The Chicago man who allegedly doused a woman in gasoline and lit her on fire on 17 November was a "career criminal", the White House has said.
Lawrence Reed who was arrested for the crime had 72 prior arrests that include eight felony convictions and seven misdemeanors, according to the White House.
The victim, 26-year-old Bethany MaGee, survived the attack but is "now fighting for her life with horrific burns", the White house said in a statement.
In court on Monday, Mr Reed yelled three times in succession "I'm guilty", after the judge warned he could receive a life sentence for charges that include committing a terrorist attack, according to reports from inside the courtroom.
The White House has sought to blame the incident on Democrats' policies on crime, casting them as "soft".
