A federal judge has apologized to Cole Tomas Allen, the man charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump, citing concerns about his treatment in custody.
Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui expressed regret during a Monday court hearing after learning of Allen’s confinement conditions. “I’m sorry,” Faruqui told Allen. “Whatever you’ve been through, I apologize for the prior week.”
The judge inquired about Allen’s conditions, including reports that he had been held alone in a cell and denied access to a Bible. Faruqui ordered the government to provide an update by early Tuesday on where Allen would be housed and warned that any further restrictive measures would require explanation.
Faruqui noted this is not the first time such issues have arisen with individuals charged in alleged political violence, comparing Allen’s situation to defendants arrested during the January 6, 2021, Capitol protests. He added: “Pardons may erase convictions, but they do not erase history.”
The hearing proceeded after Allen’s legal team withdrew their request for him to be removed from suicide watch. Despite this, Faruqui expressed “grave concerns” about Allen’s “seemingly unprompted solitary confinement for days and overall conditions of confinement.”
Court filings from Allen’s attorneys detailed that he had been repeatedly cleared as not being a suicide risk but remained under restrictions limiting access to personal items, phone calls, visits, and lighting. The documents stated: “Finally, Mr. Allen is forced to be escorted to the shower, strip-searched when entering and exiting his cell, and wear a padded vest while inside.”
The attorneys described these conditions as “excessive restrictions on his liberty that serve no justifiable purpose and deprive Mr. Allen of dignity while incarcerated.”
Allen remains in custody ahead of trial following his April 30 challenge to pretrial detention. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 11, where prosecutors may present evidence supporting the charges.
Prosecutors allege Allen carried out the attempted assassination during an April 25 event at the Washington, D.C., Hilton Hotel, where he fired a shotgun toward a stairway leading to a ballroom after rushing through a security checkpoint. Trump was not injured in the incident.
Kari Lake, senior adviser to the United States Agency for Global Media, stated that the attempted assassination is the latest example of someone being “indoctrinated” by the mainstream media. Lake, who attended the high-profile event, said the chaotic shooting that forced the evacuation of Trump and top administration leaders reflects an issue fueled by years of hostile media coverage toward conservatives.
