Cole Allen's lawyers seek to disqualify D.C. attorneys from correspondents' dinner shooting case

Added: 2026-05-11

[00:00:00]The man accused of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump at the White House correspondents dinner told the judge today he's not guilty. You're looking at Cole Allen there. He appeared in federal court in DC earlier today.

[00:00:10]Live to CBS News justice reporter Jake Rosen inside that courtroom. Walk us through the charges and what you saw.

[00:00:17]Well, Reed, we saw Cole Allen in an orange jumpsuit and shackles at both his hands and his feet earlier today when he appeared for an arraignment on not just the charges of attempting to assassinate uh President Trump allegedly, but also his alleged assault of a federal law enforcement officer and two federal gun crimes. Through his attorney, uh Cole Allen did not specifically speak. He pleaded not guilty to all four charges.

[00:00:40]And then there was some discussion about what the uh discovery in this case is going to look like. The Department of Justice and federal prosecutors said that because this case is merely just two weeks old, they're starting to finalize what would be in the initial batch that would be handed over and the next court filing or court filings uh deadline and court hearing will be uh later next month about 45 days from now.

[00:01:02]So likely no initial resolution to any of this until later this year, potentially even next read. Uh but what we saw was finally 2 weeks after uh the alleged attack of the White House correspondence dinner by Cole Allen and the numerous analyses of video that you can see kind of playing out on the screen. It appears that there's finally going to be a movement towards a potential criminal trial in this case.

[00:01:22]>> Right. But as we advance towards that criminal trial, something I haven't seen before, I don't know if you've seen it as well. He's wanting to shave a couple of big names out of this case. Removing acting attorney general Todd Blanch and then Janine Piro as well.

[00:01:37]Yeah. And that's because just the the reality and the complicated scene on the ground at that uh shooting at the correspondence dinner. We what we saw was that uh acting attorney general Todd Blanch was there sitting at a CBS News table. We saw Janine Piro there separately and the Justice Department said in court filings as this case has initially proceeded that they're leaving the door open to potential charges for more uh in this case and another indictment that could expand the scope of charges. Among that that the Justice Department has not yet ruled out Reed is more charges for allegedly uh planning to attack other highranking Trump administration officials. This could include Piro and Blanch. Because of that, in public statements that both of them made in the immediate aftermath at the White House and in the following days, describing what they went through as victims and witnesses, uh, attorneys and the federal defenders that are representing Cole Allen have moved to potentially disqualify both of them, if not the entire US prosecutor's office here in Washington DC. What that would mean is that a different prosecutor would have to be appointed. They said they're wanting more details from the Department of Justice, which the DOJ says they'll get back to them in two weeks, about what further charges would be playing out in court, if any, and whether Janine Piro and uh acting attorney general Todd Blanch would potentially be witnesses in this case.

[00:02:52]Because there are dozens and dozens of Trump high-ranking officials and other major personalities in not just Congress and the White House, but just in the political sphere that all could have been witnesses to potentially this case if it goes to trial. The DOJ said it's unlikely that that happens and a judge pushed them on whether these charges could be brought featuring charges against potentially attempting to assassinate the attorney general or a US uh attorney. But at the same time, that's one way that uh Cole Allen's attorneys are attempting to slow down this case and potentially get it outside of Washington DC and kind of eliminate the firewall that's clearly very much uh real in this case between the White House and the US Attorney's Office here in DC. Janine Piro, longtime Fox News host and longtime ally and personal friend of President Trump.

[00:03:36]>> Fascinating times. Jake Rosen, thank you so much for that update.