When a CalTech grad's Twitter rage meets actual bullets at the most powerful dinner in DC.

Cole Tomas Allen showed up to the White House Correspondents' Association dinner Saturday night with multiple weapons, political grievances against Trump, and a 1,000-word manifesto he'd just sent to his family. He called himself a "Friendly Federal Assassin," tried to breach security at the Washington Hilton, and got tackled before reaching the ballroom. Now everyone's asking the same question: how did a tutor with a fancy degree convince himself this was the move?

1. Mild: Smart people can have catastrophically dumb politics. Going to CalTech doesn't vaccinate you against radicalization. Education and extremism aren't mutually exclusive, they just give extremism better vocabulary.

2. Warm: His family saw the red flags and did nothing. His sister told investigators he was "prone to making radical statements" and that he'd stashed guns at their parents' house without permission. At what point do you call someone?

3. Warm: The "I'm a federal assassin" bit is unhinged roleplay. He didn't work for the government, he was a tutor and game developer. This is what happens when someone spends too much time in their own head deciding they're the protagonist of a political thriller.

4. Glowing Hot: His grievances were embarrassingly specific. He was mad about U.S. military strikes on drug smuggling boats in the Pacific. This isn't principled opposition, this is a guy who read one article and decided it justified attempted murder.

5. Glowing Hot: The manifesto reads like a suicide note that got angry halfway through. Over 1,000 words of apologies, thank yous, political rants, and religious justifications. He was saying goodbye while also trying to explain himself to people who would never forgive him anyway.

6. Glowing Hot: He literally mocked the hotel's security while planning to breach it. He checked in days early, walked around armed, and then acted surprised when he almost got in. The arrogance of someone who thinks he's smarter than every security professional in the room.

7. Nuclear: This is what happens when political grievance becomes a personality. He didn't just disagree with Trump policy, he became "the guy who's going to do something about it." Online radicalization isn't a joke, it's a pipeline from doomscrolling to violence.

8. Nuclear: The legal gun purchases were completely normal until they weren't. He bought a pistol in October 2023 and a shotgun before that, all legit. There's no background check that catches "this guy will eventually snap at a gala."

9. Nuclear: His family knew and the system knew and nothing stopped him. His sister told authorities everything. His social media was full of anti-Trump posts. He traveled across the country to DC. At what point does surveillance become prevention?

10. Nuclear: This is the new normal for political violence in America. Educated guy, specific grievances, manifesto, weapons, attempt on high-profile target. We're going to see more of this because the pipeline from online rage to real-world action is frictionless and profitable for the platforms.

What number hits different for you? Reply with your pick and send this to someone who'd choose a completely different one. We need to know which takes split the room.