Trump officials point finger at Democrats and the media for political violence in wake of correspondents' dinner shooting
Following a shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, President Donald Trump initially called for unity and peaceful resolution of differences. However, top Trump administration officials later blamed Democrats and the media for fostering political violence through divisive rhetoric. While Trump softened his tone immediately after the incident, his administration quickly shifted to accusing political opponents and journalists of contributing to the climate of violence.
- ▪Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche accused members of the media of contributing to political violence by being overly critical of the president.
- ▪White House communications director Steven Cheung claimed violent rhetoric from liberals and biased media outlets manifested in the shooting incident.
- ▪Press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that sustained demonization of President Trump and his supporters by Democrats and some media commentators has helped legitimize political violence.
- ▪Trump initially planned to deliver sharp remarks about the press at the dinner but said he would instead be more conciliatory after the shooting.
- ▪The president later criticized Democrats' 'hate speech' and called for comedian Jimmy Kimmel to be fired over a joke about the first lady.
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Trump administrationTrump officials point finger at Democrats and the media for political violence in wake of correspondents' dinner shootingThe president struck a conciliatory tone Saturday night, but officials in his administration later accused news outlets and Democrats of fueling divisive rhetoric.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Trump administration officials on Monday went after Democrats and the media.Tasos Katopodis / Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 27, 2026, 8:28 PM EDT / Updated April 28, 2026, 6:52 AM EDTBy Raquel Coronell UribePresident Donald Trump’s mollifying tone following Saturday night’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner has since given way to accusations and finger-pointing from top administration officials…
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