Dan Proft spoke with retired FBI special agent and criminal profiler James Fitzgerald, known for his work on the Unabomber case, about the assassination attempt by Cole Allen at the White House Correspondents Association dinner. Fitzgerald, co-host of the Cold Red podcast, reflected on how a seemingly promising young man with a Caltech mechanical engineering degree—who had recently developed a wheelchair emergency brake prototype for seniors—could attempt to kill the president and others.
The conversation highlighted the puzzle of seemingly mild-mannered, intelligent individuals descending into violence. Fitzgerald drew parallels to Ted Kaczynski, noting how personal stressors can trigger long-term spirals, often over years. He emphasized the value of post-conviction behavioral interviews to understand the “soul and brain” of such attackers, beyond surface-level manifestos, emails, and digital footprints. Investigators, he hoped, would explore Allen’s radicalization path, possible online influences, and any “leakage” of intent that family or contacts might have observed. Proft and Fitzgerald discussed signs of a downward spiral reportedly noticed by Allen’s family, including a tip to Connecticut police that was apparently closed without deeper action.
“See something, say something” often fails in these cases, they noted, despite evident warnings. Security failures at the event drew sharp criticism: lax perimeters allowed Allen to get dangerously close, sprinting through areas with weapons. Fitzgerald recounted his own past experiences with presidential security and questioned how the shooter could exploit obvious gaps, even documenting them in advance. He suggested future high-profile events might need more controlled venues, like a White House ballroom. The discussion broadened to societal factors, including an “ideologically violent subculture” fueled online over months or years, detached from traditional motives like money or power.
Fitzgerald expressed concern over media figures whose rhetoric might encourage copycats seeking fame. The pair also addressed recent Department of Justice indictments against the Southern Poverty Law Center, accusing it of manufacturing and financing hate groups for fundraising, with troubling past ties to the FBI. This raised questions about institutional gullibility or complicity in amplifying divisions. Fitzgerald stressed the need for accountability, congressional scrutiny of former FBI leadership, and efforts to counter these patterns before the next incident. The interview underscored persistent challenges in a free society balancing speech, security, and prevention in an era of deepening polarization.