The suspect accused of attempting to storm the White House correspondents' dinner was charged on Monday with three federal crimes, including attempting to assassinate the president—a charge that carries a potential sentence of up to life in prison.
The alleged shooter, identified by law enforcement agencies as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, appeared in federal court in a blue jail jumpsuit alongside lawyers from the federal defender's office. Federal prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine stated that Allen was armed with a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, a pistol, and three knives when he was tackled by law enforcement officers on Saturday night outside the Hilton hotel ballroom, where the annual dinner was being held.
Motive and Security Concerns
Investigators have not yet released a motive. However, to establish the charge of attempted assassination, the affidavit quotes from a manifesto Allen allegedly sent to family members, which states: “I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.”
While many have praised the swift actions of law enforcement in stopping the attack, Allen's alleged manifesto mocked an “insane” lack of security at the Washington dinner. Several officials, including the president, have seized on the incident to advance their case for completing Trump’s $40 million White House ballroom project, with the Justice Department pressuring a preservation group to drop a lawsuit seeking to halt construction.
King Charles Addresses Congress
King Charles is scheduled to make a rare address to Congress on Tuesday, the second day of his first state visit to the US since becoming king in 2022. The king and Queen Camilla arrived at the White House on Monday, greeted with handshakes from President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
The king is expected to allude to recent strains between the UK and US by underlining that “time and again our two countries have always found ways to come together.” Sources told the Guardian that Charles will pose for cameras at the start of his bilateral meeting on Tuesday, but British officials have pushed for the Oval Office meeting to be held off camera, fearing a repeat of the scenes when Trump berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in front of the world’s press.
Challenges for the King
Relations between the UK and the US are already tense following Trump’s public criticism of Britain’s refusal to back military action against Iran. Additionally, Charles meets Trump under the shadow of Jeffrey Epstein, as his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over his connection with Epstein.
Other News
The Trump administration has fired all 22 members of the currently independent National Science Board that oversees the National Science Foundation. Jimmy Kimmel has defended his Melania Trump joke and refused to apologize after the president and first lady accused him of inciting violence. On his show Monday night, he said: “It was not—by any stretch of the definition—a call to assassination. And they know that.” Florida’s Ron DeSantis has unveiled his proposal for redistricting his state’s congressional maps in the latest act of a nationwide gerrymandering battle for control of Congress.
Stat of the Day
Illegal logging has destroyed more than 22,400 acres of ancient forest in Mexico’s Sierra Tarahumara. Criminal groups, including factions of the Sinaloa cartel, have intensified operations over the past 15 years, disrupting the region’s hydrological system and leading to droughts, crop failures, and food insecurity.
Culture Pick
Lena Dunham’s newest memoir, Famesick, delves into the Girls creator’s experiences with chronic illness and the stress after snagging her own HBO series at age 24. Hannah J Davies writes that though at times scattergun and lacking self-awareness, the memoir is undeniably frank and exhaustive—a lifetime of therapy condensed into a quick read.
Don’t Miss This
Since 2014, the numbers of US citizens renouncing their citizenship each year have been in the thousands, hitting a record of 6,705 in 2020. With the Trump administration slashing fees to renounce citizenship from $2,350 to $450, this year is expected to reach similar heights.
Or This
From Amy Chua’s Tiger Mom to Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All at Once, the stereotype of the strict Asian mother dominates popular culture. Rebecca Liu asks: What exactly are we looking for when we write about her flaws and failures—and what are we hoping to find?
Climate Check
Amid a patchy ceasefire, Lebanon’s environment minister has accused Israel’s military of committing “an act of ecocide” in operations against Hezbollah. In 2023 and 2024, the Israeli military damaged 12,350 acres of forest cover and destroyed 5,320 acres of orchards, including more than 2,000 acres of olive groves, according to a 106-page report.
Last Thing
A woman unexpectedly went into labor on a cross-country Delta flight from Atlanta to Portland over the weekend. Fortunately, emergency medical technicians Tina Fritz and Caarin Powell were on board. A healthy, five-and-a-half-pound Brielle Renee was born just as the plane touched down.
