Cole Allen's cross-country train musings show 'scattered' mindset of accused would-be Trump killer: expert

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A court filing by prosecutors in the case against Cole Allen, accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump, provided a glimpse into the 31-year-old's mind in the days leading up to last weekend's attack at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington, D.C.According to the filing, Allen boarded an Amtrak train on April 21 after purchasing a one-way ticket from Los Angeles to the nation's capital, stopping in only Chicago to change trains. While he rode, prosecutors say he "kept a running note on his phone of his observations and thoughts during his cross-country train journey."But those notes had nothing to do with Allen's alleged plan to commit the ultimate crime. Rather, his musings along the way, in tandem with what he wrote in a later manifesto, paint a picture of an unfocused person whose thoughts were "scattered," as one former FBI behavioral analyst said, despite the gravity of the situation. Law enforcement officers detain Cole Allen following an alleged shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, D.C., on April 25, 2026. (@realDonaldTrump via Truth Social)While he traveled through the U.S. southwest on the first leg of