Judge apologizes to alleged Trump assassin for cell conditions, sparking outrage
Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui is under intense scrutiny following his apology to Cole Allen, the alleged shooter at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, concerning his treatment in jail. Critics, including U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, are questioning the judge’s impartiality. They highlight his history of defending January 6 defendants and others who have threatened former President Donald Trump. This incident raises broader questions about judicial accountability and the influence of politics within the justice system.
Attorneys representing Cole Allen, the man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump on April 25 during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton hotel, have criticized U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro. They are demanding that she recuse herself from the case.
In a nine-page motion filed on Thursday, the defense argues that Pirro, along with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and other unnamed Department of Justice officials, have conflicts of interest that should preclude their involvement in prosecuting Allen. The motion further suggests that the entire U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, currently leading the prosecution, should be disqualified from the case.
Allen, a 31-year-old from Torrance, California, is accused of attempting to force his way into the ballroom where the dinner was held, armed with a rifle, handgun, knives, and a significant amount of ammunition. Surveillance footage from the Washington Hilton allegedly shows Allen running towards a security checkpoint with a 12-gauge shotgun, firing the weapon once before falling to the ground.
Prosecutors report that a pellet from Allen’s discharged buckshot hit the ballistic vest of a Secret Service agent, causing minor injuries. In response, a Secret Service agent fired five shots at Allen but did not strike him.
An image released by the Department of Justice shows Cole Allen armed in a hotel room.
Both Pirro and Blanche were inside the ballroom during the incident, which federal public defenders used as partial justification to say they are conflicted in the case. They also cited Pirro’s personal friendship with Trump.
Allen’s attorneys also cited Pirro’s media appearances and social media posts after the alleged attack as a reason for disqualification, including an X post from earlier this week.
A sketch shows Cole Allen standing in court before Magistrate Judge Dana Verkouteren on May 4, 2026. (Dana Verkouteren)
Amid controversy over Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui apologizing to Allen for his jail conditions, Pirro posted on the social media platform that Allen was receiving preferential treatment.
“Welcome to Washington, DC, where U.S. Magistrate Judge Faruqui believes a defendant armed to the teeth and attempting to assassinate the president is entitled to preferential treatment in his confinement compared to every other defendant,” she said.
Allen’s lawyers pounced on that post, declaring that it was an “emotional response… was inflammatory, inappropriate and inaccurate…”
Cole Allen allegedly ran past Secret Service agents in an attempt to assassinate President Donald Trump. (US Attorney Pirro)
The motion also argues that even if Pirro, Blanche and other unnamed officials do not have a conflict of interest, there is an appearance of a conflict of interest. Allen’s attorneys say that by law, the appearance itself is enough to have them disqualified.
“As this case proceeds closer to trial, the country and the world will continue to wonder—how can the American justice system permit a victim to prosecute a criminal defendant in a case involving them?” the motion asks. “Or even—how can one of the victim’s closest friends prosecute the alleged perpetrator of the offense? Given U.S. Attorney Pirro’s friendship with the President and her and Acting A.G. Blanche’s attendance at the event at the center of this prosecution, the law necessitates their disqualification.”
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro speaks during a news conference on March 13, 2026. (Pool/Fox News)
“For these reasons, and any other such reasons as the Court may determine at a hearing on this motion, Mr. Allen respectfully requests the Court exercise its inherent authority and disqualify purported victims and witnesses in this case—to include U.S. Attorney Pirro and Acting A.G. Blanche—from direct involvement in the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Allen,” the motion concluded.
Pirro responded in a Friday morning statement to Fox News Digital.
“We will evaluate the motion and respond in court,” she said. “We will not tolerate people who come to the District of Columbia to engage in antidemocratic acts of political violence; and we will prosecute all such acts to the fullest extent of the law.”
Allen is scheduled to be arraigned Monday morning, May 11.
Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ and Allen’s attorneys.
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