WASHINGTON, D.C.—In a shocking turn of events Monday, Cole Tomas Allen, the suspect charged with attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump at last month’s prestigious White House Correspondents’ Dinner, pleaded not guilty to all charges, claiming he was simply trying to eliminate a particularly menacing fly.

Allen, who appeared in court wearing a tuxedo with a ketchup stain, declined to speak, leaving his attorney, Gloria Wheelwright, to explain the unique defense. “Mr. Allen has always been a passionate advocate against insects,” Wheelwright said. “He merely mistook a hovering fly for an existential threat to democracy. Any resemblance to former President Trump is purely coincidental.”

Prosecutors remain unconvinced. “While we appreciate Mr. Allen’s dedication to pest control, our nation’s leaders are not, in fact, bugs,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Fiddler. “At no point did the defendant reach for a flyswatter or attempt to summon Orkin.”

Attendees of the dinner recall the moment with mixed emotions. “I thought I was seeing performance art,” said gala guest and NPR analyst Sophie Mandel. “One moment the speech is dragging on, and the next there’s a guy yelling about ‘saving the potato salad’ and waving a firearm. It’s not the weirdest thing I’ve seen in D.C., but it’s close.”

The judge has ordered Allen to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, though sources inside the courthouse report Allen spent most of the arraignment muttering to a cloud of invisible gnats hovering above his head.