There was a rather humorous development seen on social media after the shooting attempt at the White House Correspondents Association dinner Saturday night. President Barack Obama felt the need to weigh in on the developments because heaven forfend a major incident play out without the Solomon of Martha’s Vineyard dropping his wisdom on the unwashed gentry.
He insisted that the inspiration for the attack remained unknown, and was dutifully mocked over this, as the shooter’s motives, at the time of his posting, were clearly known. Not only did authorities detail that the shooter stated he was targeting administration officials and the president, but his manifesto had been released hours earlier. The social media history showing his fealty to Democrats was displayed, and his donation to the Kamala Harris campaign was revealed.
READ MORE: What We Know Now: Suspect Mailed Manifesto to Family Just Before WHCD Attack
But Barry was hardly the naive, uninformed voice of calm. His deflection was intentional, meant to muddy the waters on the complicity of his party. The former president, members of his party, as well as the press, all recognized that their preferred narrative about political violence was about to be spun back on them.
It has been the go-to script from these players to cite any breakout of violence as being inspired by their nefarious targets, primarily President Trump. Even in cases where the connections were tenuous, there was still the need to suggest that someone was compelled by alleged hateful rhetoric from Trump/GOP/conservatives; either a person was instructed to act, or they were provoked to a reaction.
But Saturday night revealed an individual who, by his own words, was inspired to act out by the propaganda from the Left. This becomes an uncomfortable reality, and so the narrative shift was instantaneous. On CNN, Dana Bash, in speaking with Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08), accidentally veered into this very landscape. She asked Raskin if he thought incendiary language from the Left was a possible trigger for this shooting. Raskin, hilariously, tried to act as if this was a complete foreign concept to even bring up.
Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin leans into his violent rhetoric against President Trump.
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 26, 2026
CNN: Democrats have used heated rhetoric against President Trump. Do you think twice about that?
RASKIN: What rhetoric?… I talk about the authoritarianism of President Trump. pic.twitter.com/1koJjTLWqG
Now I could do something as pedantic as reference the years of labeling Trump and Republicans as “Nazis,” or “literally Hitler,” but instead I’ll present some of Jamie’s own words. Just days earlier, he was insisting that the president wants to institute a communist form of government here, modeled after Russia or China. It was only a few weeks ago when he referred to the president as possessing “a snarling dictatorial desire.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D) RANTS, calling Trump a dictator who doesn't respect the First Amendment.
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 23, 2026
This is coming from the party that wanted Trump banned from social media, arrested, jailed, and say nothing when leftists cheer for his death.
Hypocritespic.twitter.com/TsaJxdbr9q
Realizing the corner he was backed into, Raskin next darted over to CBS moments later, sitting in with Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation,” and his monologue was noticeably shifting. Now we needed to place the focus on guns, and – this is the big tell — he was calling for us to have “a national conversation” on this problem. Hint: anytime a Democrat wants a “conversation,” they intend to deliver a lecture, and you need to zip up your donut vacuum and listen.
This realization that a refocus needed to take place was also delivered by CNN. Laura Coates was at it early on, turning the attention to gun violence. She stumbled in her effort, however, as she referenced a few in attendance on Saturday who were directly impacted by shootings – Erika Kirk and Steve Scalise. (Hint to Ms. Coates: You are losing traction by bringing up cases of conservatives targeted by leftist extremists.) Brian Stelter also got in on this game.
Add to that former Obama official and media fixture Richard Stengel, trying to sound discerning by saying that seeking a motive is errant thinking. (Let’s pull that nugget up next time they are blaming conservatives for violence, shall we?) But there is a sound reason that Stengel does not want to explore the motivations behind an avowed leftist crossing the country with firearms after being imbued with leftist agitprop. It was just a few weeks ago when Stengel wrote of the president in The Guardian, using rather ungraceful language to describe his current term in office:
Trump has turned the Ugly American into the Immoral American, a prototype of a predatory sociopath who is entirely transactional and probably does know better. The Immoral American is more unscrupulous and corrupt than the Ugly American and, unlike the latter, cannot be evolved but only replaced. Projecting Trump’s venal persona on the American character will do years of damage to America’s image.
Yes, small wonder why Richard would not want us exploring what could possibly inspire leftist intolerance. Now, I am not suggesting Stengel is the responsible party here, but his type of prolix opposition is emblematic of the rhetoric that so many on the Left and in the press today want us to overlook. If right-wing heated commentary can be alleged at their leisure, what is to be said of years of “Nazi,” “fascist,” “racist," “anti-Democratic,” and all other labeling about the build-up effect on a susceptible mind in liberal circles?!
Today’s deflective attempts say it all. Turning their interrogation lamp to the left side of the table is now declared tawdry thinking, out of convenience. It is, again, the resistance to applying the standards they have foisted on us. This shift in standards makes most of their previous accusations as useful as the lobster dinners that had to be hurled in the dumpsters after the WHCA dinner had been canceled.
Editor's Note: Do you enjoy RedState's conservative reporting that takes on the radical left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member