Barack Obama Did Not Just Say That About the WHCA Shooting

Matt Vespa | April 27, 2026 7:00 AM

Cole Allen, 31, from Torrance, California, attempted to assassinate President Trump and other government officials during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Saturday. It’s a fact. It’s in his manifesto.

President Trump was at the event with Vice President JD Vance and other top officials when Allen sprinted past security checkpoints outside the ballroom. He was caught, but not before gunfire was exchanged. He wasn't hit during the attack but was armed with multiple guns and knives.

“I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes,” Allen wrote. He confessed to the police early Sunday morning that his targets were Trump officials. His written work emphasizes that and includes the president on the list, not that we couldn’t infer that from the initial confession.

Still, the media and now former presidents are trying to play the ‘we don’t know game.’ Look at Barack Obama here:

Although we don’t yet have the details about the motives behind last night's shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner, it’s incumbent upon all us to reject the idea that violence has any place in our democracy. It’s also a sobering reminder of the courage and sacrifice that U.S. Secret Service Agents show every day. I’m grateful to them – and thankful that the agent who was shot is going to be okay.