The White House said the shooting at a news conference attended by President Trump was a “predicted outcome” of Democratic rhetoric, prompting backlash from Democrats.
White House blames violence on ‘systematic demonization’ of Trump
White House press secretary Caroline Levitt blamed the “systematic demonization” of President Trump as the root cause of the Correspondents Dinner shooting.
On the night an alleged assassination attempt against President Donald Trump was thwarted by gunfire at a news conference, the president later took to the stage in the White House briefing room to speak about unity.
“This was supposed to be an event dedicated to free speech, bringing together members of Congress and members of the press from both parties,” President Trump said on April 25. “And in a sense it did, because I saw a completely unified venue, given the fact that the two parties had just unified.”
The next day, President Trump told “60 Minutes” that Democrats’ “hate speech” was creating a dangerous situation. Shortly thereafter, the White House began slamming Democrats and the media over the shooting.
White House press secretary Caroline Levitt blamed the political violence on the president’s “demonization” by Democrats and the media, and said at a press conference on April 27 that a “left-wing hate cult” against Trump “has injured and killed multiple people and nearly did so again this weekend.”
In response, Democrats pointed to President Trump’s long history of inflammatory rhetoric, including calling political opponents “vermin” and “the enemy within.” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Mr. Levitt should “clean his own house.”
Debate over political rhetoric that contributes to violence has intensified in recent years, with President Trump facing two assassination attempts in the past. A series of other attacks on politicians have also drawn condemnation from both sides.
After an assassin’s bullet grazed his ear during a 2024 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, President Trump also nodded toward unity before using the shooting to smear his opponents, even though investigators have never revealed the shooter’s motive. This time, a post written by the alleged gunman is attracting attention.
Suspected gunman’s comments spark debate
Prosecutors on April 27 charged Cole Thomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, with attempting to assassinate President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on April 25 at a Washington, D.C., hotel.
Allen allegedly ran through a security checkpoint and opened fire. One Secret Service agent was shot, but his bulletproof vest prevented him from serious harm, authorities said. Officials said investigators fired five shots at the suspect, but they missed the target. No one was killed in the incident, and Allen was quickly arrested.
Allen, an adjunct instructor with a degree in mechanical engineering from Caltech, said he registered to vote in California “regardless of political party preference.” He donated $25 to then-Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.
Prosecutors included in charging documents some of the emails Allen allegedly sent to his family and former employer before and after the shooting. The email is signed “Allen, Friendly Federal Assassin.”
The email said that as a U.S. citizen, “the actions of my agents reflect on me” and that he did not want to allow “traitors to paint crimes on my hands.” According to the affidavit, Allen said he targeted Trump administration officials “from high to low rank” with priority.
“I read the manifesto, and it’s — he’s radicalized,” Trump said on “60 Minutes” on April 26 about the alleged gunman.
Asked about people who encourage political violence, Trump said: “I think it’s far more far left than far right doing that.”
Trump later added, “I think it’s very dangerous, especially the hate speech from Democrats.”
Democratic leaders condemned political violence following the shooting at the WHCA dinner.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on April 27 that “political violence, regardless of the perpetrator or motive, endangers our democracy,” adding, “I have and will continue to condemn all forms of political violence.”
The violence has spread to the political sphere in recent years, with conservatives such as activist Charlie Kirk and Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise being targeted, along with Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota and the Democratic governor of Pennsylvania. On January 6, 2021, a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory.
rhetoric of blame
Levitt criticized anti-Trump rhetoric at a news conference Monday.
“This political violence stems from the systematic demonization of him and his supporters by commentators, certainly Democratic elected officials, and even some media outlets,” Levitt said, adding that “much of the manifesto is indistinguishable from the words we hear from so many people every day.”
A White House press release on Tuesday continued to push that point.
“This attack was not random, but the expected result of years of reckless, inflammatory and escalating rhetoric by Democrats,” the release states.
“The political violence and rhetoric must stop,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a press conference on April 27, slamming the media.
“To be honest, a lot of people in this room have done the same thing,” Blanche told reporters. “They’re just as guilty as a lot of people in X. It’s not surprising that this kind of rhetoric happens when you have reporters, when you have the media, when you have the media being overly critical and calling the president horrible names for no reason, no evidence, no basis.”
Democrats are pushing back. Jeffries ridiculed Levitt’s comments, calling her a “disgrace” and a “cold liar” and accusing her of taking Democrats’ words out of context.
Jeffries cited President Trump’s pardons for participants in the January 6 riot, as well as the case in which a man pleaded guilty to arson, terrorism and attempted murder at the home of Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. He told Mr. Levitt, “Get lost. Before you say anything about the language we use, clean your own house.”
Others point out that Trump has lashed out at film director and actor Rob Reiner and former special counsel Robert Mueller after their deaths, and has made similar incendiary statements over the years.
“If you can’t unequivocally condemn President Trump’s daily use of violent rhetoric, no one is going to take your rhetoric against Democrats seriously right now,” Sarah Longwell, a longtime Republican strategist who has become a prominent Trump critic, wrote on social media.
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told reporters that she felt an obligation to speak out about some of President Trump’s actions, but that there was a “clear” line between raising concerns about the president’s policies and actions and calling for violence, and that she was not aware of “the people who were involved in it.”
“I don’t think it’s responsible behavior to try to use an opportunity to escape responsibility for any actions,” she added.
Contributor: Katherine Palmer
