A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has scheduled a September 2027 trial for the man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner earlier this year.
U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden set jury selection to begin on Sept. 7, 2027, with the proceedings expected to last three to four weeks. The timeline follows a request from the defense for additional preparation time, overriding a proposal from prosecutors who had pressed for a trial start in May 2027.
The defendant, 31-year-old computer engineer Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, faces an attempted assassination charge carrying a maximum possible sentence of life in prison. He is also charged with assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon and two additional firearms offenses.
Authorities report that the incident unfolded on April 25, 2026, at the Washington Hilton hotel. Video footage showed Allen rushing the media dinner armed with firearms and knives. Investigators state that Allen fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer who attempted to intercept him. The officer was struck once in a bullet-resistant vest and returned fire, discharging five rounds without hitting anyone. Authorities confirmed that Allen sustained injuries during the encounter, though not from gunfire.
The confrontation triggered chaotic scenes inside the high-profile annual ballroom event. President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were quickly evacuated to safety, and the dinner was canceled. Speaking at a briefing shortly afterward, Trump described the immediate reactions in the room. “I was watching to see what was happening, probably should have gotten down even faster,” he said. “Melania was very cognizant, I think, of what happened. I think she knew immediately what happened. She was saying, ‘That’s a bad noise.’” Asked if he harbored safety concerns, Trump added, “It’s a dangerous profession.”
Organizers subsequently arranged a new venue, and Trump returned to address a rescheduled dinner three months later.
According to federal authorities, prior to the attack, Allen sent writings to family members in which he railed against Trump administration policies and referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin.” Investigators also released interior imagery showing Allen inside his room at the Washington Hilton on the day of the attack.
The case marks the second high-profile security breach involving Trump in recent years, following an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024, where a gunman grazed his ear before being killed by security personnel.
