By Salma El-Sakka
A federal judge on Thursday set a September 2027 trial date for Cole Tomas Allen, the man charged with attempting to kill President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in April 2026.
Trial schedule and details
Jury selection is scheduled to begin on Sept. 7, 2027, in Washington, D.C., and the trial is expected to last three to four weeks. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden set the later date after one of Allen's attorneys requested more time to prepare; prosecutors had recommended a May 2027 start.
Attack details
Allen, of Torrance, California, is accused of storming the WHCA dinner at the Washington Hilton hotel while armed with guns and knives. He fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer who tried to stop him. The officer was struck once in a bullet-resistant vest and returned fire, but did not hit anyone. Allen was injured, though not from gunfire. The attack forced an early end to the event, and Trump spoke at a rescheduled dinner three months later.
Charges and background
Allen faces an attempted assassination charge carrying a maximum sentence of life in prison, as well as assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon and two firearms counts. In writings sent to relatives before the attack, he criticized Trump administration policies and referred to himself as a "Friendly Federal Assassin," authorities said.
