Karoline Leavitt blamed anti-Trump rhetoric after a shooting at the WHCA Dinner and said White House officials will review security procedures.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday blamed what she called a “left-wing cult of hatred” for political violence after a shooting Saturday at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, DC.
Speaking at the White House, Leavitt accused Democrats, media figures and online commentators of creating a climate of hostility toward President Donald Trump and his supporters. Her remarks came after what she described as another alleged assassination attempt against Trump, though the supplied reporting did not include details about the suspect, charges or an official timeline of the shooting.
“Those who constantly falsely label and slander the president as a fascist, as a threat to democracy, and compare him to Hitler to score political points, are fueling this kind of violence,” Leavitt told reporters.
Leavitt said the White House had expected the dinner to focus on speech and the First Amendment before the night was interrupted by gunfire. She thanked law enforcement and the Secret Service, singling out an agent she said was struck in the chest and protected by a bulletproof vest.
According to the captured reporting, Leavitt was seated near Trump and first lady Melania Trump when shots were fired. She described Trump as calm during the incident and said he wanted to check on the injured agent after returning to the Oval Office.
The press secretary also urged the country to keep political disagreement peaceful. “Debating, peaceful protesting and voting are how we need to settle disagreements, not bullets,” she said.
Pressed by reporters about public fears over Trump’s safety, Leavitt said the president continues to trust the Secret Service and argued that the security perimeter worked because the suspect was stopped before causing broader harm. She said White House chief of staff Susie Wiles would convene a meeting with Department of Homeland Security leaders, Secret Service officials and White House operations staff to review procedures for future events.
Leavitt also used the briefing to call on Congress to fund the Department of Homeland Security, warning that a prolonged funding lapse could add strain on the Secret Service ahead of major events and the next presidential election.
The briefing took place before a Justice Department news conference expected to announce charges related to Saturday’s shooting. The immediate questions now are what investigators disclose about the alleged attacker and whether the White House security review leads to visible changes at future presidential events.
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