The judge who handles presidential assassination cases in Washington just told the shooter he was sorry.
It’s the latest outrage in what’s becoming a disturbing trend.
And Jesse Watters made sure America found out who that judge is.
What Judge Zia Faruqui Did for Cole Allen in Court
Cole Tomas Allen crossed the country with a shotgun, a pistol, two knives, and four daggers, called himself the "Friendly Federal Assassin," and shot a Secret Service agent trying to get to the president.
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said: "He had every intention to kill him and anyone who got in his way."
A federal grand jury indicted Allen on four counts – including attempted assassination of the president and assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon.
Then Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui called an emergency hearing.
Not to discuss the charges.
To apologize to the shooter for his jail conditions.
Faruqui told Allen directly from the bench: "I am very troubled by what they indicate the conditions that you have been subjected to. I'm sorry."
He demanded Allen be moved out of his cell, ordered jail officials to bring him a Bible, and pushed to place him in a less restrictive unit with windows.
Jesse Watters Named the Pattern Everyone Saw
Fox News host Jesse Watters didn't dance around it.
"The judge, Zia Faruqui – he's been a problem on the bench for years."
Watters pointed to Pirro's written response to the hearing: "Welcome to Washington, DC, where US Magistrate Judge Faruqui believes a defendant armed to the teeth and attempting to assassinate the president is entitled to preferential treatment in his confinement compared to every other defendant."
Then Watters named what the Left built – a system that puts the shooter in a padded room with too much light and puts the judge on a crusade to fix it.
"Not only do they think it's okay – they're giving it a little bit of a wink and a nod. But if you complain, you're exploiting it. Like if someone tries to shoot you, you're not allowed to talk about it."
Congressman Brandon Gill called for impeachment.
"This is a judge who has made it his mission to wage courtroom jihad against the American people," Gill said.
Who Is Judge Zia Faruqui and Why Is He Still on the Bench
Faruqui built his career around criminal justice reform and DEI before the Biden administration put him on the DC bench in September 2020.
Since landing on the bench, Faruqui has fought Trump's Justice Department at every turn — calling his DC crime crackdown a "constitutional crisis," saying the rule of law was "being flushed down the toilet," and refusing to accept indictments in at least seven Trump-era enforcement cases.
When federal agents arrested an illegal alien in DC who was under a deportation order, Faruqui told the courtroom: "I'd say we live in a surreal world right now. This is not consistent with what I understand the United States of America to be."
Now he used January 6 defendants as the baseline for how gently a presidential assassin deserves to be treated.
"It's troubling," Faruqui said of Allen's conditions. "I never heard of one January 6 defendant who was put in five-point restraints or in a safe cell."
He held the emergency hearing anyway – even after Allen's own attorneys withdrew the motion and said it was no longer necessary.
The Third Trump Assassination Attempt and the Judge Who Took the Shooter's Side
This is the third attempt on Donald Trump's life since 2024.
Allen signed his farewell email "Friendly Federal Assassin" and labeled members of the Trump administration as targets.
He donated to Kamala Harris's 2024 presidential campaign.
Watters connected the dots: "Democrat donors are literally shooting the president and lighting the country on fire. You know what doesn't help? Judges who show these sickos love."
When a sitting federal judge opens and closes the same hearing with an apology to a man who tried to kill the president – the message to every would-be assassin in America is unmistakable.
Try it.
You'll be treated better than a January 6 protester.
And Jesse Watters made sure America saw it.
The next person who loads a weapon and comes for the president now knows exactly what to expect from the DC bench – a sympathetic ear, a Bible, and a window with a view.
Sources:
- Department of Justice, "Suspect in White House Correspondents' Dinner Shooting Charged with Attempt to Assassinate the President," DOJ.gov, April 27, 2026.
- Fox News, "Who Is Judge Zia Faruqui? What We Know About the Federal Magistrate Who Apologized to Cole Allen," FoxNews.com, May 6, 2026.
- WUSA9, "Accused Shooter of White House Correspondents' Dinner Indicted on 4 Charges," WUSA9.com, May 5, 2026.
- CNBC, "Pirro Reveals WHCD Attack Evidence; Cole Allen Removed from Suicide Watch," CNBC.com, May 3, 2026.