White House blames Trump assassination attempt on Democrats

This article appeared as part of the Daily Sensemaker newsletter – one story a day to make sense of the world. To receive it in your inbox, featuring content exclusive to the newsletter, sign up for free here.

Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old from California, has been charged with trying to assassinate the president on Saturday evening. The Justice Department says a specific motive is not yet clear, but this hasn’t stopped the White House blaming the “hateful and constant and violent rhetoric” of the Democrats and portions of the media. It was the third attempt on the president’s life in two years and followed the killing of Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist, in September. But this is a poison that affects the entire political spectrum. A man attacked Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer in 2022, while two Democratic lawmakers were killed in Minnesota in 2025. Death threats against election officials have become the norm, and lawmakers in several states are now allowed to use campaign funds to install home security systems.