washington, April 28 -- The man accused of shooting a US Secret Service agent as he tried to breach security at a Washington dinner attended by President Donald Trump is facing federal charges of attempting to assassinate the president, a judge said in court on Monday. Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, also faces firearms charges. Allen wore a blue prison jumpsuit at his first appearance in Washington federal court, two days after authorities said they foiled an attack at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, an annual black-tie gathering of journalists and politicians. Allen has not yet responded to the allegations. Seated at the defence table flanked by US Marshals, Allen said he would answer all questions truthfully and that he had a master's degree in computer science. Prosecutors are seeking Allen's detention while the case moves forward. Allen left a manifesto with family members referring to himself as the "Friendly Federal Assassin" and discussing plans to target senior Trump administration officials, who were present in the hotel ballroom. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said his targets likely included Trump himself. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday described the Saturday night attack as the third major assassination attempt against Trump, after two attempts on his life in 2024. She compared the rhetoric in the manifesto to criticism of Trump by his political opponents. "Much of the manifesto of the would-be assassin is indistinguishable from the words that we hear daily from so many," Leavitt said. "The entire Democrat Party has made their pitch to voters across the country that Donald Trump poses an existential threat to democracy, that he is a fascist." Prominent elected Democrats have condemned the shooting. Allen booked a room at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the dinner took place, and travelled from California to Washington by train, officials said. The shooting on Saturday rattled the press dinner, sending attendees scrambling under tables and prompting law enforcement to whisk senior officials out of the room....