Former President Barack Obama issued a statement today after the shooting last night at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in which an armed assailant apparently tried to get to President Trump and other administration officials. Obama called on all Americans “to reject the idea that violence has any place in our democracy.”
He also called the incident “a sobering reminder of the courage and sacrifice that U.S. Secret Service Agents show every day.”
In a press conference after the incident last night Trump, in prepared remarks, also praised the “great work done by law enforcement.”
He went on to ask for unity, saying, “in light of this evening’s events, I ask that all Americans recommit with their hearts in resolving our difference peacefully. We have to resolve our differences. I will say you had Republicans, Democrats, independents, conservatives, liberals and progressives…But yet everybody in that room…there was a tremendous amount of love and coming together. I watched, I watched and I was very, very impressed by that.”
Trump stressed the spirit of the event, which celebrates the White House Press Corps and the First Amendment.
“This was an event dedicated to freedom of speech. That was supposed to bring together members of both parties with members of the press. And in a certain way it did because the The fact that they just unified. I saw a room that was just totally unified.”
After his prepared remarks, the president was a little more colorful, calling the incident “shocking” and the shooter a “nutjob.” He then maintained the violence is a sign he’s an effective chief executive.
“When you are impactful they go after you, when you are not impactful they leave you alone,” POTUS said of the violence Saturday and previous assassination attempts against him over the years. “It’s a dangerous profession.”