Cole Allen sent his family a manifesto 10 minutes before the WHCA shooting. The motive he spelled out points directly to the Epstein files

Cole Allen opened fire on attendees at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in a shocking attack that turned one of Washington’s most high-profile annual events into a scene of chaos. Just 10 minutes before the shooting, Allen sent a 1,052-word manifesto to his family members, spelling out his thoughts and intentions in detail. The document gives a clear picture of what drove him to carry out the attack and what he hoped to accomplish.

At the center of the manifesto is a harsh criticism of the current administration, with a strong focus on President Donald Trump’s alleged connections to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Allen called Trump a “pedophile, rapist, and traitor,” referencing conspiracy theories about Trump’s past ties to Epstein. These beliefs appear to be the main force behind his decision to act, and the manifesto makes clear that he had been sitting with this anger for some time.

According to Mediaite, the manifesto also outlines Allen’s rules of engagement going into the attack. He said he prioritized targeting administration officials, including Secret Service agents, but only if necessary. He also stated that he planned to use buckshot rather than slugs to reduce the chance of bullets going through walls, saying he wanted to minimize casualties among bystanders.

Allen’s manifesto reveals a deeply personal anger driving an act of political violence

Allen also addressed objections he anticipated people might raise about his actions. When it came to the argument that he should “turn the other cheek” as a Christian, he pushed back, saying he did not see himself as the oppressed party but as someone taking action against those in power. He dismissed the idea that the timing was inconvenient, saying the world does not work around people who think that way.

These responses suggest Allen had already worked through any doubts he had before sending the manifesto. One striking part of the manifesto is how Allen described the security at the event. He criticized the Secret Service directly, calling their level of incompetence “insane” and claiming he could have brought a machine gun into the hotel without anyone noticing. 

Reports show that the Secret Service rushed JD Vance out of the dinner before Trump, footage that has since raised serious questions about how security was handled on the night. Allen also touched on his own emotional state throughout the manifesto. He admitted that doing what he did feels “awful” and said he experiences rage when he thinks about what the administration has done.

Despite this, he went ahead with the attack, and even wrote that he could not recommend it to others, adding that people should “stay in school.” This moment of apparent self-awareness makes the document all the more unsettling to read. The manifesto moves between moments of personal reflection and outbursts of anger and criticism toward the administration.

This shift in tone shows how deeply Allen had internalized his beliefs and how they ultimately pushed him toward violence. Records show that Allen was a Caltech grad and teacher of the month who arrived at the event armed with three weapons, making the attack all the more jarring given his background.

The attack and the manifesto behind it raise serious concerns about how conspiracy theories can shape a person’s worldview and push them toward extreme actions. Allen’s writings show a person who had built his entire perspective around these theories and used them to justify what he did. The fact that he sent the document to his own family just minutes before opening fire suggests he wanted them to understand his reasoning.