WHCA Dinner shooting suspect Cole Allen pleads not guilty

WASHINGTON – The man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at last month’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner pleaded not guilty Monday to all charges. 

Cole Allen appeared in federal court for his arraignment wearing an orange jail uniform, handcuffed and shackled. He did not speak during the brief hearing, and one of his attorneys entered the plea on his behalf.

The counts include attempted assassination of the president, assault on a federal officer and multiple firearms offenses.

Allen’s attorneys are attempting to disqualify top Justice Department officials from the case. They argue those officials could be considered victims or witnesses, creating a potential conflict of interest.

FOX 5’s Melanie Alnwick reports that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro were attending the April 25 event at the Washington Hilton when Allen allegedly ran through a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer.

READ MORE: Cole Allen returns to court Monday

Photo shows Cole Allen in hotel room before attack as DOJ moves to keep him jailed: investigators (Department of Justice)

In a filing last week, Allen’s attorneys said the involvement of Blanche and Pirro creates at least the appearance of a conflict of interest. Defense attorneys Eugene Ohm and Tezira Abe, both assistant federal public defenders, suggested that a special prosecutor may be necessary. 

They urged U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump nominee assigned to the case, to bar Blanche, Pirro and possibly other Justice Department officials from direct involvement in the investigation and prosecution.

McFadden did not rule on the issue from the bench and instead asked Allen’s attorneys to further explain the potential scope of their recusal request.

Last week, Allen and his attorneys also told the court he was being mistreated in the D.C. jail and placed on suicide watch without justification. The judge said he was troubled by the reported conditions, which included restraints, constant lighting and repeated strip searches.

RELATED: Cole Allen returns to court Monday as defense seeks to disqualify officials

Prosecutors argued the precautions were necessary because Allen told investigators the night of the shooting that he did not expect to survive. He is no longer on suicide watch.

Pirro said her office will respond to the defense arguments in a filing.

President Donald Trump released an image showing the man accused of opening fire at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, on Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Via Truth Social)

Allen is charged with attempting to assassinate President Trump, a longtime friend of Pirro, along with assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon and two firearms counts. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted of the attempted assassination charge alone.

READ MORE: Grand jury indicts WHCD shooting suspect on 4 counts

The Secret Service officer who was struck once in a bullet‑resistant vest fired five shots in return but did not hit anyone. Allen was injured during the incident but was not shot.