A man shot at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. The President said the shooter was anti-Christian. Reports say the manifesto suggests he identified as Christian. He was not a registered Democrat. He was registered with no party preference. He gave $25 to Kamala Harris. That is his only recorded donation. Some say this was the fourth attack on Trump. It was the third. The manifesto names all administration officials as targets. It excludes one person: FBI Director Kash Patel. No reason was given.
The document exists. It is 1,052 words long. Three claims have been made about what it says. At least one of them is wrong.
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from Torrance, California, was arrested after opening fire at the Washington Hilton on April 25, 2026. He sent his manifesto to his family approximately 10 minutes before the attack. The New York Post obtained the full document. Multiple outlets have published verified excerpts. (Source: NY Post, April 26; Guardian, April 26; CBS News, April 26)
What follows is what the White House and major outlets have claimed, and what the document actually says.
Claim 1: “He Was Anti-Christian”
President Trump told Fox News on April 26: “It was a religious thing. It was strongly anti-Christian.” (Source: Fox News, April 26; BBC Live, April 26; France 24, April 26)
The claim spread fast. It framed the attack as religiously motivated. The problem is the manifesto itself.
Allen wrote about Christianity in the document. His words: “Turning the other cheek is for when you yourself are oppressed. I’m not the person raped in a detention camp. I’m not the fisherman executed…” (Source: NYT, April 26; CBS News, April 26; Lynnwood Times, April 26)
This passage criticises passive Christianity. It argues that “turning the other cheek” applies to personal oppression, not to standing by while others suffer. It does not reject the faith. It argues with it.
Chosun, the English edition of the major Korean newspaper, reported that “the manifesto suggests he identified as Christian.” (Source: Chosun English, April 27)
Then there is his background. Allen was a member of the Caltech Christian Fellowship during his university years. He graduated in 2017. A former classmate told journalist Ken Klippenstein that Allen was “pretty prominent” in the fellowship. (Source: Ken Klippenstein, April 26; Le Monde, April 26)
The evidence shows a man who was part of a Christian community. His manifesto engages with Christian theology. His language argues with the tradition. It does not reject it. Trump’s “strongly anti-Christian” characterisation is not supported by the document he was describing.
Claim 2: “He Was a Democrat Supporter”
Multiple outlets described Allen as a “Democrat-supporting” or “Democrat donor.” The Telegraph ran the headline: “Trump shooting suspect is Democrat-supporting ‘teacher of the month.’” (Source: Telegraph, April 26)
The word “Democrat” appears in hundreds of headlines about this case. Here is what the records show.
Allen’s voter registration in California is listed as “No Party Preference.” Not Democrat. Not Republican. No Party Preference. This was confirmed by ABC News, which viewed the voter records directly. (Source: ABC News, April 26; People Magazine, April 26; WSJ, April 26)
Federal campaign finance records show one donation. Allen gave $25 to a Democratic PAC supporting Kamala Harris on October 13, 2024. The record matches his name, his employer (C2 Education), and his ZIP code. That is the only recorded political donation. (Source: FEC records via ABC News; WSJ, April 26)
One $25 donation. No party registration. “No Party Preference” means he explicitly chose not to join the Democratic Party. The “Democrat supporter” label rests on a single $25 contribution.
The “Democrat supporter” label rests on a single $25 contribution. His voter registration says “No Party Preference.” Both things are true. Only one made the headlines.
Claim 3: “This Is the Fourth Attack on Trump”
Several outlets called this “the fourth attack” or “the fourth assassination attempt” on Trump. The count includes an incident from 2016 during the campaign. (Source: Kucoin News; multiple aggregators)
Most credible sources count differently. Al Jazeera, Axios, and the New York Times reference two previous assassination attempts. El Pais ran the headline: “For a third time, Trump.” (Source: Al Jazeera, April 26; Axios, April 26; El Pais, April 26)
The three confirmed incidents:
- July 13, 2024: Thomas Matthew Crooks fired at Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump was grazed. One attendee killed. (Source: multiple outlets)
- September 15, 2024: Ryan Wesley Routh positioned with a rifle at Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach. Secret Service fired first. Routh sentenced to life in prison, February 2026. (Source: multiple outlets)
- April 25, 2026: Allen at the Washington Hilton. (Source: multiple outlets)
The 2016 incident is not universally classified as an assassination attempt. Including it inflates the count from three to four. The word “fourth” changes how the story feels. That is why it matters.
What the Manifesto Actually Says About Targets
Then there is the part about who he planned to kill. It has received almost no coverage.
Allen’s manifesto includes a “Rules of Engagement” section. It states:
“Administration officials (not including Mr. Patel): they are targets, prioritized from highest to lowest.” (Source: Hindustan Times, April 26; NYT, April 26; CBS News, April 26; Fox News, April 26)
The only named exception is FBI Director Kash Patel. No explanation is given for the exclusion.
Other categories received similar designations. Hotel security were “not targets if at all possible.” Capitol Police and National Guard: same. Hotel employees: “not targets at all.” Guests: “not targets” unless they were administration officials.
The document is specific. It names the targets. It names the exceptions. It sets rules for engagement. This is not a rant. It is a plan.
What He Said About Security
The manifesto has a postscript. It may be the most damaging part of the document for the agencies involved.
“What the hell is the Secret Service doing? I expected security cameras at every bend, bugged hotel rooms, armed agents every 10 feet, metal detectors out the wazoo. What I got…” (Source: NDTV, April 26; Herald Sun, April 26)
The sentence trails off. The implication does not.
He wrote that he chose buckshot rather than slugs “to minimize casualties” because buckshot has less penetration through walls. A man who planned an assassination chose ammunition specifically to reduce the chance of killing bystanders. (Source: NDTV, April 26; CBS News, April 26)
Allen signed the document: “Cole ‘coldForce’ ‘Friendly Federal Assassin’ Allen.” (Source: NY Post; Lynnwood Times; multiple outlets)
Sources
- NY Post, full manifesto report
- Guardian, verified manifesto quotes
- CBS News, manifesto details
- Chosun English, manifesto suggests Christian identity
- Ken Klippenstein, background investigation
- ABC News, voter registration records
- WSJ, Caltech grad named as suspect
- Telegraph, Democrat-supporting claim
- Al Jazeera, attack timeline
- El Pais, “for a third time”
- Hindustan Times, target list details
- Lynnwood Times, manifesto excerpts
- NDTV, buckshot and security mockery
- Herald Sun, manifesto full text
- Fox News, Trump interview on manifesto
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