Story perspectives

Gunman Attempts Trump Assassination at Dinner, Arrested

7/26/2026

Summary

Story summary

Cole Tomas Allen forced past a Washington Hilton checkpoint and opened fire on President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
He was taken into custody and entered a not-guilty plea to attempted-assassination charges.
President Donald Trump, 80, was unharmed and said “they seem to think he was a lone wolf.”
Officials closed roads around the Waldorf Astoria and deployed about 4,300 National Guard members for the event.

History

Historical Context

The March 30, 1981 shooting of President Ronald Reagan outside the Washington Hilton, in which John Hinckley Jr. wounded Reagan, Press Secretary James Brady and two officers, exposed gaps in presidential protection. Decades later, Cole Tomas Allen breached a Hilton checkpoint and fired on former President Donald Trump, prompting deployment of roughly 4,300 National Guard troops. Both incidents underscore persistent security challenges at the Hilton venue.

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Story summary

Cole Tomas Allen forced past a Washington Hilton checkpoint and opened fire on President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
He was taken into custody and entered a not-guilty plea to attempted-assassination charges.
President Donald Trump, 80, was unharmed and said “they seem to think he was a lone wolf.”
Officials closed roads around the Waldorf Astoria and deployed about 4,300 National Guard members for the event.

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