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The shooting suspect who stormed the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday has so far refused to cooperate with investigators. But the few details that have emerged point to a man who harbored deep anger toward Trump administration officials.
For James Piazza, a political violence scholar at Penn State, that hatred illustrates America’s current political moment, in which lawmakers assault opponents with dehumanizing rhetoric and the onslaught against democratic norms saps citizen trust in government. The resulting skepticism, Piazza’s research shows, fuels public support for the type of political violence – from Republicans and Democrats – America has witnessed since the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
What was critical then, and remains so today, adds Piazza, is that political leaders from all stripes swiftly condemn the real-world violence fueled by polarization and fanned by political commentators and influencers. Unified rhetoric, Piazza says, can effectively diminish the type of deep hatred that apparently drove suspect Cole Tomas Allen across the country and into the Washington Hilton.
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President Donald Trump speaks at the White House on April 25, 2026, after the cancellation of the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner.
Andrew Leyden/Getty Images)
James Piazza, Penn State
The moral dimension of political polarization in the US, where each side views the other as immoral, helps fuel attacks like the one against Trump at the Washington Hilton.
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Science + Technology
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Economy + Business
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