A federal judge on Monday issued a rare and striking apology to the man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump, sharply criticizing jail officials over what he described as overly harsh and troubling treatment.
Cole Allen, 31, has been in federal custody since prosecutors say he attempted to breach the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner and carry out an attack targeting Trump and other senior government officials.
Allen allegedly outlined his intentions in a manifesto, writing that he planned to target administration officials “prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest,” and acknowledging he might not survive the attempt. Authorities say he arrived at the event armed with multiple weapons before being stopped by law enforcement.
Judge Blasts “Disturbing” Treatment
During an emergency hearing Monday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui said he was both “fascinated and disturbed” by the conditions Allen faced in custody.
Allen had initially been placed on suicide watch, which required 24-hour lockdown in a “safe cell,” no phone access, and no visits outside of his legal team. His attorneys also said he was denied basic accommodations, including access to a Bible despite repeated requests.
Prosecutors defended the measures, arguing Allen posed a risk to himself after telling investigators he did not expect to survive the alleged attack.
But Faruqui rejected that reasoning, comparing Allen’s treatment to that of defendants charged in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
“To me, it’s extremely disturbing that he was put in five-point restraints, a person with no criminal history,” the judge said, emphasizing that Allen is presumed innocent. “It’s troubling. I never heard of one Jan. 6 defendant who was put in five-point restraints or in a safe cell. If the only way to keep him safe is the most punitive thing, that’s a problem.”
The judge noted that even January 6 defendants were typically housed in less restrictive conditions at a Correctional Treatment Facility.
“Pardons may erase convictions, but they don’t erase history,” Faruqui said. “They were hanging gallows outside.”
“I’m sorry” — Judge Addresses Suspect Directly
In an unusual move, Faruqui directly addressed Allen in court and apologized.
“What am I to say to Allen that this is going to be a fair process if we’re putting him in a safe cell when he’s not supposed to be in there?” the judge said. “At a minimum I should be apologizing to him. We are obligated to make sure he’s taken care of. Mr. Allen, I’m sorry that things have not been the way they are supposed to.”
He added that he would demand answers from jail officials and push for improved conditions.
“The jail is going to let me know by tomorrow morning about what’s going on with your housing situation,” Faruqui said. “If not, I’m going to have more questions for them. We should be able to get you into the medium portion of the jail, with windows.”
Faruqui also instructed Allen to advocate for his legal rights.
“Legal visits, ask for legal visits, do not accept that these things are acceptable,” he said. “We will get you the Bible. If we can get someone vegan food, we can get you a Bible, we can make sure you’re not in five-point restraints.”
Legal Battle Over Confinement Conditions
The hearing followed a motion filed Sunday by Allen’s attorneys seeking his removal from suicide precautions, citing concerns about his confinement.
Although the defense later withdrew the motion after learning Allen was no longer under suicide watch, Faruqui proceeded with the emergency hearing anyway, citing “grave concerns” about the conditions.
“The court has grave concerns about the defendant’s seemingly unprompted solitary confinement for days and overall conditions of confinement,” the judge wrote in a prior order.
He has now ordered the Department of Corrections to provide an update on Allen’s housing conditions by Tuesday morning.
Case Remains Under Scrutiny
Allen remains at the center of a high-profile case that has drawn national attention following the attempted attack at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
According to investigators, his manifesto not only outlined a plan to target Trump administration officials but also acknowledged the likelihood of violence beyond those targets, stating he would harm others if necessary to reach his intended victims. Allen allegedly shot a Secret Service agent, who has since been released from the hospital.
The case continues to raise questions not only about security failures leading up to the incident, but now also about how the justice system handles defendants accused of politically motivated violence.
For now, Monday’s courtroom exchange has added a new and unexpected dimension — with a federal judge publicly rebuking the system tasked with holding the accused.
The Full Manifesto
To read Allen’s full 1,052-word manifesto as published by The New York Post, with minor edits to improve profanity, see below:
Hello everybody!
So I may have given a lot of people a surprise today. Let me start off by apologizing to everyone whose trust I abused.
I apologize to my parents for saying I had an interview without specifying it was for “Most Wanted.”
I apologize to my colleagues and students for saying I had a personal emergency (by the time anyone reads this, I probably most certainly DO need to go to the ER, but can hardly call that not a self-inflicted status.)
