The US Department of Justice has said that Cole Allen, the suspect in an attempted assassination of President Donald Trump, will appear in a federal court tomorrow for an initial hearing. FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau is conducting a full investigation into Allen’s background and motives.
The case comes after a major security breach at a Washington hotel hosting the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner today. Authorities said a heavily armed man attempted to breach a security checkpoint at the Hilton Hotel, triggering an exchange of fire with the Secret Service in the lobby area, away from the main ballroom. The suspect was taken into custody without being shot.
President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance were evacuated to a secure location. One Secret Service officer was injured but survived due to a bulletproof vest, officials said. The dinner was cancelled and will be rescheduled.
The incident has drawn condemnation from world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who expressed relief that the US President and other officials were unharmed while stressing that political violence has no place in a democracy.
