White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt blamed Democrats and certain members of the media for promoting a “culture of hatred” that inspired Cole Allen’s attempted shooting at Saturday night’s White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.
Leavitt, who was present at the dinner, opened her Monday press briefing by thanking U.S. Secret Service agents and other law enforcement officers for their rapid response to Allen’s attack. The press secretary added that the incident was the direct result of escalating political rhetoric from the Left.
“This political violence stems from a systemic demonization of him and his supporters by commentators, by elected members of the Democrat Party and even some in the media, this hateful and constant and violent rhetoric directed at President Trump day after day after day for 11 years, has helped to legitimize this violence didn’t bring us to this dark moment, those who constantly falsely libel and slander,” she stated. “The left-wing cult of hatred against the president and all of those who support him and work for him has gotten multiple people hurt and killed, and it almost did so again this weekend.”
Leavitt additionally claimed that Allen’s manifesto “is indistinguishable from the words that we hear daily from so many.”
A number of senior administration officials on Monday singled out ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel for a controversial monologue last week mocking the president and saying first lady Melania Trump had the “glow” of “an expectant widow.”
“Who in their right mind says a wife would be glowing over the potential murder of her beloved husband?,” Leavitt asked rhetorically, noting that she was seated next to the first lady at Saturday’s dinner.
SUSIE WILES TO HOLD METING ABOUT SECRET SERVICE PROTOCOLS AT TRUMP EVENTS
You can watch Leavitt’s briefing in full below.