Gunfire, polls, and banquet halls: Trump's new chess game for the midterm elections

This is a typical but shocking night at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

Approximately 2,600 people attended, including Vice President Vance, FBI Director Patel, and key cabinet officials, all present at the event, with Trump himself sitting at the main table. The entertainment was magician Oz Pearlman. In fact, this was also Trump’s first time attending this annual event as sitting president; he had refused to attend throughout his first term due to his strained relationship with the media.

Agents protect Trump

When the shooting occurred, just minutes before the official start of the banquet hall, the Trump couple had just taken their seats at the main table, and gunfire came from the security checkpoint area. 31-year-old Allen had checked in as a guest the day before, quietly bringing in a disassembled hunting rifle. After a night of preparation, he rushed through the metal detector, armed with a shotgun, a pistol, and several knives.

CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer was standing just a few feet from the shooter. He described witnessing the gunman fire at least six times, using “a very deadly weapon.” One agent was shot but survived thanks to a bulletproof vest. Allen was subsequently subdued and fell to the ground.

The attacker had previously donated to Harris

According to investigations by Western media into Allen, at 31, he is a typical California tech elite.

California Institute of Technology’s acceptance rate is only 2.3% to 3.8%, admitting just 220 to 250 students annually, with average SAT scores between 1530 and 1580. Allen earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering there in 2017 and a master’s in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills, in 2025. A computer science professor who taught him told the Associated Press that Allen always sat in the front row, frequently emailed questions about coursework, was gentle and polite—a good person.

Attacker Allen

After graduation, Allen worked part-time as a tutor at a tutoring organization called C2 Education. In December 2024, he was named “Teacher of the Month,” tutoring students preparing for college entrance exams. He also developed independent games, selling them on Steam for $1.99.

He appears to be an ordinary person with no outward signs of trouble. A 17-year-old high school student he tutored told NPR, “He’s just a bit of a nerdy, smart guy.”

The multifaceted and complex nature of people is reflected in Allen.

In recent years, Allen gradually became involved in left-wing activism in Los Angeles, purchased firearms, and regularly went to shooting ranges. His social media posts contain a large amount of anti-Trump and anti-Christian content. He participated in California’s “No Kings” protests and joined