A widely shared video of alleged gunman Cole Thomas Allen attacking past security at the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) dinner has been widely shared, with users claiming it was enhanced using AI tools.
The video, which appears to be security footage, was first shared by President Donald Trump on Truth Social. The widely circulated version on X appears to have been processed using AI-based editing tools to improve clarity and resolution.
Mr. Allen attended the dinner on Saturday night, forcing the Secret Service to evacuate Mr. Trump and his Cabinet members and disrupting what appeared to be an assassination attempt at one of Washington’s most high-profile political events. Allen was arrested and is under investigation.
The incident highlights political tensions
Saturday’s incident comes amid escalating political violence in the United States, with attacks targeting prominent figures on both sides of the political spectrum. These include the 2024 assassination attempt on President Trump and the 2025 murders of Democratic Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Allen was quickly arrested, and shortly after the incident, President Trump called him a “lone wolf” and “tough job” at a press conference. He said Allen tried to enter the dinner party with “multiple weapons” but was stopped by police outside the Washington Hilton ballroom.
In his manifesto, Allen calls himself a “friendly Federal assassin.” His brother alerted police in New London, Conn., about a manifesto Allen had shared with his family shortly before the shooting, White House officials said. newsweek on sunday.
AI-edited security footage of the incident, which has been widely circulated on social media, shows how artificial intelligence technology can impact the way information is shared and consumed in the aftermath of large-scale events.
How was AI used?
The original footage appears to show a man running through a security checkpoint, but the resolution is low and unclear.
It shows a person running through a checkpoint, a security guard following him and pulling out a weapon, and other people entering the area through a side door.
The version circulating on X appears to be enhanced using AI tools.
The basic footage appears to remain the same, but the distributed version uses AI to increase resolution and visual clarity.
The version shared on X has a watermark that says “Cap Cut AI,” an AI video editing tool.
The edited version shows more details of the guard, including clothing and facial features, and also provides better visibility of the surrounding environment.
An account identified as Conservative Dad’s Ultra Right Beer CEO Seth Weathers shared the clip on X, where it was viewed 3.4 million times. It said, “We used AI to enhance the surveillance footage of last night’s assassination attempt. The quality of the footage was very low and it appears the AI made up some things to fill in the gaps, but it gives us a better understanding of what happened.”
Conservative commentator Benny Johnson also shared a clip of X, writing, “This was an armed attack by Democrats with the intent to kill an elected president with a deadly weapon. This attack is worse than everything that happened on January 6, 2021 combined. The media will never tell you this. But this is the truth.”
Ryan Fournier, co-founder of the group Students for Trump, also shared the clip, writing, “Incredible. Look at the absolute lightning speed with which this Secret Service agent draws his weapon. Without hesitation, with perfect precision. These brave men and women are the best of the best, and they don’t play around when it comes to protecting their protectors!”
A community note has been added to the post, stating, “This is an AI-altered version of the original video.”
Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., said Allen will be formally charged Monday with two counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence with a dangerous weapon and assaulting a federal officer.
