Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche revealed Sunday that the man accused of exchanging gunfire with law enforcement at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner is stonewalling investigators. In an interview on CNN’s 'State of the Union,' Blanche told host Dana Bash, 'We are not viewing him as cooperating necessarily right now, although we will see what happens going forward.' The refusal to cooperate complicates the FBI’s effort to determine a motive for Saturday night’s attack.
The suspect, identified by multiple outlets as 31-year-old Cole Allen of Torrance, California, is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in federal court on two charges: using a firearm during a crime of violence and assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced the charges Saturday, though Blanche noted additional counts could follow. 'The way that these charges work, a lot of the charges that he could be charged with depends on us understanding his motive, his premeditation, what he wanted to do,' Blanche explained. 'And that requires us to go through the evidence and develop a case, which the FBI is working on now.'
Blanche did not rule out charging the suspect with attempting to assassinate President Trump, who was evacuated from the Washington Hilton ballroom by Secret Service moments after the first shots rang out. As reports of the evacuation spread, Trump posted a photo on Truth Social showing the suspect shirtless, lying on the ground with his hands behind his back, surrounded by law enforcement.
Interim Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffery Carroll told reporters Saturday that the gunman shot a Secret Service officer in the vest. The officer was taken to a local hospital and was reported to be in 'good spirits.' The suspect was not hit by gunfire but was also transported to a hospital for evaluation, Carroll added.
Investigators have already interviewed people who know Allen and are combing through evidence collected from the scene. Blanche confirmed that the FBI, along with state and local law enforcement in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., executed search warrants on electronic devices believed to belong to the suspect. 'We’re still looking to try to understand a motive,' Blanche said. 'From our preliminary investigation, it does appear the suspect was targeting members of the [Trump] administration. I don’t want to go beyond that because we don’t have specifics yet about particular members of the administration, except that we do understand that that was his goal and his target.'
The attack unfolded during the annual WHCA dinner, a high-profile event that drew journalists, politicians, and administration officials. Guests described scenes of chaos as Secret Service agents rushed Trump from the ballroom and attendees scrambled for cover. The incident has reignited debates about security at political gatherings and the threat landscape facing government officials.
As the investigation continues, the suspect’s lack of cooperation presents a significant hurdle. Blanche emphasized that the case will hinge on forensic evidence and witness testimony. 'A lot of the charges that he could be charged with depends on us understanding his motive, his premeditation, and what he wanted to do,' he reiterated.
