US federal investigators are examining anti-Trump sentiment as a possible motive for the attacker who attempted to breach the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington DC. The acting US attorney general, Todd Blanche, said in a television interview that officials believe the suspect was targeting President Donald Trump and other senior administration officials.
The suspect, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, is in custody and is due to be arraigned in federal court on Monday. He faces charges of assault of a federal officer, discharging a firearm, and attempting to kill a federal officer. Blanche indicated that charges of attempted assassination of Trump could also be brought depending on the investigation's findings.
Investigators are examining a manifesto reportedly written by Allen, which was published in full by the New York Post. In the document, Allen lists Trump administration officials as top targets. An official familiar with the matter confirmed the manifesto's authenticity to the Guardian. The suspect allegedly sent writings detailing his grievances against the administration to family members about 10 minutes before the shooting.
The incident occurred at the Washington Hilton hotel, where Allen fired a shotgun at a Secret Service agent at a security checkpoint before being subdued by law enforcement. Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice-President JD Vance, and cabinet officials were evacuated. The Secret Service agent escaped serious injury as the bullet struck his protective vest.
The manifesto, which begins with apologies, states that the shooter targeted administration officials except FBI Director Kash Patel. It also notes that Secret Service agents would only be targets if necessary, and that hotel security, Capitol police, and the national guard were not targets unless they shot at him. Hotel employees and guests were also not targets.
In an interview with 60 Minutes, Trump described the attacker as a “sick person”. The New London police department confirmed it received a call about two hours after the shooting from an individual wishing to share information, which was then passed to federal law enforcement.
