Trump Assassination Attempt Suspect Hit With New Terrorism Charge

Federal prosecutors have filed a new terrorism charge against the man accused of trying to assassinate President Trump at the Washington Hilton in April.

A five-count superseding indictment was unsealed against Cole Tomas Allen, 31, adding a count that alleges an act of terrorism while armed. Prosecutors tied that count to the attempted first-degree murder of President Trump under District of Columbia law.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced the new charge Friday and said the maximum penalty is life imprisonment.

The federal announcement put the major new development plainly before the public:

The earlier counts allege attempted assassination of the president, assault of a federal officer with a deadly weapon, interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition with intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.

Those are allegations, and Allen is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. The details prosecutors have placed in the public record describe an extraordinarily serious alleged attack at an event where the president was present.

According to prosecutors, Allen sprinted through a magnetometer at the Washington Hilton shortly after 8:30 p.m. on April 25. They allege he moved toward stairs leading to the ballroom where President Trump was located.

Prosecutors say Allen fired a Mossberg Maverick 88 12-gauge shotgun and struck a Secret Service officer in the chest. The officer returned fire five times, after which Allen fell, was restrained and arrested, and was not shot.

The superseding indictment, filed November 12, is the primary court document setting out the government’s accusations. It lays out the five-count case prosecutors now intend to pursue against Allen, including the newly added allegation that he committed an act of terrorism while armed.

Prosecutors tied that terrorism count to the alleged attempted first-degree murder of President Trump under District of Columbia law. The remaining counts allege attempted assassination of the president, assault of a federal officer with a deadly weapon, interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition with intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.

The filing also places the new count alongside the government’s account of what happened at the Washington Hilton shortly after 8:30 p.m. on April 25. Prosecutors allege that Allen sprinted through a magnetometer and moved toward stairs leading to the ballroom where President Trump was located.

According to the indictment, Allen then fired a Mossberg Maverick 88 12-gauge shotgun and struck a Secret Service officer in the chest. The officer returned fire five times, after which Allen fell, was restrained and arrested, and was not shot.

The superseding indictment records the accusations the government plans to prove with admissible evidence in court. It does not establish Allen’s guilt, and he remains presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove every required element beyond a reasonable doubt.

An image of that filing circulated as the new terrorism count became public:

Authorities say officers recovered the shotgun with one spent cartridge, along with a Rock Island Armory 1911 .38-caliber pistol and dozens of rounds of ammunition.

Prosecutors also listed two knives, four daggers, holsters, sheaths, pliers, and wire cutters among the items allegedly recovered. That inventory will now be part of a case carrying potential consequences as severe as life in prison.

The Justice Department’s original charging release said Allen traveled by train from California to Washington and reserved a room at the Washington Hilton.

DOJ also alleged that shortly before the shooting, Allen sent an email referring to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin.” Officials credited the Secret Service response with stopping the alleged attack before he reached the ballroom.

The original release adds a precise travel timeline: prosecutors say Allen booked the hotel on April 6, traveled from near Los Angeles through Chicago, arrived in Washington at about 1 p.m. on April 24, and checked into the Hilton later that day.

Investigators also traced the shotgun and pistol through California and federal firearm-transaction records. According to DOJ, the serial numbers matched weapons Allen purchased in 2025 and 2023.

After his arrest, Allen was advised of his rights, invoked his right to remain silent, received treatment for minor injuries, and was released into law-enforcement custody, the department said.

That point matters. Whatever questions the courts must resolve, the agents protecting the president were confronted with an immediate armed threat, according to the government’s account, and they prevented the alleged assailant from advancing farther.

As the terrorism charge became public, the breaking development quickly drew national attention:

The FBI’s Washington Field Office is investigating the case, while the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. is prosecuting it.

The new count signals that prosecutors view the alleged conduct as both an attack on the president and an alleged act of terrorism directed at the constitutional order he represents.

That allegation must still be proved with admissible evidence, and the defendant retains the presumption of innocence. Due process safeguards the lawful distinction between justice and vengeance.

An alleged armed attempt to murder a president demands serious security, a full and fair prosecution, and accountability if guilt is established.

Political violence cannot be minimized according to the identity or party of its target. America must answer it with vigilance, lawful judgment, and the unwavering principle that political disputes are settled through ballots and constitutional government—not bullets.