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Shotgun-Wielding Assailant’s Selfie Exposes Trump Dinner Plot

4/30/2026

34 6 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Cole Tomas Allen attempted to assassinate U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Prosecutors released a hotel-room selfie taken minutes before the attack that shows Allen with a shotgun, pistol, knives and an ammunition bag.
After a Secret Service officer survived a chest wound thanks to a ballistic vest and returned fire, Allen faces charges punishable by life imprisonment.

History

Historical Context

The 1981 shooting of President Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley Jr., who fired six shots outside the Washington Hilton, remains the only instance of a sitting president being wounded in an assassination attempt; decades later a gunman injured Donald Trump in July 2024 and Cole Tomas Allen displayed weapons at the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, underscoring persistent threats to American leaders.

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Story summary

Cole Tomas Allen attempted to assassinate U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Prosecutors released a hotel-room selfie taken minutes before the attack that shows Allen with a shotgun, pistol, knives and an ammunition bag.
After a Secret Service officer survived a chest wound thanks to a ballistic vest and returned fire, Allen faces charges punishable by life imprisonment.

1 / 2