The man arrested after gunshots were heard near the White House correspondents’ dinner and President Trump was evacuated has been pictured wearing an Israel Defence Forces sweatshirt, as a separate claim about a spike in Israeli Google searches for his name before the incident circulates widely online and fuels speculation about his motives.
Cole Thomas Allen, 31, from Torrance, California, was arrested after allegedly attempting to breach a security checkpoint on the night of 25-26 April during the black-tie event. Trump was escorted out by Secret Service agents after five shots were heard outside the venue. No one was injured.
Shortly after Allen’s identification, a photograph purportedly taken from his since-deleted Instagram account began circulating across X, Reddit and Facebook showing him wearing a dark sweatshirt bearing an IDF logo. The image spread rapidly and prompted intense online speculation, with many users drawing connections between the clothing and the broader geopolitical backdrop of the US-Iran conflict and America’s relationship with Israel.
Adding fuel to the online speculation is a separate claim based on Google Trends data, which multiple posts on X, Reddit and Facebook assert shows a noticeable spike in searches for “Cole Allen” or “Cole Thomas Allen” originating from Israel in the hours before the incident — with some posts reporting the spike peaking as early as 6am, well ahead of the shooting at approximately 8.34pm Eastern Time. Screenshots of the alleged Trends data have been widely shared across social media platforms.
Allen has been described in reports as a teacher, tutor and video game developer from Torrance with no confirmed foreign ties. Officials including Trump himself have referred to him as a “lone wolf.” The FBI has not produced any evidence linking him to Israel, the IDF or any foreign entity, and Israeli authorities have made no statement in connection with the case.
Investigators have conducted searches at Allen’s California home as part of the ongoing inquiry, but his motive has not been publicly established. The conspiracy theories circulating online — including suggestions of a false flag operation linked to the Iran-Israel conflict — have no evidentiary basis according to any official source.
The investigation continues.
