Grand jury adds D.C. terrorism charge against man accused in White House Correspondents' dinner attack
Photo: NBC NewsA federal grand jury has added an attempted terrorism charge against Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of California, who is accused of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on April 25. Court filings released Thursday show the charge was brought under a local D.C. terrorism law, bringing Allen to five counts, with attempting to assassinate the president as the top charge. Allen was indicted in May on four counts and pleaded not guilty; he has not yet entered a plea on the new charge. Prosecutors allege he charged through a Secret Service checkpoint with a 12-gauge shotgun, a .38 pistol, knives and ammunition, and shot a Secret Service agent. Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and War Secretary Pete Hegseth attended. The same D.C. law was used against Floyd Fee Corkins, who attacked the Family Research Council in 2012. If Allen is convicted, prosecutors could seek a terrorism sentencing enhancement.
The Washington Examiner, on the right, leads with the new charge and spells out the four May counts, including interstate firearm transport and use of a firearm in a crime of violence. It quotes the filing's language about influencing government policy through intimidation and coercion and intimidating a significant portion of the civilian population. It also lists the Cabinet officials present. NBC News, on the left, gives more legal and institutional context. It notes that no broad federal domestic terrorism statute exists, explains that the D.C. U.S. attorney's office prosecutes both federal and local crimes, and points out that the office is led by former judge and Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, a presidential appointee. It also describes the weapons in more detail. Both cite the Corkins precedent and the same basic facts. The Hill's coverage largely matches them, adding the detail that Allen allegedly shot a Secret Service agent.
How the sides differ Right sources quote the indictment's intimidation-and-coercion language and list the earlier charges; left sources explain the local-law mechanism and Pirro's office. Alternative sources match the basics.
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NBC News leads with the added terrorism count and explains the legal context: the D.C. statute, the lack of a federal domestic terrorism law, and the U.S. attorney's office led by Jeanine Pirro. It cites prosecutors' account of the weapons.
The Hill reports the new terrorism charge from Thursday's court filings and briefly recounts the allegations that Allen ran past security, shot a Secret Service agent and tried to enter the ballroom.
The Washington Examiner leads with the new charge, lists Allen's four earlier counts, and quotes the filing's intimidation-and-coercion language. It also names the Cabinet officials who attended.