House

House Democrat proposes bipartisan national commission for political violence after WHCA dinner shooting

by Ashleigh Fields - 04/26/26 4:38 PM ET

Link copied

by Ashleigh Fields - 04/26/26 4:38 PM ET

Link copied

NOW PLAYING

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) on Sunday urged lawmakers to create a bipartisan national commission for political violence following the shooting at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner.

“To see journalists like you and others ducking under tables was just horrifying,” Khanna said during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” with Kristen Welker.

“We need a bipartisan national commission for political violence in this country. I heard Sen. Tillis speak,” he added. “We should look at social media. We should look at mental health issues. We should look at language. But we need to do something to bring the temperature down.”

Moments before Khanna’s appearance, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) spoke to Welker about the need for an end to political violence, describing social media as an “amplifier” and “instigator” that targets “vulnerable people.”

“In many cases, we’re seeing people who are committing these horrible acts have behavioral health and other challenges, stability issues in their lives,” Tillis said, adding that what “American people need to do is take a breath, confirm their facts, talk to their elected officials, think a bit before they judge people.”

Tillis continued, “They all have a role to play. And we in elected office do as well. Our words matter. The weight of our words matter, and we need to be very measured in the way that we use them.”

Saturday’s shooting in Washington has renewed conversation across the country about political violence, which Americans say has spiked in recent years.

Last summer, Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman (D) and her husband were shot and killed at their home in an act of targeted political violence. In September, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated in front of a crowd of college students at Utah Valley University.

In 2025, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) saw the governor’s mansion set ablaze in another act of politically motivated violence. And Trump was grazed by a bullet in July 2024 when speaking at a rally in Butler, Pa.

Although the investigation into Saturday’s shooting at the Washington Hilton hotel is ongoing, multiple media outlets have reported that the suspected shooter, Cole Allen, wrote a manifesto which included writings critical of the Trump administration.

CBS News reported Sunday that the suspected gunman wrote a manifesto stating he wanted to target White House officials “prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest,” and an administration official confirmed to The Hill that the suspect wrote those words.

Add as preferred source on Google