White House: "Shooting Incident Due to Demonization of Trump"

On the 27th (local time), the White House claimed that the shooting incident in front of the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner venue, which targeted U.S. President Donald Trump and other administration officials, was the result of framing by the Democratic Party and the media.

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Caroline Levitt, White House Press Secretary, said during a briefing that "in recent years, no one has faced more bullets and violence than President Trump," adding, "Such political violence stems from the systematic demonization of him by commentators, elected Democratic officials, and some members of the media."

She continued, "Those who seek political gain by falsely labeling the President as a fascist or a threat to democracy, by slandering him, and by comparing him to Hitler are fueling this violence."

Caroline Levitt, White House Press Secretary. Photo by AP Yonhap News

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Press Secretary Levitt referred to the message left by suspect Cole Thomas Allen before the incident, stating, "Much of what is in this potential assassin's manifesto is not different from what we hear from many people every day."

She added, "When people in positions of power say these things every single day for years, it incites violence among those who are already mentally disturbed. That is what we have witnessed against this President for far too long."

Meanwhile, according to The New York Times (NYT) and others, the U.S. Department of Justice has charged the suspect in the White House Correspondents' Association dinner shooting with attempted assassination of the President, violating interstate firearm and ammunition transport laws, and discharging a firearm during a violent crime.

Investigative authorities stated that a memo believed to have been written by the suspect appears to express deep anger toward the administration and President Trump.

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