Federal prosecutors have released a six-minute video they say proves 31-year-old Cole Allen, a former NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory intern, intended to assassinate President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.
The footage, released Thursday by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, shows Allen entering a side room near the security magnetometers at the Washington Hilton on the night of the April 25 event.
During an appearance on “State of the Union,” Pirro addressed questions regarding Allen’s manifesto, which reportedly does not name the President directly. She argued that the suspect’s digital trail and physical movements paint a definitive picture of his intent.
According to Pirro, Allen began planning the attack as soon as the President confirmed his attendance. Investigators recovered data from Allen’s phone showing he was tracking the President’s exact location within the hotel, including whether he had reached the ballroom or sat down for dinner.
Pirro described the suspect as being “armed to the teeth” and compared his preparation to that of a cinematic commando. “This guy thought he was Rambo,” Pirro told host Jake Tapper, dismissing any suggestion that the suspect suffered from a mental break.
She emphasized that Allen is highly educated, holding a master’s degree and a professional background in aerospace engineering. Prosecutors intend to argue that the cross-country trip from the West Coast to Washington D.C. was a calculated, documented mission fueled by a specific animosity toward the President.
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Allen appeared in court Monday to face several federal charges, including the attempted assassination of a president, discharging a firearm during a violent crime, and the interstate transportation of weapons.
This incident follows two previous attempts on Trump’s life during his 2024 campaign, including the shooting at a Butler, Pennsylvania rally and a later incident at his golf club in Florida.
The April dinner marked the first time Trump has attended the annual press event during his presidency, an evening that federal authorities now say was nearly the site of a third assassination attempt.
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