Attempted Attack on President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner
Cole Allen, believing he was the fictional character “Rambo,” equipped himself with multiple weapons in a bid to kill President Trump during the recent White House Correspondents’ Dinner, according to a prominent law enforcement official in Washington, D.C.
Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, emphasized that this was a one-sided attack. Allen, 31, who fatally shot a Secret Service agent during the incident at the Washington Hilton last month, apparently had plans to target the president. She expressed confidence in her team’s ability to demonstrate that this Caltech graduate was indeed intent on assassination.
“The president was clearly the target. It’s not merely a manifesto. It ties back to the president’s actions,” Pirro noted during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union.” She referred to a disturbing letter where Allen, an engineering graduate and former NASA intern, detailed violent intentions while referring to himself as “Friendly Federal Assassin Allen.”
“This guy thought he was Rambo,” Pirro remarked, recalling that she was among the officials present at the dinner when the shooting took place.
“He was heavily armed,” she continued. “He even took a selfie beforehand, looking smug and proud.”
Authorities reported that Allen, whose father is a church leader, was equipped with a shotgun, handgun, and knife when he attempted to breach security on the upper floor of the ballroom where Trump and numerous administration officials were gathered.
In his manifesto, which was first mentioned by the Post, he specifically indicated that his targets were ranked by importance, leaving out government officials but expressing a fervent desire to combat “pedophiles, rapists, and traitors.” Interestingly, he didn’t name Trump, although some have speculated about the implications.
When questioned about a potential reference to Trump, Pirro replied, “You would need to ask him. I don’t really care.”
“If you read the manifesto,” she continued, “it’s pretty clear who the target was. Once the president announced he would be attending the Hilton dinner on March 2nd, that’s when Allen appeared to start planning.”
“Honestly, we can prove it beyond a reasonable doubt,” she insisted, although she acknowledged that some might suggest he is insane. However, she described him as a brilliant individual with a master’s degree currently working at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Another point of confusion surrounding the incident was who shot the Secret Service agent who was killed. Initial thoughts had suggested friendly fire might be involved, as agents fired multiple shots at Allen when he stormed through a security checkpoint. Pirro, however, clarified that Allen was responsible for the shooting of the agent.
“Yes, we know,” she stated firmly when asked if authorities had figured out who shot the officer, adding, “There is video evidence of him firing at the Secret Service officer.”
She further stated that a pellet from Allen’s shotgun had lodged into the agent’s vest, making it clear that the shot came from him.
Allen faces multiple charges, including attempting to assassinate the president and discharging a firearm during a violent crime. He was arraigned last week but had not entered a plea at that time.
Pirro was present at the Washington Hilton during the tumultuous events.
