U.S. President Donald Trump points a finger before departing Palm Beach International Airport en route to Joint Base Andrews, in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., April 25, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper
The New York Post obtained a copy of a manifesto written by Cole Allen, the 31-year-old California resident who opened fire at the White House Correspondents' Dinner Saturday night. The document reveals a chilling targeting list—and one glaring omission that experts are now scrutinizing.
According to the Post, Allen sent the manifesto to family members just 10 minutes before the shooting. In it, he outlined his targets with precision, listing every Trump administration official he intended to attack. But there was one notable exception: FBI Director Kash Patel was explicitly excluded from the list, and Allen provided no explanation for why.
Allen wrote in the document: "I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes"—an apparent reference to President Donald Trump.
The manifesto then laid out his targeting strategy with disturbing specificity: "Administration officials (not including Mr. Patel): they are targets, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest."
The document, which multiple journalists have confirmed as authentic, also reveals Allen's stated intention to minimize casualties beyond his intended targets. "In order to minimize casualties I will also be using buckshot rather than slugs (less penetration through walls)," the manifesto states.
Allen added: "I would still go through most everyone here to get to the targets if it were absolutely necessary (on the basis that most people *chose* to attend a speech by a pedophile, rapist, and traitor, and are thus complicit) but I really hope it doesn't come to that."
The specific exemption of Patel has sparked speculation among law enforcement and analysts about what it signifies. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Allen was believed to be targeting Trump administration officials, but the manifesto suggests a more selective targeting strategy than initially understood.
Allen was taken into custody at the scene after rushing through a Secret Service checkpoint while armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and several knives. A Secret Service agent was struck but survived due to his bulletproof vest.
Investigators are now examining why Patel was singled out for exclusion from Allen's targeting list, and whether the FBI Director holds any significance in Allen's broader ideological framework.
Kash Patel has emerged as one of Trump's most controversial appointees, serving as FBI Director after a career in intelligence and law enforcement. A former prosecutor and Trump loyalist, Patel has been instrumental in advancing the administration's law enforcement agenda, including efforts to weaponize federal agencies against perceived political enemies.
His role in the Epstein files controversy and his involvement in various Trump initiatives have made him a polarizing figure among both supporters and critics. The decision to exclude Patel from Allen's targeting list raises questions about whether the shooter viewed Patel differently from other administration officials, or whether other motivations were at play in his selection of targets.