By Armando Hernandez
In what was her last intervention before her maternity leave, the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt directly linked the media and the leaders of the Democratic Party to the attempted attack perpetrated by Cole Allena California professor who tried to break into the Washington Hilton resort armed, where the annual dinner of the White House Correspondents’ Association was being held.
“This political violence emanates from a systemic demonization of the president and his supporters,” said Leavitt. during the press conference, in which he also expressed concern about the tone of public discourse in the United States. “We should not live in a country where the constant fear of violence permeates our society.”
Leavitt attributed the attack to what he described as years of hostile rhetoric toward the president.. According to the spokesperson, comments that describe Trump as a threat to democracy or compare him to historical authoritarian figures have contributed to creating an environment conducive to violence.
“Those who constantly call him a fascist or compare him to Hitler for political gain are fueling these types of acts,” he said.. He also pointed out that parts of the manifesto attributed to the aggressor reflect messages similar to those that, he said, circulate in the media and social networks.
The White House statements come in a context of growing political polarization, in which episodes of violence have raised alarms about the safety of public figures. Leavitt insisted that the problem is not limited to isolated individuals, but rather responds to a broader narrative that, in his opinion, legitimizes attacks.
“Within the event you’ve of us in positions of energy which are asserting things be pleased this each single day for years, which that you just may maybe most likely most likely also very successfully be attractive violence by of us who are already mentally in bad health.” – @PressSec Karoline Leavitt pic.twitter.com/6ONmzoZTdj
— The White Home (@WhiteHouse) April 27, 2026
Debate on security and financing
The incident also reignited tensions over funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The spokesperson criticized that the agency has been without funds approved by Congress for more than two months, describing the situation as a “national emergency.”
““This attack underscores the urgency of securing the resources necessary to protect the president and the country,” Leavitt said.while urging legislators to put aside partisan differences.
The stalemate in DHS funding dates back to legislative disputes related to immigration policies, following an incident in January involving federal agents. Since then, Senate Democrats have conditioned their support on greater oversight mechanisms.
For its part, the White House assured that the president maintains full confidence in the Secret Service and confirmed that meetings will be held with security leaders to review protocols..
In parallel, Melania Trump requested action against comedian Jimmy Kimmel for comments made on television days before the attack, which she described as inappropriate. The spokesperson supported the first lady’s position, pointing out that these types of expressions also contribute to division.
Despite the incident, the administration indicated that Trump plans to attend the rescheduled dinner, in a gesture that seeks to send a message of normality in the face of the threat.
Keep reading:
- Correspondents’ Dinner Shooter Accused of Trying to Assassinate Trump
- Melania Trump accuses host Jimmy Kimmel of “sowing hate” and asks ABC to take a position on the matter
- How the attacker could get so close to Trump and other questions raised by the shooting at the dinner correspondents
