Judge Decries Jail Treatment of Trump Assassination Suspect, Apologizes in Court

A federal judge on Monday condemned the prison treatment of President Donald Trump's alleged would-be assassin and apologized to him for restrictive confinement by jail staff.

Cole Allen, 31, has remained in federal custody since prosecutors said he tried to enter the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner ballroom to kill Trump and other senior government officials.

Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui told a Department of Corrections attorney he was "fascinated and disturbed" by Allen's jail treatment. Allen entered suicide watch upon imprisonment.

Suicide watch rules required 24-hour lockdown in a safe cell with no phone access or visits except from his legal team, per a motion from his lawyers. They also sought a tablet for his defense.

Allen allegedly faced denial of a Bible despite multiple requests.

Prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine argued Allen posed a suicide risk, citing his statement to investigators that he did not expect to survive the alleged attack.

Judge Faruqui rejected the reasoning and compared Allen to January 6, 2021, Capitol riot defendants. "To me, it’s extremely disturbing that he was put in five-point restraints, a person with no criminal history," Faruqui said. He added 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."

Faruqui noted that even January 6 defendants stayed in the Correctional Treatment Facility, a less restrictive housing option.

"Pardons may erase convictions, but they don’t erase history," he said. "They were hanging gallows outside."

"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?" Faruqui asked. "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."

The judge spoke directly to Allen: "The jail is going to let me know by tomorrow morning about what’s going on with your housing situation. 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."

"Legal visits, ask for legal visits, do not accept that these things are acceptable," Faruqui advised. "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."

Faruqui ordered the jail to report on Allen's accommodations by Tuesday morning.

The judge's rebuke followed a Sunday motion from Allen's attorneys to end suicide precautions. They withdrew it that afternoon after learning Allen was off watch.

Faruqui still required the prosecution, defense, and DOC counsel at Monday's emergency hearing.

"The court has grave concerns about the defendant's seemingly unprompted solitary confinement for days and overall conditions of confinement," Faruqui wrote. He set the hearing for noon on May 4, 2026, in Courtroom 4.

On April 30, Allen waived his pretrial detention hearing. He stays in custody awaiting a preliminary hearing on May 11.