Cole Tomas Allen, the 31-year-old from Torrance, California who charged through a magnetometer at the Washington Hilton on April 25 with a shotgun and knives trying to kill President Donald Trump, stood in a federal courtroom on Monday in an orange jumpsuit, handcuffs, and leg shackles — and had his attorney enter a plea of not guilty on all four felony charges.
Because apparently storming the White House Correspondents' Dinner armed to the teeth and firing a shotgun at a Secret Service officer is something you can just shrug off with a "wasn't me."
Let's walk through what Allen is claiming innocence on, shall we? Count one: attempted assassination of the President of the United States under 18 U.S.C. § 1751(c), which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Count two: assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon under 18 U.S.C. § 111(b), good for up to 20 years. Count three: transportation of a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony under 18 U.S.C. § 924(b), up to 10 years. And count four: discharging a firearm during a crime of violence under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), which carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years. That's four federal charges. Allen didn't even speak during the brief hearing — his defense attorney Eugene Ohm entered the plea on his behalf.
So the guy who ran through a security checkpoint on the Terrace Level of the Washington Hilton, blasted a Secret Service officer in the chest with a shotgun — an officer who survived only because he was wearing a ballistic vest — couldn't even muster the courage to say "not guilty" with his own mouth.
Now here's where this gets even more interesting. Allen's defense team is already playing games. They've filed a motion asking U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden to disqualify U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche from direct involvement in the prosecution. The defense argument? Both Pirro and Blanche were inside the ballroom during the April 25 attack, making them potential victims or witnesses. The motion reads: "Given U.S. Attorney Pirro's friendship with the President and her and Acting A.G. Blanche's attendance at the event at the center of this prosecution, the law necessitates their disqualification."
Pirro responded simply: "We will evaluate the motion and respond in court." Judge McFadden has ordered prosecutors to file their response by May 22, with the next status conference set for June 29 at 10:30 a.m.
Let's be honest about what the defense is doing here. They can't argue the facts — there's video, there's a shot Secret Service officer, there's a guy tackled on the ground at the scene. So instead they're going after the prosecutors. It's the legal equivalent of "I know you are but what am I." They want Pirro and Blanche off the case because both were in the room when their client allegedly tried to murder the President. That's not a conflict of interest. That's called having front-row witnesses to the crime.
And can we talk about the media coverage for a second? A man tried to assassinate a sitting Republican president at one of Washington's most high-profile events, fired a shotgun at federal law enforcement, and somehow this story gets less wall-to-wall coverage than a Republican congressman jaywalking. Blaze News reported on the not guilty plea, as did RedState, but the breathless 24/7 cable treatment? The panel discussions about "political violence in America"? The think pieces about "dangerous rhetoric"? Funny how those only show up when the target has a D next to their name.
A federal grand jury handed down the four-count indictment just last week, adding the assault on a federal officer charge on top of the original three. If convicted on the attempted assassination charge alone, Allen faces life behind bars. Add the mandatory minimum on the firearms discharge count, and this man is looking at dying in a federal prison.
Good.
The trial of Cole Tomas Allen is going to be one of the most significant political violence cases in modern American history. A 31-year-old drove across the country with weapons, walked into a room full of Washington's elite, and tried to kill the President of the United States. He just told a judge he didn't do it. We'll be watching every single hearing — even if the networks won't.
