Former President Barack Obama issued a statement Sunday night following an attempted attack targeting President Donald Trump and senior officials.
Authorities say a 31-year-old man, identified as Cole Allen, forced his way into the lobby of the Washington Hilton on Saturday evening and began shooting during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Secret Service agents quickly evacuated President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and members of the Cabinet from the ballroom.
Video circulating online appears to show the suspect running past a security checkpoint as federal agents responded with gunfire. Officials later disclosed that Allen had written a manifesto in which he expressed strong hostility toward Trump and indicated that he intended to target the president and his administration.
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…
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 26, 2026
We literally have the entire manifesto and know exactly why he did it. pic.twitter.com/qdMvJzUrtc
— Matt Van Swol (@mattvanswol) April 26, 2026
> Democrat Assassin: ‘I want to kill Trump’
> Democrats assassin tries to kill Trump with a gun on camera
> Leaves note describing in great detail how much they want Trump dead
> Posts on social media about killing Trump
> Obama: No motive
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 26, 2026
Stop lying. We know the full motive. The shooter wrote a manifesto. The shooter wanted to kill President Trump and his cabinet. Why are you lying?
— DataRepublican (small r) (@DataRepublican) April 26, 2026
In the document, Allen justified his actions with political and moral arguments, claiming he could no longer tolerate what he described as wrongdoing by the administration.
Despite the emergence of the manifesto, Obama said in his statement that the full motivations behind the attack were not yet clear. He emphasized that political violence has no place in American democracy and called for unity in rejecting such acts.
Obama also praised the actions of the Secret Service, highlighting their role in protecting national leaders. He expressed gratitude for their service and noted that an agent injured in the incident is expected to recover.