Our radical universities are turning out an army of educated assassins
Cole Allen, a CalTech and graduate school alumnus, allegedly attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump at the 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner. His educational background and manifesto suggest a connection between elite academic environments and growing acceptance of political violence among highly educated individuals. The article questions whether politically homogeneous universities contribute to radicalization despite their academic rigor.
- ▪Cole Allen, the alleged shooter at the 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner, is a graduate of CalTech and holds a master’s degree from California State University, Dominguez Hills.
- ▪CalTech ranks highly for career value but poorly for ideological diversity, with 16 liberal students for every conservative and a large DEI staff presence.
- ▪According to the 2025 American Political Perspective Survey, 40% of Americans with graduate or professional degrees agree that political violence is 'often necessary' for social change.
- ▪Allen’s manifesto stated that administration officials were legitimate targets for violence in pursuit of political change.
- ▪Studies cited in the article suggest that higher education correlates with increased acceptance of political violence, rising from 23% among those with high school diplomas to 40% among graduate degree holders.
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Daniel McCarthy Opinion Our radical universities are turning out an army of educated assassins By Daniel McCarthy Published April 28, 2026, 6:55 p.m. ET This image released by US President Donald Trump via his Truth Social account (@realDonaldTrump) shows a person he claims to be the alleged suspect in the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on the ground after being apprehended on April 25, 2026. @REALDONALDTRUMP / TRUTH SOCIAL/AFP via Getty Images The ranks of would-be presidential assassins are a cavalcade of losers, yet the latest shooter who set out to murder President Donald Trump — the man who opened fire at the White House Correspondents Dinner on Sunday — turns out to have an elite educational background.
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