White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, delaying her maternity leave after Saturday’s shooting at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner, praised the “fearless” leadership of President Donald Trump, blaming a “left-wing cult of hatred” for political violence.
“Those who constantly falsely label and slander the president as a fascist, as a threat to democracy, and compare him to Hitler to score political points, are fueling this kind of violence,” Leavitt told reporters Monday at the White House. “The left-wing cult of hatred against the president and all of those who support him and work for him has gotten multiple people hurt and killed, and it almost did so again this weekend.”
Leavitt said the White House had expected to spend the evening discussing “speech and the First Amendment” with reporters before, but “the night was hijacked by a crazed anti-Trump individual who traveled across the country to assassinate the president and as many administration officials as possible.”
Leavitt thanked law enforcement and the Secret Service for rushing into action, singling out an agent who she said was struck in the chest but saved by a bulletproof vest.
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She said Trump, after returning to the Oval Office, wanted to check on that agent personally and had tried to remain at the event Saturday night even after shots were fired.
Leavitt, seated next to Trump and first lady Melania Trump when the gunfire erupted, described the president as “calm amid the chaos.”
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“President Trump is fearless because he loves this country, and he is willing to put his own life on the line to deliver on the promises that he made to the American public,” she said.
The country should not accept political violence as normal, Leavitt said, arguing that disagreements must be resolved through debate, protest and elections,”not bullets.”
She repeatedly blamed Democrats, media figures and online commentators for what she called a years-long effort to demonize Trump and his supporters, saying such rhetoric had helped create a climate that inspires violence.
Leavitt also denounced the recent comment by ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel about the first lady having the “glow of an expectant widow,” calling it “completely deranged.”
Pressed by reporters on public fears about the president’s safety, Leavitt said Trump continues to trust the Secret Service and argued the security perimeter worked because the suspect was stopped before inflicting massive harm.
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She added that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles would convene a meeting with Department of Homeland Security leaders, Secret Service officials and White House operations staff to review procedures and ensure Trump’s safety at future events.
Asked why she returned to the podium instead of taking maternity leave, Leavitt said that serving as Trump’s spokeswoman is a “public service,” and that the president’s determination after the shooting inspired the White House staff to “keep going and keep fighting every day.”
Leavitt also used the briefing to press Congress to fund the Department of Homeland Security, calling the prolonged lapse a “national scandal.” She warned that continued obstruction could place more strain on the Secret Service ahead of major events and the next presidential election.
Leavitt said the administration’s immediate focus was getting facts out quickly and relying on what she described as transparency from the Justice Department and FBI to counter online conspiracy theories that began spreading after the shooting.
“I hope and pray that this is the last time I speak to you, for some time, until after my maternity leave,” Leavitt concluded at the end of a short briefing before the Justice Department’s news conference announcing the charges for Saturday’s shooting suspect.