The man accused of carrying a loaded shotgun, ammunition bag, shoulder holster and sheathed knife into one of the most tightly‑secured annual events in Washington entered his plea without speaking, handcuffed and shackled in an orange jail uniform. One of his attorneys, Eugene Ohm, entered the not‑guilty plea on his behalf during a brief hearing before McFadden.
Ohm told the court the defense would likely seek to disqualify Pirro’s entire office from the case, though he acknowledged that a bid to remove the whole Justice Department would be unlikely. “That would be quite a request,” McFadden replied.
The judge pressed for more detail on the scope of the recusal motion and gave prosecutors until May 22 to respond in writing. “That might add some clarity here,” he said, noting that the government should specify whether it views Blanche and Pirro as potential victims. Allen is scheduled to return to court on June 29.
The April 25 attack at the Washington Hilton hotel disrupted the high‑profile dinner and prompted an early end to the event. According to authorities, Allen ran through a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer, who was hit once in a bullet‑resistant vest. The officer returned fire, discharging five shots but striking no one. Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was injured in the encounter but was not shot.
Federal prosecutors have detailed a series of actions they say illuminate Allen’s motive and planning. In a message that authorities have referenced, Allen called himself a “Friendly Federal Assassin” and obliquely cited grievances over actions by Trump’s Republican administration. Prosecutors allege he reserved a room at the Hilton on April 6, traveled cross‑country by train from California, and checked into the hotel the day before the dinner. Just minutes before the attack, Allen took a photograph of himself outfitted with his ammunition bag, shoulder holster and sheathed knife inside that room, according to court filings.
Alongside the attempted‑assassination count, Allen faces charges of assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon and two additional firearms counts. If convicted of the attempted assassination alone, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Allen was placed on suicide watch after his arrest but jail officials removed him from that status after several days. His attorneys have complained that he was unnecessarily confined in a padded room with constant lighting, repeatedly strip‑searched, and placed in restraints outside his cell. A Justice Department prosecutor has said Allen told FBI agents he did not expect to survive the attack, which could explain why he was deemed a possible suicide risk.
President Trump was rushed off the stage by his security detail when the gunfire rang out. He appeared at the White House roughly two hours later, still in his tuxedo, to address the incident. “When you’re impactful, they go after you. When you’re not impactful, they leave you alone,” Trump said. “They seem to think he was a lone wolf.”