Federal investigators have linked the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner to radicalization fueled by the ongoing U.S. conflict with Iran, according to a Department of Homeland Security intelligence report obtained by Reuters.
The report, dated this week, concluded that the Iran war “may have contributed” to Cole Allen’s decision to attack security personnel and charge toward the ballroom at the Washington Hilton on April 25, where Trump and top administration officials were gathered for the annual dinner.
Posts on a social media account linked to Allen attacked U.S. military operations in Iran and recently called for Trump’s impeachment over the president’s warning that “a whole civilization will die.” Allen did not reference Iran directly in the manifesto he sent to family members minutes before the attack, but he did write: “If I was an Iranian agent, instead of an American citizen, I could have brought a [removed] Ma Deuce in here and no one would have noticed.”
The 1,000-word manifesto described Allen’s stated intent in explicit terms. He referred to Trump as a “pedophile, rapist, and traitor” and outlined a plan to kill administration officials in order from “highest-ranking to lowest.”
Allen breached a security checkpoint moments after Trump arrived at the Washington Hilton, firing a Mossberg 12-gauge pump-action shotgun at a Secret Service agent. The agent was struck but protected by a bulletproof vest. A second Secret Service agent returned fire. Allen was not hit and was detained after he fell to the ground.
Investigators also recovered a fully loaded Rock Island Armory 1911 .38 caliber pistol and multiple knives on Allen at the time of arrest.
Federal prosecutors initially charged Allen with attempting to assassinate the president, interstate transportation of a firearm with intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. On Tuesday, prosecutors added a charge of assault on a federal officer.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Sunday that Allen shot the agent deliberately. “He had every intention to kill him and anyone who got in his way on his way to killing the president of the United States,” Pirro said.
The presiding judge, Zia Faruqui, drew attention earlier this week after apologizing to Allen for the conditions of his pretrial detention, specifically criticizing jail officials for placing Allen on temporary suicide watch requiring 24-hour isolation.
