Cole Allen He was quickly identified as the suspected gunman at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on April 25, 2026 after… Donald Trump He confirmed that the shooter had been arrested. The 31-year-old Torrance, Calif., native sent a statement to his family members minutes before the alleged shooting at the annual event in Washington, D.C., and the public is learning more about Allen’s personal life and beliefs.
Read Allen’s statement here and find out what we know so far about his background.
Did Cole Allen try to assassinate Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner?
As previously reported, Allen has been named as the suspected shooter in this event. Authorities detained him on April 25 after Trump and others in the room were evacuated earlier that evening.
Is Cole Allen a Democrat or a Republican?
Allen appears to support Democrats more than Republicans. According to the Associated Press, there was a sign at his family home supporting a local Democratic Party candidate in Los Angeles County.
Additionally, federal campaign finance records indicated that Allen donated $25 to support the political action committee Kamala Harris During her 2024 presidential campaign.
Statement by Cole Allen
Allen’s statement, which can be read in full here New York PostHe appears to have written to family members and describes himself as “friendly federal hitman Cole Allen.” The statement began by apologizing to those “who trusted them [he] He was “mistreated” and wrote that he “did not expect forgiveness.”
He went on to call Trump a “pedophile, rapist, and traitor,” before naming his WHCD targets.
“Management officials (except Mr.[[cash] Patel): They’re targets, ranked in order of priority from highest to lowest,” Allen wrote. “Secret Service: They’re targets only if necessary, and they’re non-lethally incapacitated if possible (aka, I hope they’re wearing body armor because the center block with guns is messing with people who *aren’t* Hotel Security: They’re not targets if possible (aka unless they shoot me).”
Elsewhere in the statement, Allen wrote that Washington Hilton employees and dinner guests were “absolutely not targets.” He also criticized the level of security at the event, describing it as incompetent.
“The one thing I noticed as soon as I walked into the hotel was a sense of arrogance,” Allen said. “I walk in carrying multiple weapons, and no one there thought I could be a threat. Security at this event is all outside, focused on the protesters and current arrivals, because apparently no one thought about what would happen if someone checked in the day before. Such a level of incompetence is insane, and I sincerely hope it is corrected by the time this country gets competent leadership again.”
