Washington, April 27 The White House on Monday blamed political rhetoric and what it called “systemic demonisation” of Donald Trump for the latest attempted assassination against him, warning that such language is fuelling violence.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the attack at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner reflected a broader pattern of hostility directed at the president and his supporters.
“This political violence stems from a systemic demonisation of him and his supporters,” Leavitt told reporters. “This hateful and constant and violent rhetoric directed at President Trump day after day after day… has helped to legitimise this violence.”
She said the suspected attacker’s manifesto echoed language commonly heard in public discourse.
“When you read the manifesto of this shooter… how different is the rhetoric from this almost assassin than what you read on social media and hear in various forums every single day?” she said. “The answer… is that there is no difference at all.”
Leavitt accused political opponents and sections of the media of contributing to an environment that incites violence.
“Those who constantly falsely label and slander the president as a fascist, as a threat to democracy and compare him to Hitler… are fuelling this kind of violence,” she said.
She cited remarks by several Democratic leaders, arguing that such statements contribute to a climate of hostility.
“These are despicable statements that the American people have been consuming for years,” she said, adding that such rhetoric can influence “mentally perturbed individuals” to act.
The White House also pointed to comments made by television host Jimmy Kimmel about First Lady Melania Trump days before the incident.
“Who in their right mind says a wife would be glowing over the potential murder of her beloved husband?” Leavitt said, calling the remark “completely deranged”.
She said the administration is urging a national reset in tone.
“We can, and we should have fierce disagreement in this country,” she said. “But those disagreements must remain peaceful… not bullets.”
Leavitt added that the president has called on Americans to “recommit ourselves to resolving our differences peacefully and uniting around the shared values that make our country great”.
At the same time, the White House acknowledged the role of misinformation in amplifying tensions.
“There will be bite-sized clips that will go viral… to the point where there are Americans… that believe that what happened Saturday night was staged,” she said.
She said the administration’s approach is to prioritise transparency.
“It’s very important to us that we get the truth and the facts… as quickly as possible to dispel some of that crazy nonsense,” she said, crediting the Department of Justice and the FBI with sharing information about the suspect.
Leavitt said the president is closely following developments, including the suspect’s court proceedings, and that law enforcement agencies would provide further updates.
Political rhetoric and polarisation have intensified in the United States in recent years, particularly during election cycles, with sharp divisions between parties and across media platforms.
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