
Allen is accused of storming past the security barricade at the Washington Hilton on April 25, armed with a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, a Rock Island Armory 1911 .38 caliber pistol, and several knives.
He is alleged to have fired at a Secret Service agent wearing a bulletproof vest before tripping and being apprehended by security personnel just outside the ballroom where Trump and several top Cabinet officials were attending the black-tie event.
A manifesto allegedly written by the suspect before he carried out the attack outlined his plans to kill Trump and other administration figures while also highlighting the lackluster security at the hotel.
The screed also states that the alleged gunman would only target Secret Service agents “if necessary,” and would attempt to injure them rather than kill them. The manifesto added that hotel security, the National Guard, and Capitol Police officers would “not be targets if at all possible (aka unless they shoot at me).”
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, a longtime Trump ally, previously vowed to punish the alleged gunman to the fullest extent while announcing the charges.
“The use of violence to register dissent is anti-democratic at its core. We will pursue the maximum punishment available under the law against anyone who travels to the District of Columbia to engage in such acts,” said Pirro, a former Fox News host.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump’s former personal lawyer, said the alleged assassination attempt against the president was prevented “thanks to the courageous and immediate response from law enforcement.”
Allen faces a maximum term of life imprisonment if he is convicted of the charges against him.