I apologize to all of the people I traveled next to, all the workers who handled my luggage, and all the other non-targeted people at the hotel who I put in danger simply by being near.
I apologize to everyone who was abused and/or murdered before this, to all those who suffered before I was able to attempt this, to all who may still suffer after, regardless of my success or failure.
I don’t expect forgiveness, but if I could have seen any other way to get this close, I would have taken it. Again, my sincere apologies.
On to why I did any of this:
I am a citizen of the United States of America.
What my representatives do reflects on me.
And I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.
(Well, to be completely honest, I was no longer willing a long time ago, but this is the first real opportunity I’ve had to do something about it.)
While I’m discussing this, I’ll also go over my expected rules of engagement (probably in a terrible format, but I’m not military so too bad.)
Administration officials (not including Mr. Patel): they are targets, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest
Secret Service: they are targets only if necessary, and to be incapacitated non-lethally if possible (aka, I hope they’re wearing body armor because center mass with shotguns messes up people who *aren’t*
Hotel Security: not targets if at all possible (aka unless they shoot at me)
Capitol Police: same as Hotel Security
National Guard: same as Hotel Security
Hotel Employees: not targets at all
Guests: not targets at all
In order to minimize casualties I will also be using buckshot rather than slugs (less penetration through walls)
I would still go through most everyone here to get to the targets if it were absolutely necessary (on the basis that most people *chose* to attend a speech by a pedophile, rapist, and traitor, and are thus complicit) but I really hope it doesn’t come to that.
Rebuttals to objections:
Objection 1: As a Christian, you should turn the other cheek.
Rebuttal: 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 without trial. I’m not a schoolkid blown up or a child starved or a teenage girl abused by the many criminals in this administration.
Turning the other cheek when *someone else* is oppressed is not Christian behavior; it is complicity in the oppressor’s crimes.
Objection 2: This is not a convenient time for you to do this.
Rebuttal: I need whoever thinks this way to take a couple minutes and realize that the world isn’t about them. Do you think that when I see someone raped or murdered or abused, I should walk on by because it would be “inconvenient” for people who aren’t the victim?
This was the best timing and chance of success I could come up with.
Objection 3: You didn’t get them all.
Rebuttal: Gotta start somewhere.
Objection 4: As a half-black, half-white person, you shouldn’t be the one doing this.
Rebuttal: I don’t see anyone else picking up the slack
Objection 5: Yield unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.
Rebuttal: The United States of America are ruled by the law, not by any one or several people. In so far as representatives and judges do not follow the law, no one is required to yield them anything so unlawfully ordered.
I would also like to extend my appreciation to a great many people since I will not be likely to be able to talk with them again (unless the Secret Service is *astoundingly* incompetent.)
Thank you to my family, both personal and church, for your love over these 31 years.
Thank you to my friends, for your companionship over many years.
Thank you to my colleagues over many jobs, for your positivity and professionalism.
Thank you to my students for your enthusiasm and love of learning.
Thank you to the many acquaintances I’ve met, in person and online, for short interactions and long-term relationships, for your perspectives and inspiration.
Thank you all for everything.
Sincerely,
Cole “coldForce” “Friendly Federal Assassin” Allen
PS: Ok now that all the sappy stuff is done, what the hell is the Secret Service doing? Sorry, gonna rant a bit here and drop the formal tone.
Like, I expected security cameras at every bend, bugged hotel rooms, armed agents every 10 feet, metal detectors out the wazoo.
What I got (who knows, maybe they’re pranking me!) is nothing.
No damn security.
Not in transport.
Not in the hotel.
Not in the event.
Like, the one thing that I immediately noticed walking into the hotel is the sense of arrogance.
I walk in with multiple weapons and not a single person there considers the possibility that I could be a threat.
The security at the event is all outside, focused on protestors and current arrivals, because apparently no one thought about what happens if someone checks in the day before.
Like, this level of incompetence is insane, and I very sincerely hope it’s corrected by the time this country gets actually competent leadership again.
Like, if I was an Iranian agent, instead of an American citizen, I could have brought a damn Ma Deuce in here and no one would have noticed s**t.
Actually insane.
Oh and if anyone is curious is how doing something like feels: it’s awful. I want to throw up; I want to cry for all the things I wanted to do and never will, for all the people whose trust this betrays; I experience rage thinking about everything this administration has done.
Can’t really recommend it! Stay in school, kids.
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