Cole Allen, the 31-year-old man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner last month, has pleaded not guilty to four federal charges in court on Monday. Allen, who appeared in shackles, was represented by his public defender, Tezira Abe, who entered the plea on his behalf.

The incident unfolded on April 25 when gunshots rang out during the dinner, causing attendees to seek cover under tables and prompting the relocation of Trump administration officials to secure locations. An apparent manifesto suggests that Allen intended to target high-ranking officials and was willing to “go through most everyone” to reach his targets.

Prosecutors are treating the attack as an act of political violence. Among the attendees at the dinner were acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. Allen’s defense team filed a motion last week to disqualify them from the case, arguing that they were victims of his alleged crime.

During the hearing, Allen’s attorneys indicated that they might seek to disqualify the entire U.S. attorney’s office in D.C. if Pirro has a supervisory role in the case. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee overseeing the proceedings, remarked that such a request would be significant.

Eugene Ohm, another of Allen’s public defenders, argued that it is “wholly inappropriate” for the victim of an alleged crime to prosecute the case, noting that Pirro is a “close friend” of President Trump, the apparent “primary target.”

According to court filings, Allen allegedly traveled from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., with a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, a .38 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and 55 rounds of ammunition. He made a three-night reservation at the hotel from April 24-26 and took a mirror selfie shortly before the shooting. Although no one was seriously injured, a Secret Service officer was shot once in his ballistic vest.

Allen faces charges of attempting to assassinate the president, assaulting a federal officer or employee with a deadly weapon, and two firearms-related offenses. He did not speak during the hearing but nodded his head repeatedly and appeared to resist his attorneys’ requests to stand and enter his plea.

The alleged gunman has agreed to remain in detention pending trial, and the government must respond to Allen’s motion to disqualify prosecutors by May 22.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)