Newly filed court papers have shed light on the arguments made by attorneys representing Cole Allen, the man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
In an 11-page filing, Allen’s legal team pushed for his release ahead of trial, arguing that he should not be considered a threat — even as prosecutors allege he tried to storm a heavily guarded event attended by the president, first lady Melania Trump, and top administration officials, per the New York Post.
“Mr. Allen has no criminal history — not even prior arrests, which alone would rebut the presumption of detention,” his attorneys wrote.
They also downplayed the seriousness of the alleged incident, disputing the government’s characterization of it as a potential mass shooting.
“The government’s rhetoric about a ‘mass shooting’ is also unsupported by its own proffered facts. Mr. Allen was not alleged to be holding an automatic or even semi-automatic weapon that are the hallmarks of the modern-day mass shooting,” they added.
According to federal prosecutors, Allen was armed with a fully loaded 12-gauge Mossberg Maverick shotgun with an extended magazine when he attempted to push through a Secret Service checkpoint at the event.
Authorities also released a photo allegedly showing him carrying additional weapons, including a .38 Super-caliber semi-automatic handgun and multiple knives.
Despite the defense’s earlier claims, attorney Tezira Abe later shifted course during a court hearing, stating, “At this time, we are conceding detention.” She noted, however, that the issue of bail could be revisited at a later stage.
Abe also requested that Allen be moved out of the “safe cell” where he has reportedly been held under “24-hour lockdown” since the incident. Even then, she maintained that her client was not “of danger to anybody.”
Inside the courtroom, Allen appeared in an orange jumpsuit and spoke only briefly, offering a quiet “Good morning” to the judge.
Prosecutors sought to argue for continued detention, but Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya declined to hear the case at that time, noting the defense was no longer contesting it.
“I’m denying the government’s request,” she said. “It’s truly unprecedented.”
In their filings, Allen’s attorneys portrayed him as a respected member of his community, describing him as “a devout Christian” and “a loved and respected teacher and colleague who has always demonstrated kindness, empathy, and compassion, and never violence.”
They also challenged the prosecution’s assertion that Allen specifically intended to target Trump, despite a manifesto in which he allegedly expressed a desire to kill members of the administration, excluding Kash Patel.
“The government’s evidence of the charged offense — the attempted assassination of the president — is thus built entirely upon speculation, even under the most generous reading of its theory,” the defense wrote.
Allen now faces multiple federal charges, including attempting to assassinate the president, transporting a firearm across state lines to commit a felony, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
